We'll arrive at Bagdogra/NJP and drive 3-4 hrs through the tea estates to Chitrey. Welcome to the mountains!
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 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 Jaubari. Proceeding from here after a further hour, we cross back over to the Indian side of the border and decend to the Indian village of Gairibas. 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. On the right hand we can see one ridge after another meeting the horizon. 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 towake up in time for the sunrise. The sunrise at Sandakphu could be one of the best one's you've ever witnessed. On a clear day you'll be able to see an over 300 kms 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 north east 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.
Today is the last day of our trek. We start off by ascending to the village of Samandin and keep moving along the trail passing through the village and then into a pine forest. We continue decending to the small stream and then ascend the ridge to the next village, Rammam. From here, we descend for another hour or so to finally make it to Srikhola, the end point of the trek.
As this is the last day of our journey, after breakfast we load our packed luggage into the vehicle, which will drive us to either New Jalpaiguri or Bagdogra. On the way, enjoy the scenery provided by the lush green forests and snow-capped mountains. Similar to the arrival day, we will arrange a vehicle to transfer you from Srikhola to NJP/Bagdogra. The cost of the vehicle comes to around INR 5000 and will be shared equally between all members of the trekking group.