Hiking the Singalila Ridge Trek from Darjeeling, India

Day 3: Our first--and only--clear views of Khangchengzonga.

Place: Singalila National Park (from Darjeeling)
Dates: April 30-May 4, 2012 (five days)
Cost: 1,400 per day (7,000 per person, for a group of two)
Distance: 86 km
The Travel Agency: Himalayan Getaway, down the street from Tower View Hotel in Darjeeling
Difficulty Level: Moderate

This the most popular trek from Darjeeling, going through the Singalila National Park on the border of West Bengal, Sikkim and Nepal (for the first three days you’re weaving in and out of India and Nepal, and the numerous border outposts means you’ll have to register your passport about 6-7 times. On the fourth day, you can briefly trek in Sikkim).

Day 1: Passing Chitrey Gompa.

It’s a pretty trail, taking you through rolling green hills, meadows, rhododendrons, villages and pine and bamboo forests, and on clear days you’ll have amazing views of Khangchangzonga, the world’s third-highest mountain (8,598m). The best times to do the trek are May-June or October-November. Most days start around 7 am, though the guide (required in the national park) will get up around 5:30 am to see if the views are clear and worth waking the trekkers for (we never got up that early). I did the classic five-day trek. See below for how the three-day and four-day treks differ, and other suggestions.

Day 1: 11km from Maney Bhanjyans (2,100m) to Tumling (2,895m)

We hopped in a jeep around 9:30 am and by 11 am reached Maney Bhanjyans for breakfast. The first 2.5km was sharply uphill, the rest more gently sloping. You’ll pass Chitrey Gompa, the only gompa on the trail. We arrived at Tumling (in Nepal) at about 3:30 pm. You haven’t yet entered Singalila National Park, so you can actually do this bit by yourself (get there using shared jeep or public bus from Darjeeling). The scenery is pretty, green like Ireland. 

Day 2: The mist settles in.

Day 2: 19 km from Tumling to Sandakphu (3,635m)

We hit the trail around 8:30 am. The first 13km is rolling, and then after lunch at Kalpokhari (3,185m), the final 6km to Sandakphu is steep. I didn’t notice it much, though, because the mist had settled in and there was a beautiful, mystical quality to the trail (but it did mean we couldn’t see the much-heralded rhododendrons).

Day 3: 21km from Sandakphu to Phalut (3,600m)

Night 2: A snowstorm!

We started trekking around 8:30 am and were delighted with our first clear views of the Khangchangzonga mountain range (we weren’t as lucky with Everest, which was hidden behind faint clouds). But the views of Khangchangzonga disappeared behind clouds around 10:30 am. The path is mostly hilly meadows, with scarce trees but lots of flowers. There were yaks and horses, as well as some charming dogs (nicknamed Brit and Machete) that joined us for much of the trail. The trail was mostly rolling, but with sharp inclines just before Sabargram (3,585m), an outpost where we stopped for lunch, and Phalut.

Day 3: Kilometers of hilly meadows, and some cloudy mountains, to boot. My favorite day.

Day 4: 21km from Phalet to Ramman (2,530m)

Day 4: Villagers of Gorkhey.

Unfortunately the day was cloudy, so there was no need for an early-morning rise and a closer view of Khangchangzonga from the top of the hill that Phalut is on. We walked an easy 15km downhill to Gorkhey (2,143m), a beautiful village where we stayed almost four hours (we had lunch and crossed the bridge to Sikkim, walking a few kilometers on a trail there and heading down to the river to dip our feet in some of the clearest, coldest water I’ve encountered). Then we trekked 6km, mostly uphill, to spend the night in Ramman, another lovely village. The foliage was very different from that of the previous days, taking us past small pea farms and bamboo and pine forests, with some 80-foot-tall trees.

Day 4: Clear water from the Sikkim side.

Day 5: 14km from Ramman to Rimbick (2,290m)

Day 5: Views of villages and Sikkim (to the left)

If your group is fit, you’re short on time, and you have an independent guide, consider doing the complete trek in four days; on Day 3 you can sleep in Gorkhey instead of Phalet, and then Day 4 go from Gorkhey to Rimbick. That’s about 36km on Day 3 (though it only takes two hours to walk the downhill 15km from Phalet to Gorkhey) and 20km on Day 4. The negatives of this are two very long days, losing the opportunity for early-morning mountain views by waking up in Phalet, and giving up extra time in Gorkhey. We also met some people who just started in Tumling (you can get there by jeep). 

Additionally, if you want more people to join your group (make sure the agency will lower the price), ensure the agency in Darjeeling puts up a sign out front NOTING THE DATE of the trek. Not all agencies do this. Put up a sign yourself if the agency won’t do it. 

If You Do the Three-Day Trek: Days 1 and 2 are similar to the five-day trek. On Day 3 you’ll trek 22km on a downhill, non-jeep trail from Sandakphu to Srikhola (15km) and then Rimbick (7km). The negative is you’ll have fewer chances of getting a clear view of Kanchangzonga, as after you leave Sandakphu opportunities are nonexistent. (52km total)

If You Do the Four-Day Trek: Days 1 and 2 are similar to the five-day trek. The first part of Day 3 until Sabargram is also the same, so there’s the potential for good views of Kanchangzonga. But after lunch, instead of continuing to Phalut you’ll head 2km down another path to Molley and stay there. If your guide deems your group fit enough, early on Day 4 you’ll trek back to Sabargram to try to catch early-morning views of Kanchangzonga and then return to Molley (4km total). If not fit enough, then you just go 23km on a downhill non-jeep trail to Srikhola and Rimbick. The negative is that you miss out on adorable Gorkhey, but if your main goal is to see mountains, this trek is probably sufficient. (69-73km total).

Accommodation and Food: The first night in Tonglu/Tumling will likely be at a nicer lodge. At Shikhara Lodge in Tumling we got hot water buckets and a stunningly good meal that included dessert (shared with people at other trekking companies). The next two nights in Sandakphu and Phalut were more rustic, with no water and a simple rice-dal-veg-soup meal. Sandakphu (in both Nepal and India) has several lodges, as many Indian tourists take a jeep there and then trek to Rimbick. Phalut has just one government-run lodge. For the final night in Ramman we stayed at a family lodge and had the option of hot water buckets. You won’t get electricity on any night, so get used to candles. 

Weather: The weather is temperamental; at some points you’ll get down to a T-shirt, and then the wind will kick up and you’ll need a sweater on again. Bring a down jacket for early-morning views. Be prepared for some chilly nights (although there are plenty of blankets). On Day 2 right after we reached Sandakphu it started snowing, eventually turning into a snowstorm. It was below freezing, and the guide said that in his six years guiding it had never snowed like that in May. 

We walked 7km from Ramman to Srikhola, then 7km from there to Rimbick, where we got lunch and caught a public jeep around noon, arriving in Darjeeling at 5 pm. The path was very stone-cobbled, and there are good views of Sikkim’s tiered hills across the river.

What You Should Know: Per-day prices depend on how many people are in the group. Himayalan Getaway quoted my group of two 1,500 rupees (we got them down to 1,400), but they had previously charged a group of six 1,200 rupees per day. The price includes all transport, accommodation and food, including water and a few snacks, and we ensured we also got basic equipment such as shoes, hats, trousers, etc. (NOTE: Check if the water is mineral or boiling. Our guide simply re-filled our water at every lodge with boiling water.) We didn't need to carry sleeping bags, as the hotels' blankets were plenty warm enough. Depending on your group’s level of fitness, you’ll arrive at your destination each day around 3 to 5 pm.