Singalila Ridge Trek

07.04.09 - 11.04.09, 5 days 88km (I don't want to find out what it is in miles as I have a feeling it will sound a lot less impressive).

07.04.09.

Mana Bhanjang (2130m) to Tonglu (3100m) 14km

Got up nice and early as I was told that the guide would be picking me up from my hotel at 07.45. I was still waiting at 08.15 and decided I had been stood up. Apparently the rest of the people doing the trek were still eating breakfast. So eventually got picked up at 09.00. I managed to remain calm though.

My fellow hikers were a lovely American family and a couple of their friends who had said I could join their trip. the family consisted of three brothers, a sister and their Dad. A couple who knew the oldest brother made up the group.

Took the 2 hour trip to Mana Bhanjang driving through mist in a jeep that was quite a tight squeeze. Showed our passports for the first of what will seem to be hundreds of times as we walk along the West Bengal / Nepalese / Sikkim borders. Started trekking at about lunchtime. We set off at the same time as a boys school party, who all seemed to be amazed that women in the West go on long walks. The walk was all uphill as would become a theme for the next two days. The fog set in just before we stopped for lunch, so happily trudged uphill watching the people dissapear into the mist. I found it quite hard going. Me and Padma (daughter of the family) quite happily set of after some others on a short cut (a quite clear path) ahead of the quicker walkers to make up some ground. It wasn't long before we couldn't see the people in front of us (mist) and were happily ambling along. After about 20 minutes we started to realise that it was a bit strange that the faster people behind us (including our guide and porter) had not caught us up. Thinking that we had perhaps gone wrong we headed back to the main trail. We sat and waited for 10minutes in case by some miracle we were ahead of the rest and then carried on up the trail to where we presumed the rest would be waiting for us. Arpen (our guide) found us about 10 minutes later running up the path. Apparently we were way ahead of the rest (we were quite smug about this) and we had to wait while they all caught up. The 2 of us were established as trouble makers from then on.

Went to Nepal for lunch, had Ramen (noodle soup) and tea, it was lovely, then back onto the trail for the seemingly neverending truge upwards. By this time the mist had descended completely and spent the whole time watching the path in front of you and trying not to loose sight of the person in front (I didn't want to get lost and told off again).

Got to Tonglu at around 17.00 and decided to stop there for the night. The Tea House/Lodge was run by a lovely woman called Neela who sorted us out for a gorgeous tea and a Fumbar (millet beer), which is the oddest drink I have ever drunk. Sat huddled round a fire with my group and the other people staying at the lodge (a British Couple and another American). Went to bed at 20.30.


08.04.09

Tonglu to Sandakphu (3636m) 19km

Woken up at 05.00 by Arpen as apparently its a clear day and you can see Kangchendzonga (the highest mountain in India and the 3rd highest in the world, also sacred to Bhuddists). Glorious views and hot tea made the early start tolerable. Had breakfast and set of trekking nice and early. The early stages of the day were lovely, nice weather, not too steeper climbs and quite a few stretches of flat parts. We were informed though that the 6km after lunch were all up hill, the last 4 particularly steep and the last 1/2 the steepest of the trek. Hmmmm, not exactly what you want to here when you've already trekked 13km, to top things off the weather had deteriated and you could just see in front of you. I think I now know what it feels like to be a Hobbit walking into Mordor. After what seemed like an eternity got to the place we were staying. Unfortunately the night befores standards had given us unrealistic expectations, even the Fumbar wasn't as nice. Went to a cold bed at 20.00 ready for an early morning.


09.04.09

Sandakphu to Phalut (3600m) 21km

Happy Birthday to me (well partly)

The day didn't start brilliantly, when I was poisoned by the tea house. I had quite happily eaten most of my breakfast, when I decided to have some omelete, unfortunately this appeared to be salt flavoured and I spent the next twenty minutes throwing up. So tired, hungry and extremely grumpy I set off. The weather wasn't great, slightly misty, gloomy but not dreadful. The walk was very pleasant, mainly gentle up and downs. At around 4km mark, I went over on my ankle (which hurt for the rest of the trek downhill) which was nice. Stopped for luch at around 14km by which point I was extremely grumpy, everybody else was also a bit down, which meant it was nice when Arpen presented us with a cake and kitkats before the obligatory Ramen.

In the afternoon, the weather had brightened up and with food inside me so had my mood. I hardly even struggled up the last 2km (apparently the last bit of the days walk must end in a hill). The accomadation at Phalut was the goverment one (only one available) and very basic indeed (broken windows and corrugated plastic walls), at least it is in the main dorm, I had a lovely little room in an individual cabin with wooden walls and whole windows (it was decided that I could have this as it was my birthday). Matt and Kaitlin (Amerian couple trekking with) let me share their whiskey and then we had tea (much the same as everywhere else). After tea the most extreme weather I have ever experienced started. It hailed 4inches in 30minutes and the thunder and lightning was spectacular, we stood outside (in said hail) watching the lightning light up the hillside, so bright it seemed like daylight.

So cold that night, I slept in all my clothes (including my coat) with 3 blankets over my sleeping bag.
Still freezing but thankfully, unlike those in the main dorm, I wasn't snowed on during the night and my blankets were dry.


10.04,09

Phalut to Rammam (2530km) via Gorkey 21km.

Woke up at 5 to go and watch the sunrise, took one look outside and decided to stay in bed. Thick snow everywhere and very cold. Had a breakfast of last nights leftovers and set off for the walk, beautiful if not somewhat cold day. clear skies giving perfect views of Kangchendzonga. Very much fun walking through the snow, I don't think it would have felt right to walk through the Himalayas without seeing snow.

Half an hour later, glorious sunshine and hiking in a t-shirt. Most of the days walking was down hill, so after to and half hours we'd covered 13km (most of which spent solving riddles and joined by Alicia and Tony - British couple from Tonglu) in 2 1/2 hours. We got to Gorkey, perhaps the most beautiful village in the world, where we were due to have lunch (ramen again). As we'd made such good progress during the morning we stopped here for 3 hours and played in the river. The afternoon was spent mostly walking through wood (uphill obviously) to the next tea house. Lovely accommadation, horrid food but was warm and I was actually too hot during the night. yay.


11.04.09

Rammam to Rimbik (2290) 14kms

Last leg of the trek and I have to admit that I was sick of it by this point and just wanted to finish. I had one foot that hurt going uphill and my ankle still hurt if going downhill. Absolutely beautiful country to walk through and glorious weather. Quite easy and steady going so were finished by lunchtime.

The journey back to Darjeeling was quite uneventful, if not a bit long. Happily got given a bucket of hot water to wash in (heaven after 5 days of only washing once in a freezing river).

So I got back slightly sorer, a camera lighter and never wanting to wear my Merrells again. It was amazing the views I've seen and the country side I've walked through. Parts of it were very hard but I'm proud of the fact that I managed it.

A big thankyou to my group, who let me travel with them and especially to Arpen and Sanjay, guide porter and tea makers extrodinare.