I had just come back from the Roopkund trek and the trekker in me was already prodding to go on another one. I guess that’s what 1.5 years of no outdoor experience does that to you! So I planned something for my year end December shutdown holidays. And that is how Sandakphu happened.
Fast forward to December and I was on my way to Bagdogra airport, a de-facto gateway to several parts of India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. To give some background, Sandakphu is a peak which is located in the Singalila ridge, right on the border of India and Nepal. Here, there was no concept of tent based camping which is what I had experienced in all my previous treks. Instead, we have small tea houses which provide you with food, bed and washroom. This was going to be something new! Moreover, the tea houses are located in both India and Nepal, which would give a thrill of sleeping in India on one day and Nepal on another 😀 After meeting up with fellow trekkers at the airport, we proceeded to our basecamp, Maneybhanjan, a 4 hour long drive. We finally reached this bustling little village by evening and got our rooms allotted. Our local guide had arranged for us to stay in his extended home. All of us soon ventured into the market to find some piping hot momos to satisfy our hunger!
We settled ourselves in the common room of our guesthouse for our trek briefing. And we were in for a surprise! Our guides informed us that our original itinerary was not possible due to some problem in pre-booking the tea houses. Since it was peak season, there were normal tourists as well. There is a well paved road constructed all the way to the top and one can take a jeep from the base and reach to the top in 5-6 hours. But what’s the fun in that 😉 This brings me to present another unique aspect of Sandakphu – Land Rovers.
It is said that Britishers brought these 4×4 cars in the pre-independence era and used them to travel here in the rugged terrain. Britishers left in 1947 but the cars remained. They have given a modern makeover as all the ageing parts have been replaced with newer ones. Coming back to the briefing, we got to know that we are going to have to adjust with smaller sized spaces for the 14 of us. As we didn’t have much choice, we had to go with the flow. Retiring for the night, I prepared myself mentally for the days to come. Little did I know that this was going to be an unforgettable experience which I would remember for years to come.
Day 1 – Maneybhanjan to Meghma
We started our ascent through a forested section which was slightly away from the road. After 1.5 hrs, we finally came across a clearing that had some trees which for some reason had no leaves. One of them even looked like the Whomping Willow of Hogwarts from the Harry Potter universe.
The road also joined here and we could see a SSB checkpost. We submitted our details and proceeded further. And within no time, a minor hailstorm started! All of us wore our ponchos and raincoats to protect from the falling hail stones. After a good 2 hour walk, we finally reached our destination for the day, Meghma. We covered a distance of 8 km in 2 hrs 45 mins with a elevation gain of 879 m. As soon as we settled ourselves in, snowfall started. It was so magical. Many of our fellow trekkers were experiencing it for the time. I could relate with them the joy that they were feeling! We played games and had a good time cosying around the fireplace to give ourselves some much needed warmth.
Day 2 – Meghma to Kalpokhri
When we got up today, the landscape was totally changed. The entire village was covered in a white sheet of snow. I took a short walk in the village to warm myself up and prepare for the long day ahead.
After having some hot breakfast and feeling recharged, we started for the day. Since there was snow all over, we had to be careful while walking. One slip could end one up in a bad state! Thankfully, it was not very deep either. Soaking in the morning sun, we walked for an hour or so and reached the village of Tumling. Our guides mentioned that if the weather would have been clear, we could see the mighty Kanchenjunga from here. We continued further on our trail, trying to enjoy the scenes around us. Soon we entered the gates of Singalia National Park after showing our IDs.
The walk had been relatively flat until now. We entered Nepal and could see local offices of Nepal government. Now, it was Nepal’s checkpost that we had to cross after submitting our IDs. Our lunch stop was at a place called Gairibas. Our guides told us that the momos there were very famous. And in the next instant, all of us were running with a single goal in our minds, Momos 😀 It was a small descent to the village which had cute looking blue coloured houses.
The momos were indeed delicious. After filling our bellies with fuel, we resumed our trek. It was a complete ascent all the way now. Taking baby steps, I kept moving slowly, trying to conserve my energy and at the same time, sustain the momentum. Its advised not to take huge strides while ascending as it will tire the body quickly. We came across more Land Rovers that were carrying tourists. The walk was relatively flat now. But it was getting misty. By 4 PM, we reached Kalpokhri, our final destination for the day. It is named after the small kidney bean shaped lake. We covered approximately 16 kms in 4 hrs 30 mins with an elevation gain of 689 m.
We quickly huddled ourselves near the fireplace to warm ourselves up. In such cold conditions, who would be brave enough to go out, right? Myself 🙂 I layered myself up and went out not very far from our tea house. It was not even 8 PM and the night sky that I saw simply blew me away! I ran inside to get my tripod and started preparing for taking some shots. We could even spot the Winter Triangle (a astronomical pattern formed by three of the brightest stars). It was one of the best night skies I had seen on a trek.
Day 3 – Kalpokhri to Sandakphu
Waking up to a snow covered landscape bathed in sunlight is an all together different experience. We could see the sun quite far in the distance and yet its magical rays were penetrating through all objects around us. The views were breathtaking. We started a little late today as it was going to be a short day. Today, we would be reaching the highest point of our trek, Sandakphu. We reached the village of Bikey Bhanjan in about 1.5 hrs.
From here on, it was going to be a complete uphill climb. Since my group was yet to come, I proceeded ahead so as to maintain my pace. The entire landscape was covered in snow and it reminded of the forests from the world of Narnia. It was again getting misty as the altitude was slowly increasing. To be safe and not get lost, I kept following another group ahead of me.
