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 Singalila
Ridge Trek In Darjeeling Hills |
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| Season |
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March To May & October To December |
| Duration |
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6 Days Touring & 7 Days Trekking |
| Grade |
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Easy |
| Highest Point |
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3636 Meters approx. |
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| Start your trip with arrival at
Delhi, proceed for a combined full day sightseeing tour
of Old and New Delhi. A two hours flight from Delhi brings
you to Bagdogra, which recently got a new airport terminal
building at otherwise army controlled airstrip, your first
encounter with the sky high Himalayan peaks as far as
Nepal might well be from the window of your aircraft,
on a clear day, the views are breath taking, we suggest
you to try to secure a window seat on left wing of the
aircraft. Arrive at Bagdogra and drive to Darjeeling,
(2134 Mts.), or Dorjey Ling the land of Thunderbolt.
From Darjeeling we will be driven to trek head to begin
our Singalila Ridge Trek. The ridge itself
is an imposing Himalayan divide between Sikkim (including
the Darjeeling hills) and Nepal. To the west of the Ridge
are great views of the mighty peaks of Nepal including
Everest (8848 Mts.), Lhotse (8516
Mts.), Nuptse (7855 Mts.), Makalu
(8156 Mts.) and the rest of their overwhelming
fraternity.
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| A little known fact is that one of the
first probing sightings of Everest, done by the Survey of India,
in their attempt to discover the highest peak in the world,
were from Sandakphu and Phalut, located on the Singalila Ridge.
Another attraction is the views of awesome Kangchendzonga
(8585 Mts.) massif, the third highest Mountain in the
world. The Singalila Ridge trek offers spectacular views of
this gigantic snow clad miracle. Kangchendzonga holds immense
fascination for mountaineers, being as it is, a sort of benchmark
in mountaineering challenge. Little wonder then, that for many
years, the Survey of India thought Kangchendzonga was the highest
peak in the world! Running to the north east of the massif are
the magnificent 7,000 m plus peaks, the Kokthang, Rahtong, Kabru,
culminating in the beautiful and sacred peak of Pandim, which
rises The allure of mountain lovers for this region has many
enigmatic reasons, with the Singalila Ridge being just one of
them. Nowhere else in the world, do such steep heights crowd
up a square kilometre, with unobstructed views. Essentially
it results in the richest flora and fauna possible in the mountains.
With over 600 varieties of orchids, trekking trails passing
through variegated tree cover, literally bursting with rhododendrons,
magnolias and primulas (Spring Season), under the umbrage of
great peaks, rising to touch the blue skies, this trek is a
real encounter with Himalayan giants. |
| Detailed Itinerary |
Day 01 : Arrive Delhi |
| Arrive at New Delhi’s international
airport a Mountain Trails World Travel representative will be waiting for
you outside the EXIT gate of arrival terminal, holding a Mountain Trails
placard. Met upon arrival and transfer to your hotel for overnight
stay. Overnight at Hotel. |
| Day
02 : Delhi |
| After a buffet breakfast
at your hotel, proceed for a full day sight seeing of
Old and New Delhi including Red Fort, Jama Masjid, India
Gate, drive pass Parliament builiding, President House
and Qutab Minar. Overnight at Hotel. |
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Day
03 : Delhi-Bagdogra (Flight 9W 601 D: 1005 A: 1200) Bagdogra-
Darjeeling (Drive 82 Kms, 3 Hours)
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| After a buffet breakfast,
you will be transferred to domestic airport to board the flight
9W 601 for Bagdogra. Met upon arrival at Bagdogra airport and
proceed for a drive to Darjeeling, a three hours drive uphill
through tea gardens and small towns. We will occasionally meet
the famous Darjeeling toy train, huffing and puffing across
the road Rest of the evening will be at leisure. Overnight at
Hotel. |
| Day
04 : Darjeeling |
| Early morning visit Tiger Hill for fabulous
sunrise views of Mt. Kangchenzonga (8585 Mts.), the third highest
mountain in the world, Mt. Everest and a host of other Himalayan
giants are also seen on the horizon. On our drive back to the
hotel we will stop at Ghoom, a Tibetan-Buddhist monastery. After
breakfast we shall visit the old botanical gardens to see their
collection of rare orchids and other plants. After lunch visit
the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, the Tibetan Refugee
Camp and the local market. Overnight at Hotel. |
Day
05 : Darjeeling – Lodhoma Khola (1089 Mts.) Drive 3 Hours
Lodhoma
Khola - Rimbick (2331 Mts.) Trek -
7 Kms - 3 Hours |
| After a buffet breakfast at your
hotel and packed picnic lunch proceed for a three hours
drive to the trek head at Lodhoma Khola at a altitude
of 1089 Mts., here we will distribute the your personal
luggage to be carried by Porters OR Dzo’s
a genetic crossbreeds of a Yak with Cow who can survive
at lower altitudes, Yaks find it difficult to life at
a altitude lower then 3500 Mts. After load distribution
we will begin the trekking to reach Rimbick, the |
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| trail ascend gradually but almost continuously
ad-mist small villages till Rimbick a small important town and
quiet busy during the main market day i.e. Tuesday, Rimbick,
a Lepcha word means "Ling-gip" i.e. place where the
swing is….., is situated at an altitude of 2,331 metres.
