Sandakphu Phalut Trek

Unique Experiences

• The History of Land Rover: The most unique aspect of this Trek is being able to share the trail with a fleet of 1,950 s Series 1 vintage Land Rovers. Owned and used by British tea planters. These mountain goats, without a doubt, are the only vehicles to be able to traverse the rugged, rocky tracks of the Singalila Ridge. These living examples of automotive history lend a nostalgic, time-traveling quality to the rugged mountainous environment that we are experiencing on this trek.
• The Beauty of Gorkhey Village: Often labelled as the most beautiful village on the trek, Gorkhey is a hidden gem tucked away in a deep valley. Surrounded on three sides by thick pine forests, and at the confluence of two mountain streams, this village consists of brightly painted wooden homes and terraced agricultural fields that appear as if they were taken from a storybook.
• Bringing to Life an Artistic Rendering of my Youth: The views on our way down into Gorkhey are breathtakingly beautiful and create a serene feeling, far away from the trappings of contemporary life. The combination of a running river in the middle of the village surrounded by tall mountains has been called by many trekkers as the most beautiful picture of their entire trek.
• The Way of Life in the Mountains Is Timeless: Gorkhey provides an opportunity to live and become sync to the self-sufficient way of life in the mountains. A combination of the constant sound of flowing water, the smell of smoke from cooking fires, and the complete quiet of the valley create a peaceful culmination after an adrenaline rush of high-altitude trekking.

Adventure and Difficulty Level

• Moderate Intensity: The trek features moderate intensity due to its total distance; however, since it is a non-technical traverse it is classified as moderate in intensity because of the total distance - 65 to 70 km over 6 days requires some significant degree of fitness and mental determination.
• Thirty-six Switchbacks: It refers to the most physically demanding part of the trek - the steep, winding ascent to the summit (Sandakphu). It takes strong legs and proper pacing to get through the rapid altitude change over the course of this steep trek with thirty-six twisty turns.
• Phalut Marathon: The Sandakphu to Phalut Marathon is a test of cardiovascular endurance, as the total distance is twenty-one km. Although the entire trail is mostly all horizontal, you can easily lose energy and time due to the distance involved and high-altitude winds.
• Altitude & Weather Factor: At an altitude over 3,600 m, the air gets thinner; the key to success at high altitudes will be 'active acclimatization', which means slow walking and proper hydration to combat altitude sickness. 
• Terrain Variety: You should prepare for a range of terrain conditions as each trek contains varying terrain types - including soft, muddy, and grassy areas; still, rocky, and often - windy (mountain) flatlands.

Flora & Fauna

Registered on the World Heritage List by UNESCO, the trail runs through the actively-managed Singalila National Park. The Park is designated as a multi-national reserve that is internationally recognized as one of the world's bio-diversity hotspots and acts as a transitional zone between Eurasian temperate rain forests (sub-tropical broadleaf) and Asia temperate cold-snowy meadow grasslands.

• Habitat for Rare Red Pandas: Singalila National Park contains one of the last known locations that have hosted a wild population of Red Panda. This beautiful and elusive creature is a shy arboreal mammal that utilizes the mid-altitude, dense bamboo forests of the park for its habitat.
• Exotic Bird Species: Singalila National Park contains a number of protected species of birds, including the exquisite Satyr Tragopan (a crimson-red, pheasant-like bird) and Blood Pheasant. Trekkers may also have the opportunity to see soaring Golden Eagles above the ridges.
• Floral Garden: This region of the Himalayas is a botanist's paradise and has an outstanding diversity of 600 species of orchids and 20 different types of rhododendrons that bloom in the spring and paint the hills a vivid red and pink.
• Ancient & Medicinal Plants: The path to Sandakphu passes through an area that is abundant in medicinal herbs and trees, including the Himalayan Birch (Bhojpatra), which has been used to write religious scripture, and the poisonous Aconite plant (locally known as 'Bhujang') that is the source of the name Sandakphu.

Cultural & Village Life

• The Border Ballet: It is one of the few treks in the world where you can cross between India and Nepal so many times every day, without needing any visas or boundaries. Many people use this trek as a form of exercise, but there are those who use the trek to learn about and experience the culture and heritage of both countries. On this trek, you will wake up in one country and have breakfast in another, where the architecture, dialects, and cultural backgrounds are virtually blended together.
• The Tea House Culture: It is different from the mountain culture that you see in so many other treks. Instead of having to deal with setting up tents, you will be staying at local family-operated lodges that are made from wood. While you are in a lodge, the biggest part of your social life will be at the Bukhari experience. In this social activity, everyone gathers around a traditional stove that is made from wood, where everyone shares their adventures, their clothes, and their friendships with other trekkers from around the world and the local townspeople.
• Local people and spirituality: The local people of this trek include the Sherpa, Tamang, and Bhotia people. These families are known for both their hospitality and their experience in the mountains. The culture of this region is very deeply spiritual; it is filled with colourful prayer flags, small monasteries that make up the landscape, and the stone tablets that are found throughout the region, which contain the prayers of the people of this region.
• Culinary Traditions: The journey is powered by Dal Bhat Power, which refers to a healthy and nutritious meal consisting of lentil soup, rice and organic vegetables. This meal is said to provide energy for 24 hours as well as several unique local flavors such as Churpi (hard yak cheese), Thukpa (noodle soup), and traditional salt tea or Tongba.
• Gorkhey (The Ending Postcard): Gorkhey has often been regarded as the most beautiful village in the Himalayas and is the final peaceful destination on this trek. One of the most beautiful villages in the Himalayas, Gorkhey lies at the point where two rivers meet, surrounded by a lush pine forest, and its beautifully colored wooden houses create a storybook atmosphere reminiscent of our childhood.

