Experience the Adventure of Travelling

Traveling, one of the wonderful feelings on earth for an individual. Many people travel just for the sake of travel but some give preference to adventure. Adventures travelling is covers many things. But trekking is the best adventure which one can experience. Here is a better destination for our trekking lovers.

Sandakphu, located at an altitude of 3,636m, is the highest peak of the Singalila Ridge and the whole state of West Bengal. The term “Sandakphu” has probably derived from the term “Santaphur” which means “the dwelling place of a saint” .But people have also claimed that Sandakphu refers to the “height of the poison valley”. You will find out why below. The Singalila ridge, a pass communicating Nepal with Sikkim near Kanchenjunga south face) has originated at the south summit of Kanchenjunga. It has moved southwards and met the plain at Manebhanjan and Dhotrey. The summit of Sandakphu offers a breath taking view of the peaks of Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu and Lhotse, four of the five highest mountains of the world. Isn’t it baffling? The ultimate splendor of nature can be relished at its pristine best from a place this quintessential. The magical view of snow- clad, sky-hugging mountain ranges and the widespread carpet of mesmerizing and multi-hued array of myriad flowers like giant magnolia, rhododendrons spruce etc. are sure to drop your jaws in wonder. It houses over 600 varieties of orchids, the largest concentration in any single geographical area in the world. To make the best out of this heavenly abode, trekking uphill can be your best bet. If you can chalk out the itineraries correctly, this can undoubtedly be an experience of a lifetime and put you on cloud nine when you embrace the nature’s aura at its pinnacle. It is indeed a trekkers’ paradise.

To aid you in preparing your blueprint, we have put forward a set of recommendations that you may find worthwhile:

Day -01:

In Darjeeling district, the trek route to Sandakphu starts from a hamlet called Manebhanjan, located at an altitude of 7,054 ft (2,150 m). This is practically the gateway to Singalila and Sandakphu. It is 58km from Darjeeling i.e. about 1.5 hours ride and is inhabited by dwellers of the Buddhist Sherpa tribe. At a bifurcation on the way, you can head straight to Tumling or halt at Tonglu , 2 km away, to catch a  glimpse of the mountain range and then reaches Tumling. If you halt in Tumling then in azure nights you would witness Darjeeling, Kurseong, Pasupati town and Siliguri decked in dazzling night lights.

Day 02:

On the 2nd day, the track crosses Singalila National Park (declared an Indian National Park in 1992) where you can discover a red panda and some rare mountainous plants. Next lies a downhill trek to Garribas (2621 m). Within around 3 hours . Next you have to gear up for a continuous uphill climb to Kalipokhari (3170 m), 6km away. At Kalipokhari (Black Lake) as the name suggests there lies a tiny dark colored lake surrounded by pine trees and fluttering prayer flags.

Day 03: Kalipokhari – Sandakphu

Today is that very day to conquer Sandakphu, your most awaited destination. The ridge trail from Kalipokhari plummets till Bikhebhanjang (Valley of Poison). From here it is a steep climb of 4 km till Sandakphu. It is the steepest and the most tiring slope of the entire Singalila trek ridge. It consumes 2-3 hours to reach Sandakphu .The poisonous aconite plants are found aplenty in this region and are assumed to have caused detriment to life in the past, henceforth, both Bikhebhanjang and Sandakphu have been christened after it.

You have a handsome choice of lodges, guest houses and trekkers hut or camping areas at Sandakphu and all along the route to let your hair down and relieve your tired brain.

From Sandakphu you can choose between a longer or shorter downhill trek. To finish the trek you can reach Rimbik or you could head towards Phalut.

This was about the Sandakphu trek, there are also many destinations on the beautiful earth which are untouched so far. Before packing your bags for your adventure do consult or hire good travel agents.