The Singalila Ridge Top Walk
| Trek |
The Singalila Ridge
Top Walk |
| Price |
On Request |
| Duration |
11 days |
| Grade |
Strenuous |
| Season |
October - November |
| Special
Equip. |
Personal Sleeping
bag |
| Permit |
Required and will
be arranged by us. |
Trek Highlights
 The
trek on the Singalila Ridge is widely acclaimed as one of the classic
walks of the Himalayan foothills, giving panoramic views of the world’s
third highest mountain, Kanchenjunga 28168 ft /8586 m, her satellites,
and on a clear day, Everest herself. The walk essentially follows
a well-defined ridge that is more elevated than the other foothills
that lie between it and the main Himalayan range. Sunrises and sunsets
are particularly spectacular.
This itinerary has everything you could possibly want - touches of
luxury in old fashioned hotels of character, brisk exercise in the
Himalayan foothills on a classic trekking route, a ride on Darjeeling’s
world-famous mountain railway and some interesting road journeys.
Darjeeling
Straddling a ridge in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya at 7,592ft/2,134m
and surrounded by tea plantations on all sides, Darjeeling has been
a popular hill station since the British established it as an R&R
Centre for their troops in the mid 1800s. The industrious Brits, not
averse to mixing a little business with pleasure, recognized that
the quality of the soil and the mild climate were ideal for tea cultivation
and the forested hill slopes were soon denuded of their cover and
planted with this most lucrative revenue earner. These days, people
come here to escape from the heat and humidity of the North Indian
plain. You get an indication of how popular Darjeeling is from the
70 or so hotels recognized by the tourist office and the scores of
others which don't come up to their requirements. Here you will find
yourself surrounded by mountain people from all over the eastern Himalaya,
who have come to work, to trade or - in the case of the Tibetans -
as refugees. Mother Teresa spent her early years as a nun here, with
the sisters at Loreto Convent and Lawrence Durrell was educated at
the prestigious St Joseph's College.
Kalimpong
Kalimpong, 74 km east of Darjeeling and 72 km north of Siliguri,
is a bustling and rapidly- expanding, although still relatively
small, bazaar town set among the rolling foothills and deep valleys
of the Himalaya at an altitude of 4,100ft/1,250m. It was once part
of the lands belonging to the rajas of Sikkim, until the beginning
of the 18th century when it was taken from them by the Bhutanese.
In the 19th century it passed into the hands of the British and
thus became part of West Bengal. It became a centre for Scottish
missionary activity in the late 19th century.
Until the outbreak of the Sino-Indian war in 1962, Kalimpong was
one of the most important centres of Indo-Tibetan commerce, with
mule trains passing over the 10,827ft/3,300m-high Jalepla mountain
pass. The Kalimpong-Jalepla road was the largest all-weather route
between the two countries. With relations improving between India
and China, Kalimpong will probably lose its trans-border business
to Gangtok, in Sikkim. The main crops grown locally are ginger and
cardamom. Kalimpong division was once densely-forested, but widespread
tree felling has left large areas denuded. There are still some
areas where tracts of forest still stand, including along the left
back of the Teesta River and in the environs of Lava and Richila.
Kalimpong's attractions include three gompas, a couple of solidly-built
churches, a sericulture centre, orchid nurseries and the fine views
over the surrounding countryside.
Route Chart
Delhi
- Bagdogra – Darjeeling – Maneybhanjang – Meghma
– Kalapokhari – Sandakphu – Molley – Phalut
– Rammam – Rimbick – Kalimpong – Bagdogra -
Delhi
Day by day Itinerary
Day 01: Arr. Bagdogra – Drive to Darjeeling
Overnight Meeting and assistance upon arrival and transfer from
Bagdogra airport to Darjeeling. The drive takes four to five hours,
firstly through a few tea plantations and jungle and thereafter
up into the foothills above the Indian plains.
Overnight at Hotel. .
Day 02: At leisure in Darjeeling.
Today you will be free to relax and explore this fascinating
town.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 03: Drive to Maneybhanjang and trek to Meghma. (8,793ft/2,680m),
Drive about 1½ hrs to Maneybhanjang.
From here you begin the trek. The trail passes quite steeply uphill
on a good path through evergreen forest and bamboo glades.
You stop for lunch at Chitray (8284ft/2525m) where there is a 70-year-old
monastery, belonging to the Nyingma-pa sect.
You continue uphill for about 2-3 hours until you reach camp at
Meghma.
Today’s walk should take around 5 hours.
Camp overnight.
Day 04: Trek to Kalapokhari. (10,453ft/3186m). 5-6 hrs
From Meghma it is a beautiful walk along a well-defined undulating
path with views of Kanchenjunga at every bend. The path goes past
tiny settlements and the little village of Kanyakatta to Kalapokhari.
A fairly easy walking day of about 5-6 hours.
Camp overnight.
Day 05: Trek to Sandakphu. (11,926ft/3,636m). 5-6 Hrs.
You begin by trekking 4 kms to Kalapokhari. This is a crystal
lake, surrounded by pine trees.
Then you ascend for about another 4 kms as far as Bikhebhanjang
(10,978ft/3,346m). You will now reach the magnolia and rhododendron
forests around Sandakphu, from where you will get a magnificent
view of some of the world's most magnificent mountains, including
Everest on a clear day, Kanchenjunga and Makalu.
Camp overnight.
Day
06: Trek to Molley. 5-6 hrs. 14km.
The trail follows along a ridge through chestnut, oak and silver
fir, with commanding views of the Himalaya all along the route.
Molley is a small village in the alpine-like forest.
Camp overnight.
Day 07: Trek to Phalut. (11,808ft/3,600m). 5 Hrs. 8kms.
This is a fairly easy walk to the tri-junction of Sikkim, Nepal
and Bengal. This is the main and best viewpoint for the spread of
mountains to the north. The afternoon is free to explore or just
gaze at the mountains.
Overnight camp.
Day 08: Trek to Rammam. (8,396ft/2,560m). 5 Hrs. 12km.
A gentle walk in a hidden valley, passing through the villages
of Gorkhey and Samaden en route. This is an easy descent, with the
weather getting warmer with the decrease in altitude. There should
be orchids and a full range of spring flowers in view.
Overnight camp.
Day 09: Trek to Rimbick (7,498ft/2,286m). 6 Hrs. 18km.
For the first 9 km or so this trek is along fairly level paths
until Sirkhola, a well-known bird-watching centre. ? From here the
path begins a gentle gradient down to Rimbick, the largest town
in the area. It is possible to see Darjeeling from the town. ? Camp
overnight.
Day10: End Trek, drive to Kalimpong.
It is a fairly long drive back to Kalimpong (approx 7-8 hrs)
and you will arrive after a lunch stop at Sukhia.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 11: Drive to Bagdogra, fly to Delhi
Again an interesting drive descending from the foothills to the
Indian plains. Plenty of monkeys in the forest near the Teesta River
and wild elephants are not unknown in the jungle fringing the hills.
(4-5 hr drive).
On arrival in Delhi you will be transferred back to the Hotel. The
rest of the day is free to relax or perhaps go shopping in the emporiums
around Connaught Circus.
Overnight at Hotel.
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