Overnight in Tents. |
| Day
06 : Rimbick – Ramam (Trekking 19 Kms 7-8 Hours |
| We start trekking early in
the morning, to Ramam, the trail till Siri Khola
dips gradually and from ascends gradually through
small villages and cultivated Potato fields, prime
crop for this mountainous region. The views of Darjeeling
are superb from Ramam, especially in the night when
whole town is illuminated. This area primarily |
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| consists of Sherpas, legendry mountainous
folks who many years ago migrated from Nepal. But a great legend
attracts many curious visitors and Lepcha pilgrims to a near
by quiet village of Samanden. Here it is said that many years
back the Legendary Himalayan Ape "Yeti" fought with
a Lepcha hunter for supremacy of the hunting grounds and due
to equal strength they both came upon a solution of making a
treaty. So in the quiet woods there is and erected stone as
a symbol of friendship between the Lepcha hunter and Yeti. Overnight
in Tents. |
| Day
07 : Ramam – Molle 3535 Mts. (Trekking 15 Kms, 7-8 Hours) |
| The trail from Molle ascends gradually
through dense Rhododendrons and Pine forests. Molle is situated
at an altitude of 3,535 meters or 11,811 feet high and the vegetation
here changes as we gradually go down. The vegetation here is
of the alpine class-an undulating ripple of dwarf rhododendron
bushes and shrubs of poisonous aconite. One can view Mt. Kangchendzonga
Massive from Molle. Overnight in Tents. |
| Day
08 : Molle – Phalut 3560 Mts. (Trekking 08 Kms, 3-4 Hours)
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| From Molle we take a gradual uphill
half-day's walk to Phalut, which forms the junction of
Nepal, Sikkim and West Bengal and is one of the beautiful
areas to visit. Phalut is a Lepcha word, which means Summit.
The terrain here is bare and Tree less and from here it
is only 48 Km crow's fly to Kangchendzonga Overnight in
Tents. |
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| Day
09 : Phalut – Sandakphu 3636 Mts. (Trekking 21 Kms
8-9 Hours) |
| Will backtrack the
route until Molle, the trail to Sandakphu bifurcates from
Molle, today we will be doing some exciting ridge walking
with Nepal mountains on right side and Darjeeling hills
on the other. Sandakphu is a window to one of the finest
views of the snowy mountains from the mighty Everest in
Nepal, to the revered Kangchendzonga in Sikkim and the
legendary Chomolhari in Bhutan. From here Everest is 144
km crow's fly. Once we settle down, evenings can be spent
walking around the vantage points to observe the famous,
splendid sunset. Overnights in Tents.
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| Day
10 : Sandakphu – Gairibans 2621 Mts. (Trekking 12 Kms
4-5 Hours) |
Early in the morning we wake up
to see the magnificent sunrise, From Sandakphu, the wild
elemental grandeur of the snows begins to assert itself,
till the climax is reached at sunrise, when it soaks the
snow-laden peaks in crimson and mauve, orange and gold,
a Kangchendzonga and Everest are seen in all their glory
against the background of an azure sky speckled with lazily
floating, fleecy clouds. The whole snowy range of Bhutan,
Sikkim and Nepal, about 320 Km in length, a wonderful
square mass of mountains looking like a wall of snow,
is visible, but the gigantic height and breadth of towering
Kangchendzonga massive, with its attendant peaks, Kabru,
Joponu, and Pandim dominates the scene; Everest, (8,848
meters/29,028 ft) graceful and majestic, 160 Kms soars
above, peeping shyly from the northern horizon with Lhotse
(8,516 meters or 27,824 ft) on the left.
After breakfast proceed for a gradual down hill trek through
beautiful Rhododendron forest here one can see different
varieties of this flower. The length of trees starts increasing
as the altitude dips, this area is also has a little habitation
of shy Red Pandas. Overnight in Tents |
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| Day
11 : Gairibans – Tonglu 3087 Mts. (Trekking 09 Kms 4-5
Hours) |
| A gradual ascent passing through the forest
consisting of little Rhododendron trees, the views of Mt. Everest
and the Kangchendzonga massive are commanding from Tonglu. Overnight
in Tents. |
Day
12 :Tonglu – Maneybhanjang, 2134 Mts. (Trekking 11 Kms
4-5 Hours)
Maneybhanjang – Darjeeling (Drive
26 Kms 2 Hours) |
| A steep downhill trek to Maneybhanjang
passing through a couple of villages, namely Megma and Chitrey,
worth visiting is the Buddhist monastery at Chitrey of Druk
Kargugpa sect and is Meditation centre. We end our trek here
and say good-bye to our porters, Dzo mans, cooks and kitchen
staff. Here we will board the mechanised transport, which will
be waiting for us, to reach Darjeeling approximately a couple
of hours drive. |
Day
13 : Darjeeling-Bagdogra (Drive) 80 Kms, 3-4 Hours Bagdogra
–Delhi
(Flight) 9W 602 D: 1235 A: 1640 |
| In time transfer to Bagdogra airport to
board flight 9W 602 for New Delhi . On arrival transfer to hotel,
rooms will be held for day use only (1600-2200). Meeting and
assistance on arrival and transfer to hotel. Overnight at hotel. |
| Day
14 : Leave Delhi |
| In time transfer to International
airport to connect flight back home. |
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