Informative

Sandakphu: Who is This Trek Meant For?

Neeti Singhal

Last updated: 07-11-2022

Resting between the borders of India and Nepal, the trail to Sandakphu is breathtaking to say the least. As the highest peak of West Bengal, Sandakphu enjoys all the benefits of its title. This 3,627M peak brings some of the tallest mountains and places them right in front of you. Bound by four of these – Mount Everest, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu, Sandakphu remains one of the very few easy to moderate level treks which offer such splendid views and puts you bang in the middle of 8,000M peaks. 

 

Sandakphu: Who is This Trek Meant For?

 

Even though it may fall in the realm of easy because of its marked trails, comfortable living conditions and eye-pleasing as well as easy terrain, do not allow these to fool you into believing that it is a walk in the park – although technically it is since the entire trail goes through a national park – but you know what I mean! Although much shorter than its list of highlights, the trek does pose some challenges which are listed in this article. Even though the trek does not take you to a very high altitude and the elevation gain is mostly gradual, knowing of the few difficulties you may encounter while on this journey may be helpful. Read on to know more about the challenges, the gear and the skills required for this trek.

 

Difficulty Level of the Trek:

Sandakphu is a level 2 trek on the Bikat Rating Scale.

About the BRS: The Bikat Rating Scale rates the difficulty level of all treks and expeditions in our portfolio after taking into account their geographical and climatic conditions. 

According to this scale, if you are a beginner who is unsure of your fitness level and don’t know what to expect on a trek, a trek rated one will be a good place to start. 

If you liked your very first trekking experience and are looking to test your limits next, the treks rated 2 or 3 will do the job for you.

A beginner who is sure of their fitness level on the other hand is welcome to skip the first two levels and directly start with one of the treks rated 3.

From 4 onwards, the rules change a little. It is mandatory to have trekking experience of the previous level to participate in the next level.

 

The Trails of Sandakphu Trek:

The trek puts you in the lap of comfort in the form of warm beds, warm meals and an indoor sleeping experience for the tea houses along the way – akin to the trekking experience in Nepal. It also does not take you too high in terms of altitude. However, the trek does cough up a few challenges in the form of long distances each day, various steep ascents and the unpredictable weather which could turn a bright, sunny day to a sudden downpour. It could also get very windy on the trail and extremely cold depending on the season in which you choose to trek here. Although it is a perfect trek for beginners as well as experienced trekkers, it would serve well to go with the knowledge that the mountain makes you work up a sweat in exchange for the magnificence it has to offer.  

Allow us to acquaint you to some exciting challenges which make the trek demanding as well as fun!

 

Challenge 1: Getting to Jaubhari

The proximity of the Himalayas is not best friends with the concept of limited time. While the trail heads of some of the treks are easily accessible locations, Sandakphu demands a little more of your time. The trek begins at a charming little mountain village called Jaubhari which is a 110 km drive from the closest airport, Bagdogra, in Siliguri – and Siliguri itself is not the fastest place to get to. So, in terms of transit time, you spend a lot more getting to the start of the trek, and similarly, a significant amount of time to get to the closest transport back home after the trek is over. While this could be a legit concern, it also is testament to the beauty tucked away on this trail for being so remote.

If it is any consolation, the 5 hour drive to this small village is the start of a refreshing experience. It is a soothing ride on a smooth, winding road bordered with forests and tea gardens on both sides – the route as clean and green as it can be. The 5 hours go by in a jiffy.

 

Sandakphu: Who is This Trek Meant For?

 

Challenge 2: Extremely Long Distances

While the trails are not very difficult in terms of terrain, with most of them being well marked and some of them stone-paved, the distances for each day are massive. The trek may be a total of 7 days but each day gets quite intense when the distances to be covered are as large as 15-20 kms per day. If you choose to carry your own backpack (which I suggest you must), the hike only gets more demanding. The views all throughout the trek, however, are enough to distract yourself from the length of the ground you must cover each day. You won’t turn a single corner on this entire trek which will fail to leave you spellbound for its beauty, of that I assure you! 

 

Sandakphu: Who is This Trek Meant For?

 

Challenge 3: Physically Demanding 

Along with the long distances, which in themselves are extremely demanding physically and can drain out the strongest of people, the small but numerous patches of steep ascent command a certain level of stamina and endurance to get through.

 

Sandakphu: Who is This Trek Meant For?

