Area: Singalila Ridge.
Trek Route: Manebhanjang - Rimbik
Best Season: April – June & October - December
Day 01 | Arrive Bagdogra - Darjeeling : Met upon arrival and transferred to the picturesque town of Darjeeling, (2134mts), with Kanchenjunga presiding over it. A 3 hr drive into the mountains. Overnight at a hotel. |
Day 02 | Darjeeling (2134mts): After breakfast we shall visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, the Tibetan Refugee Camp, tea garden and the local market. |
Day 03 | Darjeeling - Manebhanjang - Tumling (3070mts.) : After breakfast drive to Manebhanjang for two hours. Manebhanjang to Tonglu is a steep climb up to Megma 7 km or 3 ½ hours walk. Megma is a small hamlet with few houses and small monastery and impressive Chorten (stupa). Megma to Tonglu is another 2 kms, which faces Darjeeling and Kurseong and commands excellent views of Kanchenjunga. Overnight in Trekker’s Hut/Tent. |
Day 04 | Tumling –Kalpokhri (3108m) (Average trekking time: 05 hours) : From Tonglu to Gairibas a distance of about 9 km is 4 hrs walk, where the track is more or less flat. The route passes through the bamboo glades. From here a steep climb of 4 kms through the rhododendron forest takes us to Kalphokri which is a beautiful lake and as its name suggests has dark water and never freezes. Overnight at a Lodge/Tent. |
Day 05 | Kalpokhri – Sandakphu 3636m (Average trekking time: 03 hours). An ascent and descent of about 4 kms takes us to Bikhebhanjyang - valley of poison - (Aconite’s grow in abundance at this place). From here another steep climb of about 4 kms takes us to Sandakphu at an altitude of about 3636 Mts. and is situated at the beginning of the Singelila ridge. Sandakphu perhaps offers the best simultaneous view of the Everest and the Kanchenjunga ranges. Overnight at lodge/Tent. |
Day 06 | Sandakphu : Wake up before dawn to watch the sun rise over the entire eastern Nepal Himalayas and the Sikkim Himalayas, from Everest in Nepal and Kanchenjunga in Sikkim to Chomolhari in Bhutan. Sandakphu is a Great Basin set in the midst of the hills; the slopes covered with rhododendron and silver fir trees. Full day at leisure to explore the surrounding areas. Overnight in Trekker’s Hut/Tent. |
Day 07 | Sandakphu - Phalut: The trek from Sandakphu to Phalut is comparatively easy going as one does not encounter many ascents and the track is more or less flat on the Singelila ridge. The 21 kms trek is an easy amble under the watchful gaze of the snowy peaks. Everything is so silent here that even a whisper sounds high-pitched. The landscape is lifeless yet so beautiful. Phalut is near the tri junction of Sikkim, Nepal and West Bengal. Overnight in Trekker’s Hut/Tent. |
Day 08 | Phalut - Gorkhey : From Phalut the trail descends the ridge through the virgin forest of chestnut, pines, hemlock etc. till the trail reaches the meeting of two streams called Gorkhay Khola which is a tributary of Ramam river where we can enjoy a bath in the river after a long 15 km walk. Overnight in Trekker’s Hut/Tent. |
Day 09 | Gorkhey - Rammam -Sirikhola : The trek is now on flat land and a further easy walk of 6 kms takes us to the village of Samadeen, which means the Lost Valley. From Samadeen to Rammam is another 2 kms of an easy amble along the river Rammam that defines the boundary between Sikkim and West Bengal. From Ramam the road is almost level walk for about first 9 km and again it descends to Sirikhola. Overnight in Trekker’s Hut/Tent. |
Day 10 | Sirikhola - Rimbik-Darjeeling : The road rises steep, for about 1 km where it levels out again till we reach Rimbik. PM: Half-day drive to Darjeeling. Overnight at a hotel. |
Day 11 | Darjeeling -Bagdogra: Transfer to Bagdogra airport to connect flight for onward destination. |
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