from 0 review
5 Nights / 6 Days
Daily Tour
Unlimited
___
On arrive at Bagdogra Airport / NJP Railway and drive 3-4 hrs through the tea estates to Chitrey. Welcome to the mountains! Spend the night at our hotel and rest well for the trek starting tomorrow. Depending upon the number of members in the trekking group, we will arrange a pickup and drop from NJP/Bagdogra to Chitrey and back. This will be shared equally by each member of the team and is to be paid directly to the driver in cash. Typically a Tata Sumo/Mahindra Maxx/Bolero charges Rs 3500 one way which can accommodate 6 to 8 people.
The walk today starts from Chitrey and continues past several small settlements up to Tonglu (3,020 m), located in dense forest, overlooking the entire Darjeeling hills. From Tonglu we continue along the rhododendron covered ridges to Tumling, just inside the Nepal border, to gain our first uninterrupted views of the eastern Himalayas!
The initial part of today's walk is on the majorly level ground till we reach the Singalila National Park check post, where we obtain the permit to proceed into the National Park. We then crossover into Nepal on a rolling trail and reach the Nepalese village of Jabari. Proceeding from here after a further hour, we cross back over to the Indian side of the border and descend to the Indian village of Paribas. The day so far will be fairly easy. From Garibas however, after a short break, we get ready for the climb through thick conifer, birch. and Rhododendron trees. After the gradual 2 to 3 hour climb, we'll see the Kalpokhri lake. Our teahouse for the night is not too far away from the lake.
Today the distance we cover is not too much; however, you may get breathless due to the immense altitude gain. We traverse the ridge to reach Bhikey Bhanjang on the trail inside Nepal. The road ahead has several turns. We then ascend to the top of the Sandakphu ridge which is the natural border between India and Nepal. We proceed to Sandakphu top (3636 m) marked with strings of prayer flags and click photos to take back home. We spend the night at one of the teahouses near the ridge.
There's something about the morning view in the Himalayas. The weather is going to be cold, but we will encourage to wake up in time for the sunrise. The sunrise at Sandakphu could be one of the best ones you've ever witnessed. On a clear day, you'll be able to see an over 300-kilometer panorama of the Himalayas stretching from Sikkim to Nepal and Bhutan. You'll also be able to spot some giant peaks like Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Kanchenjunga. After the mesmerizing sunrise, we have breakfast and proceed onwards to Phalut. The journey today is a long but easy stretch with gradual ascents and descents. A walk of eight to nine hours through rhododendrons and then for a couple of hours over treeless mountain slopes to reach Phalut, the meeting place of three ridges coming from India, Nepal, and Sikkim. Phalut provides a spectacular view of Everest and Kanchenjunga.
For the second day in a row, we try and wake up early to try and catch the sunrise. Considering Phalut is further northeast than the rest of the trail, you are right now as close as possible to the giant Kanchenjunga. After breakfast, we start with a steep descent initially through bamboo forests and then through more thicker Rhododendron, Oak and Pine forests to Gorkhey village.