Best Season & Seasonal Beauty

Depending on the season you visit, the Sandakphu-Phalut trek will present a completely different personality. Below is a breakdown of each of the seasons in a simple and concise manner.

• Spring (March - May) - Flower Season Experience: This is the best time to visit for sheer vibrance. After winter, the forest is in full bloom and appears as a Botanical Garden filled with vibrant colours. Visual Highlight: You will walk through a sea of Red, Pink and White with over twenty species of Rhododendron and Giant Magnolias blooming at the same time, covering the trails with petals. Vibe: Lush, vibrant and relatively mild weather.
• Autumn (October - November) - Crystal Clear Season Experience: This is when photography and mountain views are best. The monsoons have just washed away years of dust and haze, leaving you with a very clear view. Visual Highlight: You will have the sharpest views of the 8,000 m peaks (Everest & Kanchenjunga) with a very blue sky. The visibility at this point in time is at its best. Vibe: Crisp, clean air with the greatest likelihood of viewing the Sleeping Buddha.
• Winter (December - February) - Winter Wonderland  Experience: The mountainous ridges are transformed into a peaceful and unspoiled snowy landscape. This is a unique experience for those who enjoy snow-covered treks through the mountains. You'll enjoy a vast expanse of white snowy fields where there were previously thriving golden grassy fields.  Visual Highlights: Expect to see fewer trekkers due to the extreme cold weather conditions in winter, so you'll have the opportunity to enjoy the mountain summits and trails yourself.

Summit Experience

The Summit Experience at both Sandakphu and Phalut is the emotional and visual peak of the trek; both are identical in their awe-inspiring views. The experience can be summarized as follows:

• The Big Four Panorama: It is the only place in all of India that you can see four of the world's tallest peaks—Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, and Makalu—in a continuous panoramic view. This viewpoint doesn't just show mountains; it provides a front-row experience of the Roof of the World, where the 8,000 mountains seem to form an unbroken wall of ice.
• The Sleeping Buddha: The Kanchenjunga massif appears to be a perfect silhouette of a reclined body; you can see the outline of a human form. The head is formed by Mt. Kumbhakarna, the chest is formed by the mountain range of Kanchenjunga, and the feet are formed by Mt. Pandim, which creates a serene and spiritual vibe throughout your trek.
• The Alpenglow Transformation: The mountains start off appearing lifeless and ghostly white against the black sky. When the sun rises, the first light on the mountains makes them look deep crimson red and transforms them into molten gold. This transformation is often considered the most breathtaking sunrise in all of the Himalayas.
• View at Sandakphu: You get a wide angle view, while from Phalut, you will get a standard view of the same area.

Scenic Beauty and Landscapes

• The High Altitude Balcony: The Singalila Ridge showcases trekking's unique experience of traversing a balcony between two countries at a high altitude with an incredible panoramic view (360 degrees) in all directions. The ridge provides uninterrupted views to the west, with the deep valleys of Nepal and east, with green hills of Sikkim and West Bengal, bringing the world's tallest peaks, including Mt. Kanchanjunga and Mt. Everest, into view from the first day of trekking and being part of your natural environment throughout your journey. 
• The Sea of Clouds: It cover the valleys at dawn is an incredible example of a phenomenon known as thermal inversion; moisture and mists collected in the valley's will be highly visible from your high-altitude position - looking out at the layers of cloud cover and mist creates the visual effect of the clouds rolling over an ocean surface, giving an illusion of many distant islands. 
• The Green World: The temperate forests below 2,000 m and above 2,600 m create lush and humid forests that provide rich green color, and many trees are surrounded by virgin moss and old man's beard lichen growing on their trunks. All these qualities of the trees and the forest create a fairytale-like environment.
• The Bamboo World: It is situated between (2,600 m and 3,000 m) and as you go up through (2,600 m - 3,000 m), you come into a dense thicket (group), which is mostly made up of Himalayan bamboo trees. The mountains of (Himalaya) around the areas of Kalapokhri and Gairibas give off a prehistoric look and are very moody. They are considered to be the main habitat or home of the elusive Red Panda, with its tunnels that have a dark green colour.
• The Golden World: It begins at the tree line, where there are (3,000 m) and the landscape becomes totally different and changes from a forest into a flat, barren landscape. This region is full of alpine meadows and grasslands. One of the more prominent features is (The Phalut Table Top) and it is an area of vast golden brown grass, which provides an eye-catching, minimalist contrast to the large white mountains of (Kanchenjunga) on the other side.