TREKKING IN SANDAKPHU

Provash and Me

TREKKING PJP FROM 31ST OCT-5TH NOV 2012

31st OCT TRAIN TO NJP

1st NOV NJP- MANEBANJAN   5hr

1st NOV MANIBHANJAN- TONGLU 5hr

2nd NOV TONGLU- KALIPOKHARI  6hr

3rd NOV KALIPHOKARI- SANDHAKPHU 6hr

4th NOV SANDAKPHU-RIMBIK 9hr                                                                                                                 

5th NOV RIMBIK- SILIGURI
Tekking partner: Provash   

The sleeping buddha

Treking is fun

Towards tonglu

We did a hectic trek it is really tough for novice and amature people.
In the first day we started our day from 3pm, we boarded a car which took us to Manibanjan
We reach Manibanjan at around 9pm and then started trekking and ended at Tonglu 
at around 4.30 pm.  So it was really a hectic one

Kangchenjunga from Tonglu

Tonglu a small town , with around 15trekkers hut and hotel
Family friendly enviornment
you will find dorminatory suitable for trekkers.
Plz take extra cautious if you want to travel with family

Towards kalpokhari

some of the potters and guide are very friendly atleast our potter was most friendly and helpful.

Potter Mangpo

Taking picture will be an endless task. Provash being one of the best photographer  and so I was lucky to have so many shots of me

Sastriya sena bal , a border army of India is posted all over the Nepal border and in Garibas you will find one of there camp.

Garibas

Rest in Garibas

We rested quite some time and took some lime water as a refreshment .Was strenuous with a backpack of  9kg wt  

Singalia range

Excitement and tiresome

Moss 

This Singalia range is highly known for its vegetation and Wild life, Redpanda, Yak, Black panther, wild Cat, wild boar, Leopard , sloth bear are very common

scenic beauty

                                                                                                                     

This road is very solitary avoid keeping long distance while tarvelling

heard of many Leopard walked through this road

Kalapokhari is a place where there is a pond which is well known for many mysterious facts, It is known as most sacred pond in the region,Shiva idol is worshiped here even it is said that a water monster was seen in this pond many time, It is a known fact in this area that If leaves falls in this pond birds from the jungle comes and take away those leaves.

But a common fact that was found naturally was Redpanda do come to this pond to have a fresh water. And we also saw a cave slightly above the pond, the cave is really and interesting place with lots of myth behind . But of course I saw a place inside the cave with my flashlight it was like a place for meditation for any sadhus or monks.

TREKKERS HUT IN KALAPOKHARI

PROVASH WITH POTTERSAND GUIDE

WE FOUND A UNIQUE THING IN THE MORNING THE GRASSES IN KALPOKHARI BECOMES WHITE AS THE DEW FROZE AND IT GIVES A IMPRESSION OF MILD SNOWFALL IN THE AREA BUT ACTUALLY IT SHIVERING WIND FROZE THE DEWS.

The food is quite costly from kalapokhari.

you will find no electricity and mobile tower from kalapokhari.

As this is a Nepal border you will not get Indian cellular service but you can get tower of Nepal.

You have to charge mobile and camera for Rs 50 for a night or sometime more as there is no rule to this. So charging of camera is really a pain.

Near our Destination

Big question about the chilled env

last few km to ascend was a steep enough to sweat.

You can also avail a land rover ride from Manebhanjan to Sandakphu. Costly and very dangerous.

None other car is available

(Sandakphu (Nepal border) 

KANCHENJUNGA(3RD HIGHEST PEAK IN THE WORLD 8586M)

       MT EVEREST 8848mt

SANDAKPHU IS THE HIGHEST POINT IN WESTBENGAL 3636MT

THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE IN EARTH WHERE FROM YOU CAN SEE THE TWO HIGHEST PEAK IN THE WORLD.

Descended from Sandakphu from a very odd routes which is not covered usually by trekkers and potters as the route do not have resting point and the path is from a jungle road and after all there no clear path for the destination the usual path is to move to srikhola which is a one day trek and the next day to Rimbik.

We cover two days trek in only a day direct ourselves to Rimbik from Sandakphu which was a slope never to forget from  Bikey bhanjan to Rimbik (20km in 9hr)

We started at 7am and reached Rimbik at around 4pm 

In the mean time we have our packed lunch in the jungle. 

We once lost our path as our potter is also very new. But a magnetic compass came to our help lastly

Most adventurous journey was this 20km  where we thought of finding wild animals but we are not lucky enough. Enough plantation to make a botanist feel a place to study and a poet to curves his line and for me like people, enough and enough to rejuvenate .

Have you noticed one thing , I have lost weight in this four three days of constant walk. just see my cheek in the beginning of the trek and see now hell and heaven difference. Can you see that?

         Never ending jungle

A birds call changes an environment.

some time you will see a path that is so narrow that it allows gully of water to flow, that was our path. I was wearing good shoe a trekking shoe that has prevented me from foot injury due to bad terrain, I have a muscle cramp during this descend.

 Cramp usually happen when there is a dehydration and also when there is over exhaustion  both are applicable for both of us.

only the potter was unstoppable. 

Need two stick to support my leg

slipping in this terrain is common

Daunting experience

remember the story of red riding wood

 This is the wood an experience never to forget

some gyaan

1)Never leave anything except your foot prints while trekking

2)Have a proper plan and you should have plan A and Plan B

3)Take a potter always

4)Start early and end early

5)If you feel unfit then plz dont continue take 1day rest

6)First aid kit must with different medicine

7)Be proactive but not reactive.

Some facts : I was unhappy to one thing that I could not see any wild life during our trek. I was constantly giving omen to mankind for its cruelty towards nature we are responsible for there extinction.

So sad .. With this heavy heart returning from Rimbik towards Darjeeling

suddenly......

I saw a black panther crossed our road I was lucky enough to see the back portion and the tail, Provash was more lucky to see the full animal as he was in the front sit.I really was happy to see the end. At the same time

Another Idea overpowered me STILL THERE IS SOME TIME.. LETS CHANGE IT TOGETHER.

Wish list:1) May be I can participate the Himalayan marathon that held from Manebhanjan to Rimbik.

              2)Could feed a sloth bear and could take a photo graph of the panther

               3)Could see more clean terrain without human interference.

BUT STILL THERE IS WAY IF I HAVE A WILL

From Darjeeling

Have a nice trek