SLEEPING BUDHHA CALLING

A winter expedition to SANDAKPHU

Date: 28th Dec, 2023 – 1st Jan, 2024

With the beautiful Himalayas as a backdrop, the Sandakphu Winter Trek assembled explorers together for a thrilling experience! Participants made lifelong memories while navigating snow-covered trails and soaking in breath-blowing sights. This trek was a celebration of teamwork and the great outdoors, not simply of reaching the summit. We appreciate everyone who came along on this amazing journey with us, and we look forward to more adventures to come!

December 27th , 2023:

We all congregated in the Howrah Station to board the Howrah Dibrugarh Kamrup Express. All the members appeared to be fit both physically and psychologically for the activities that lay ahead of them in the coming 06(six) days.

December 28th , 2023: NJP-Bhareng-Gorkhey

The team reached New Jalpaiguri station on 28th December 2023 morning. From there the team boarded the pre booked traveller and set out for Jorethang, a small hilly town of Sikkim. Having done breakfast with Litti provided by the mother of one our team members and smoking tea/coffee from a roadside joint on the way the team moved on with excitement of the upcoming adventure. Reaching Jorethang around noon we changed vehicles into a couple of suv cars for the rest of journey to Bhareng. The team arrived at Bhareng around 3pm and set off on foot for Gorkhey. As the day’s trek nears it’s the beautiful village comes into view in the dying light of the day. Gorkhey, a village with 7-8 families and similar number of Homestays and Trekkers hut for the trekkers beside Rammamkhola (khola means River in local language). Met up with our guide Mr. Nima Sherpa at Gorkhey Homestay the team freshened up and had their evening snacks of pakora and smoking cup of tea. Following that in order to acclimatise with the altitude we went out for a small walk towards the river, and spent a beautiful time of songs and gossip on the river bank. Having early dinner at 9pm we went to bed in the respective room by 10pm.

December 29th , 2023: Gorkhey-Alubari-Phalut

The day begun with hot cup of bed tea. The team was ready by 7:30am to have breakfast and hit the trails enroute Phalut. A long trek of 15km and an altitude gain awaits the team. After issuing permit from Forest Department at Gorkhey we started to move uhill through a pine forest. Around 3pm covering 7km we reached a small patch of flat land in the pine forest, Alubari. Alubari houses a Forest Office and a Tea Hut. Having hot soupy maggi and resting for sometime we started again for the rest part of the journey. In this portion of the trail Mt Kangchenjungha bathed in the light of setting sun gave us company for sometime. Around 5:30pm we arrived at Phalut SSB Camp, all the trekkers are supposed to make an entry their as international border with Nepal intricately intersects this trekking trail. As suggested by the soldier there some of us made call at their home, because our homestay was in Nepal where our Indian phones will not have reception. At 6pm the team reached our designated home stay. The food menu is almost same at all the places. Pakora and tea or coffee in evening snacks and Roti, dal, bhaji and chicken curry in dinner. With tiered aching legs and back we all had early dinner we went to bed. The mercury in the thermometer was showing 3 degree centigrade.

December 30th ,2023: Phalut-Thokkum-AAL

Some of us woke up to the call of our guide Nimaji at 4:30pm, we had decided to go to Phalut top to see the sunrise. The mercury in the thermometer clocked just above 0 degree. It was still dark of night outside and we walked towards Phalut top under the starry sky. As we ascended the Phalut top the majestic Sleeping Buddha appeared infront of us. We enjoyed the changing colours of the Sleeping Buddha with rising sun inspite of chilling gusty wind. Hands froze from chill still we could not stop from taking pictures of 04 of the 14 8000m peaks in one frame [Makalu, Everest, Lhotse, Kangchenjungha (West to east)] with Kalapathhar, Three Sisters, Kumbhakrna, Yalung Kan and Pandim too. We were humbled by the towering massiveness Sleeping Buddha and stood mesmerized. Our guide pushed us to return to homestay as we had a long arduous trek of 19km to AAl via Thokkum Valley laid ahead of us. Having breakfast with hot Wi-Wi, a type of soupy noodles popular in the hills we set out for Aal. The trail to Aal was some 19km from Phalut passing through the Thokum Valley. Keeping the Sleeping Buddha range behind the team walked on. Around 6pm the team reached the Trekkers Hut at Aal, where hot cup of tea and pakora was waiting for us. Having the tea and regaining some energy the team rested and chatted amongst themselves. Having early dinner at 8pm the team retired for the night.

December 31st ,2023: Summit Day (Aal-Sandakphu & back)

It was more of a rest day, a casual stroll to Summit Sandakphu (highest point of West Bengal) and enjoy the mesmerizing sunset at Aal sitting above the sea of clouds was on cards. Day began a little late and after having breakfast with luchi and sabji the team set out to summit Sandakphu. At around 11am the team reached summit of Sandakphu, after some photo session there the team descended and went to The Hotel Sunrise to have some coffee. Around 1pm the team was back to Aal for lunch. After lunch the team went out to a cliff on the route towards Chintaphu of Nepal to be witness to the last sunset of 2023. Sitting above the sea clouds and sun setting in the western horizon the team was awstuck in the changing colours and flowing clouds. Soon it was dark and we all returned back to our hut. The last day of the trek was awaiting the next day.

January 1st ,2024: Aal-Sandakphu-Timbure

January 2nd ,2024: Timbure-Shirikhola-NJP

In the morning after breakfast we moved out for Shirikhola where the cars were waiting to take us back to the urban crowd. Our return ticket was booked in Uttar Banga Express from NJP. Thus ending the maiden trek of MNAC.