The forest section soon cleared and gave way to a flat land where the motorable road also met. We reached Sandakphu around 12 noon after walking comfortably for the last stretch. Alas, the views were still not clear. I was slowly beginning to lose hope that the mighty Kanchenjunga will not grace us with her beauty. Soon, others members of our group also arrived and we gathered around the fireplace. We had almost an entire half day to ourselves. Luckily, we got good rooms as well since the tourists were stuck at lower villages due to the road being not safe to drive. We had covered a distance of 6.3 kms in 2 hrs 15 mins with an elevation gain of 598 m.
Our guides briefed us about the plan for next day. Two of our group mates had injured themselves and could not continue further. They were part of a 9 person group and the entire group decided to head down next day. So only 5 of us would be going ahead with 2 guides. We also planned to go to a viewpoint to see the mighty Kanchenjunga and the Sleeping Buddha formation. I was hoping internally that we could get a clear weather. With these prayers in mind, I went to sleep with an early wake-up planned for next day.
Day 4 – Sandakphu to Phalut
It was around 5.30 AM that I heard some commotion in the corridor near my room. And when I went out to check, I just froze. Partly due to the cold temperatures and partly due to the view outside. The mighty Kanchenjunga had finally revealed herself! We got ourselves ready and headed for the viewpoint which would give a clear and unobstructed view. It was freezing cold and my fingers were already starting to become numb. Soon, the sun also came up and the entire range was bathed in sunlight.
If we look closely, it resembles the head, upper body and feet of Lord Buddha. Hence, locals call it the Sleeping Buddha. I was finally witnessing it with my own eyes. All the tiredness of the last few days was instantly forgotten in front of this grand spectacle. Not only that, we could also see the mighty mountains of Nepal namely Everest, Makalu and Lhotse. Sorry for the shaky quality of the video (I was trying my best not to lose my fingers to the bone chilling cold!).
Soon it was time to bid goodbye. We had a long day planned ahead. We reached our tea house and started preparing for the long journey ahead. After bidding our goodbyes to the group descending down, we started. By the time we left, clouds had gathered again and Kanchenjunga was shrouded in it. It felt as if the mountain gods had decided to open up at the perfect time for us to cherish it thoroughly. I still get goosebumps while recollecting it. Today’s walk was relatively flat and all we had to do was not stop every now and then to gaze at the grand views around us 😀 We took a quick pit stop at a small house and warmed ourselves with some hot tea. Since we had quite a distance to cover, we carried packed lunch and had it on the way.
We walked close to 16.5 kms today in 4 hrs 40 mins with an elevation gain of 575 m and this was the highest distance that I had ever covered in a single day of trekking. We finally reached our tea house for the day around 5 PM. Our original plan was to stay at the tea house at Phalut. But due to some issue with the pre-booking, our guides had to improvise. The location of this alternate tea house was so precarious that if we took 3 steps straight outside the sleeping room, we would slide straight down the ridge! The washroom was located few steps towards the right and it too felt like a daunting task. I was wondering how would I get up in the night and go out to pee if the need arose. Thankfully, it didn’t.
Day 5 – Phalut to Gorkhey
When we woke up today, we found ourselves in a completely fresh snow filled landscape. Even our tea house common interiors were full of snow and our guides had to remove it so that we could have place to sit. And it was still snowing! We could see outside that the weather was not looking good.
We waited for an hour hoping that the weather would subside. But it didn’t. Waiting longer would have meant walking in knee-deep snow. Our guides explained to us that since we are on Nepal side of the border, the wind was hitting us. Once we would cross to the Indian side, it would get much better. With this hope in mind, we began our trek for the day. It was a complete whiteout with blizzard like conditions. Due to the strong winds, the snow particles that were on the ground were flying and hitting us on our faces. Each hit felt like someone was poking us with a needle. After walking for an hour or so, we finally reached the Phalut tea house. We took rest for a while and recharged ourselves. It was scary initially but thrilling at the same time.
We resumed our journey and soon enough, the strong winds subsided. We could breathe a sigh of relief and could feel our semi-frozen cheeks back! From here on, it was a gradual descent filled walk. Soon we were surrounded by a completely white forest which looked like one of those possible in only fantasy novels.
Walking amongst these magical landscapes, we soon reached the village of Gorkhey. It is by far one of the most beautiful Himalayan villages that I have come across on my treks. The snow covered roofs added another layer of beauty! We got our rooms allotted, quickly changed out of clothes and assembled around the fireplace for getting that much needed warmth. This was becoming like a ritual for us now 🙂 Some of us even tried drying our wet socks and shoes. We met several other trekkers and guides as well and exchanged our stories. This is one of the best parts of trekking. You get to meet so many different people from different walks of life and hear their experiences.
Day 6 – Gorkhey to Srikhola
Finally, it was the last day of the trek. None of us were in the mood to leave this beautiful place and go back home. But we had to. Our families and friends were waiting for us. With a heavy heart, we began our final journey. The snow cover also started disappearing and we could see the green and brown colours of Mother Nature. The trail also ended at a small village. From now on, it was a walk on the road for us. After walking through snow for past couple of days, it was proving a lot of more challenging to walk on normal concrete roads! We reached Srikhola by noon and had a sumptuous lunch at one of the local restaurants. I informed back home that I was safe and sound. Cabs came to pick us up and dropped us in Siliguri. After bidding farewell to each other, we went our separate ways. I had a flight to catch next day and hence, had booked a hotel for a night stay in Siliguri.
Sandakphu was one of those experiences that I am definitely going to remember for a very long time. Both the ups and downs taught some really good lessons which would help me in my future treks. Until then, my trekking journey continues!
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