 

Challenge 4: Weather

When on the trail of Sandakphu, pray as hard as you can for fair weather for weather is the only thing that holds the power to come between you and sheer splendidness that is the views you get all throughout the trail. Never a dull moment on this trail, and never a sight that will fail to leave you awestruck. From the quaint stone-paved pathways to the forests full of rhododendrons to the daunting task of walking with Everest on one side and Kangchenjunga on the other, to the Singalila ridge, to the wonder that is The Sleeping Buddha, the trail of Sandakphu is visual poetry in motion which would fall flat in case of a cloudy day!

Also, a rainy day would make getting across these long distances especially tiring. For all reasons of aesthetics, convenience, comfort, fair weather is a blessing especially on this trek.

 

Sandakphu: Who is This Trek Meant For?

 

GEAR REQUIRED FOR SANDAKPHU TREK:

While the trek is fairly easy and requires no technical gear, there is some basic gear you will need from your end to get through your trek comfortably. 

 

Some of the things you will need are:

A sturdy, lightweight backpack: A good backpack which sits comfortably on your back without putting too much pressure on it can be the deciding factor between making it to the summit or not. Good, however, is not a synonym for expensive. 

One of our founders, Pankaj, purchased a non-branded pack for INR 1100 in 2010 and the pack continues to work just fine for him even today. In the article linked below, he shares some helpful tips on what to look for when choosing a trekking backpack.  

How to choose your backpack 

 

Comfortable trekking shoes: Happy feet equal a happy trek. Conventional sports shoes don’t suit trekking trails. We recommend wearing high ankle shoes with sturdy soles. These not only provide better support but also reduce the possibility of injuries while hiking. In case, you need help with a list of deciding factors that make for good trekking shoes, please refer to the article below.

How to choose a good pair of hiking shoes 

 

Right Clothing: Any high-altitude trek requires specific kinds of clothing. It should be warm but light weight. It should also be such that it is easily packaged. On high-altitude treks such as Sandakphu, we usually employ the layering method where you put on multiple layers of clothing instead of one very heavy, thick jacket. This is for two reasons: 

1) The weather in Himalayan regions is unpredictable and changes very quickly. Layering gives you the freedom to adapt to that accordingly where you are not left feeling too hot or too cold.

2) These are easy to carry and are packing-friendly.

 

SKILLS REQUIRED FOR SANDAKPHU TREK

Bikat Adventures is primarily an adventure learning organization. This means our key objective is not just to help trekkers complete their treks but also to ensure they pick up some valuable lessons and skills in trekking along the way. 

To achieve this, we have created learning modules and paired them to different levels on the Bikat Rating Scale. 

These modules are taught real-time on the trails by our trek leaders. 

The following are some skills that are likely to come in handy on a trek like Sandakphu.

While you will have all the assistance you need on the trek from our capable trek leaders and guides, we suggest browsing through the articles below to get an idea of what is involved.

 

Given how unpredictable the weather gets throughout the trail on Sandakphu, you are likely to keep changing your layering frequently along the way. Also, due to the vast difference in day temperature and that at night, you most probably will spend a lot of time packing and re-packing your sack depending on whether you are on-trail or at the campsite, have chanced upon sudden rains or are stuck in a suddenly arrived cold hour. The area is also prone to unannounced rains. Under such changeable circumstances, accessing your stuff can get a bit messy and confusing. 

Also, a sack packed right can facilitate your trekking while incorrect packing can even make an easy trail seem difficult. Worry not, we are here to help. The article linked below shares some useful guidelines you can follow to pack efficiently. 

How to pack your rucksack

 

Layering appropriately to protect yourself from the cold is essential. The article linked below will give you a fair idea of the winter layers you will need and guide you on how to layer up at campsites and while hiking.

Hiking attire and layering 

 

Like we said before, some sections on the trek are sharp ascents and equally sharp descents. Add that to the distances to be covered each day and the difficulty only increases. Using trekking poles can ease out some of that difficulty by providing additional support. The article below will help you understand how to use them as well as how they can facilitate your climb.

How to use a trekking pole?

 

When on any trek, it is each person’s responsibility to know the requirements of the area, some campsite basics and how to manage our own selves as well as the environment around us. While our trek leaders will keep you abreast about the basic dos and don’ts, do read the article below to brush up on some basic principles before the trek. 

Waste Management and Leave No Trace Principles

 

We hope this article answers all the questions you may have about Sandakphu trek. In case you need further assistance/information with something, please feel free to reach out to us. We are only a phone call away. 

 

Neeti Singhal

A psychologist, a developmental researcher, and a constant seeker of stories, Neeti is usually found Read more

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