DETAILED
ITINERARY:
Day 1: 20th December 2019 (Friday)
Reporting and Briefing.
Participants are expected to reach our
base camp, Maneybhanjan (1965m/6450ft) latest by 5pm. The sun sets early in the
Eastern Himalaya so it is advisable to plan your journey accordingly.
Maneybhanjan is roughly 80 kms from Bagdogra airport/New Jalpaiguri Railway
Station and the journey takes about 3-5hrs. Once the group is unified, we will
be having a briefing session followed by dinner and night stay. Excess luggage can
be deposited in our base camp.
Day 2: 21st December 2019 (Saturday)
Day 2: 21st December 2019 (Saturday)
Transfer to Tumling (2920m/9600ft) by
Jeep ~13kms.
Trek to Gairibas (2590m/8500ft) ~6kms/3hrs.
As you proceed from Tumling to Gairibas (8500 ft), you enter the Singalila National Park. Today, you will get the first glimpse of beautiful Sleeping Buddha. The trail is combination of gradual ascent and in the end, gradual descent. It takes around 2.5-3 hrs covering about 6 kms to reach Gairibas. As you hike, you will be crossing Indo- Nepal border very frequently. On the way, you will also find the border stone. Gairibas is a small village with a few home stays and guesthouses on the Nepal side. We will be having a hot lunch on reaching our campsite for the day. Today we would have gained approximately 2000 ft in altitude.
Trek to Gairibas (2590m/8500ft) ~6kms/3hrs.
As you proceed from Tumling to Gairibas (8500 ft), you enter the Singalila National Park. Today, you will get the first glimpse of beautiful Sleeping Buddha. The trail is combination of gradual ascent and in the end, gradual descent. It takes around 2.5-3 hrs covering about 6 kms to reach Gairibas. As you hike, you will be crossing Indo- Nepal border very frequently. On the way, you will also find the border stone. Gairibas is a small village with a few home stays and guesthouses on the Nepal side. We will be having a hot lunch on reaching our campsite for the day. Today we would have gained approximately 2000 ft in altitude.
Day 3: 22nd December 2019 (Sunday)
Trek to Kalipokhri (3170m/10,400ft)
~6kms/4hrs.
We start our day immediately after the breakfast with a steep climb of 2
kms which takes us to a settlement called Kaiyakatta in an hour. There is an
interesting story about how the place got its name – make sure to ask your trek
leader to narrate this episode. There are steps cut into the mountain for trekkers
or alternatively one can take winding motor road. The distance for the day is
around 6 kms. Rest of the trail is a gradual ascent. After a couple of hours,
you will reach a lake surrounded by waving Buddhist Prayer flags. This is
Kalipokhri (‘Kali’ means black and refers to the colour of the water & ‘Pokhri’
means Lake – hence the name). There is Buddhist temple at the opposite end of
the lake. 5 minutes from here will take you to the tea house where we shall
camp. Tasty hot lunch awaits the tired trekkers! And it is here, that we would
be having a delicious variety of Tibetan bread for breakfast the next day. Kalipokhri
is one of the windiest places inside the National Park – but you should brave
these winds for a glimpse of the beautiful sunrise.
Day
4: 23rd December 2019 (Monday)
Trek to Sandakphu (3636m/11929ft)
~6kms/4hrs
We march ahead to reach the highest point of West Bengal. The trail to Sandakphu is a steep ascent with the total distance of 6 kms and an altitude gain of about 1529ft. On the way to Sandakphu, you can sight huts and tea stalls dotting the landscape. We will reach the campsite by the lunch time. The main attraction of this spot is the 180-degree panoramic view of the Himalayan giants. Today, you will be rewarded with a grand view of four of the top five peaks in the world – namely Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu and Lhotse. Make sure to capture this amazing moment in your memory! The temperature, after sunset, dips to sub-zero level here.
We march ahead to reach the highest point of West Bengal. The trail to Sandakphu is a steep ascent with the total distance of 6 kms and an altitude gain of about 1529ft. On the way to Sandakphu, you can sight huts and tea stalls dotting the landscape. We will reach the campsite by the lunch time. The main attraction of this spot is the 180-degree panoramic view of the Himalayan giants. Today, you will be rewarded with a grand view of four of the top five peaks in the world – namely Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu and Lhotse. Make sure to capture this amazing moment in your memory! The temperature, after sunset, dips to sub-zero level here.
Day 5: 24th December 2019 (Tuesday)
Trek to Gurdum (2180m/7150ft) ~10kms/.
Today we wake up
early around 4am to catch a glimpse of the magnificent sunrise. It will be a fairytale to watch the first rays
of the sun lighting up the Sleeping Buddha and the Everest range. We will bid adieu
to Sandakphu, after breakfast. Today's trail is a steep descent. We will be covering
around 10 kms during the day to reach our campsite at Gurdum.
Day
6: 25th Dec 2019 (Wednesday)
Trek to Sirikhola (2000m/6550ft) ~6kms/3hrs
Transfer to Manebhanjan by Jeep ~46kms/2.5hrs
Trek to Sirikhola (2000m/6550ft) ~6kms/3hrs
Transfer to Manebhanjan by Jeep ~46kms/2.5hrs
Merry Christmas! Today, we descend for 6 kms through lovely forest and
reach Sirikhola. We will then take a jeep back to Maneybhanjan. The evening would
be spent cherishing all the lovely memories, followed by a debriefing session
and a grand farewell dinner. Ensure you pack your luggage before going to bed
so that you are all set for your further travel plans.
Day
7: 26th Dec 2019 (Thursday)
Checkout after breakfast
Checkout after breakfast
After having the last meal together, the group will bid goodbye to a
lovely trek. Vehicles will be arranged on demand for NJP and Bagdogra. Happy
Journey until we meet next time!
