Trekking the Singalila ridge into Nepal

After a brief meeting with Ian and Sarah we arranged a 4 day trek along the Singalila Ridge. This meant an early start to get the jeep to the starting point at Mana Bhanjang.

We met our guide, cook and porter at the start of the trip and prepared for the off with tea and biscuits and passport checks. We began the trek with a sense of the unknown as we were about to complete a rapid ascent from 2000m to 3000m over the course of the day - this was in the form of a steep trek through inspiring landscapes - We trekked through woodland along steep stone covered tracks and Jeep roads, which were soo steep that it was a wonder that the landrovers we saw did not topple over backwards! And these are wagons loaded to the brim with people and bags!! As we walked there were several moments that caught the eye; the Narnia moment with ‘Lion witch and the wardrobe’ style lamp in the middle of nowhere, the shear drops to the side of the jeep tracks, the large scars on the hillsides caused by landslides, the magical little shacks where you received a warm welcome, noodle soup and tea :), the stunning range of flora and rolling clouds, which enveloped us at times as we ascended.

By the end of the first day we had managed 14km and 1km straight up!! It was a good work out for the heart and lungs as well as the legs… The first stop was at a large hut (Hotel), which supplied us with dinner and as much tea as we could drink. There was also the opportunity to buy a wheat based drink which came in massive tankards with straws which you topped up with hot water to refresh the alcohol. I was not brave enough to try but others gave it a go and exclaimed that it was not bad but a little like vinegar… There was a large number of guests at the lodge and so the family gave me their family room for my bed!! The welcome was heart warming and I slept like a log till 5am when we all rose to get our first view of ‘Khangchendzonga’ the third highest peak in the world, and it was stunning to behold as the sun rose, glinting off its glacier encrusted flanks as we stood in the cold morning air with mist eminating from our mouths.

Day 2 was another ridge trek, this time 17km, on a 'mild' ascent where we were due to stay at ‘Black lake’ within Nepal, it was a mildly easier trek and continued to follow jeep tracks but we did need to stop at army check posts to complete paperwork for entering Nepal. Views were stunning when the clouds cleared but we spent most of the day climbing through them. Finally we stopped at a small village with two lodges but they were full so we ended up staying at a smaller family run home where we received another warm welcome and a meal of cooked and spiced vegetables, noodle soup, boiled potatoes, boiled eggs and bread, all locally produced (I wolfed it all down as you build up an immense hunger after a days hike). It was like a kings feast after the two days of hiking, an all you can eat affair until we were full :)
Slept once again like a log even on the rock hard bed and woke to breakfast being prepared over the open wood fire - These are ingenious devises designed for the area - At around 3000m fuel supply routes are connected by either occasional jeep or horses - therefore wood is an easily accessible resource, which is stored in long strips, these strips are then fed into a clay oven with two openenings at the top to place pans onto - as the wood burns it can be moved further into the oven while its embers are removed to act as heating in the living space… This works very well when combined with a paint tin as a small heat chimney, placed over the centre of the hot coals, heat rises above the centre and air is drawn into the bottom causing more heat to be produced, simple but effective. However, if you spend a lot of time by the fire your snot becomes black ;) so i can see why it would not be healthy in the long run...

Day 3 continued deeper into Nepal with a rapid ascent of just 7km, however, this was on a very steep slope up to Sandyacht a peak at almost 4000m (That’s 4km up or 12,000ft!!), it was a little harder work with the air thinner and slop steeper - Stops were regular to allow for chocolate to be used for refuelling :) Our guide carried a limitless supply of both chocolate and water and I would have struggled to make the trip if I was carrying the pack that he had… He regularly stated ‘Slowly, slowly’ as we ascended encouraging as steady pace, which we could maintain throughout the ascent. The views continued to be obscured by cloud and this meant that we only had a view of the surrounding ridges and nearby surroundings - these however, were quite interesting with several scars from landslides and measures used to support the roads such as concrete stream channels and afforestation. Lodging was at the hotel on the peak which was a three storey building made completely from wood with simple rooms and on suite toilets (Small squat affairs with bucket and scope but no light and clearly designed for someone much shorter than my 6'2" frame - a bit of a challenge to use at first in torchlight but you get used to them!) After another great evening meal we were all so tired that we went to bed early in preparation for a 5am start.

Day 4 began with a 5am wake up call to go and see the view - It was spectacular (and i must emphasise the SPECTACULAR part as my camera died and the images do not do it justice - the human eye is the best tool so if you want to get what i mean here you will need to come yourself), it was one of those special moments that you will treasure for the rest of your life - Standing on the summit we could see the surrounding ridges and peaks of ‘Khangchendzonga’ clearly in the frosty morning air. The sun came up and glinted from the many facets of the mountain range, reflecting in golden glows from the glaciers. An amazing sight (Camera battery died here so no more pictures!!). I can only say that as the morning went on we did not move, just stood mesmerised by the site of the mountain range appearing from the cloud as it was burnt off by the suns energy - Tea and biscuits were provided by our guide allowing us to stay out in the cold morning air for two hours admiring the view until Mount Everest appeared on the horizon flanked by Lhotse and Makalu. Everest is the middle mountain of the three but appears smaller due to the distance and curvature of the earth, but its peak is unmistakable with a pyramid shape. It is ‘a moment’ which I will treasure for a lifetime and something that I will come back to see again (hopefully from a bit nearer).
The final day also meant a 21km trek descending 2km 0_0, this would be the hardest day as I find walking downhill harder on my knees and calves… The descent was incredible with excellent views of the Himalayan range around us above the cloud layer. During the descent we came across large burnt out areas of forest, which had been replanted, but the skeletons of the former giants remained standing guardians of their replanted kin. The fires may have been caused by lightning but the effect was to make the slopes less stable and this led to several methods being used to protect settlements below from possible landslides - these included: replanting trees, putting in place concrete channels to allow rainwater to be drained quickly and stabilizing wooden barriers. This was continued on the pathways with steps placed in the form of wooden planks and stones to reduce erosion.
The descent was rapid and ended at a lunch break stop for soup and momo’s, which were veg filled bite sized snacks which go well with chilli sauce. We had made it half way!! The remainder of the day was a mix of ascent and descent through river valleys climbing over the spurs. We walked through a wonderful landscape straight out of a fairytale book, to start with we walked amongst forest then through stands of thickly set bamboo forming a wonderful and enchanting canopy all around us then into an amazing forest, which appeared tropical in nature at 2000m altitude, there were moss covered trunks, epiphytes and bubbling streams. The sounds of insects and birds surrounded us every step of the way.
The path we followed was a narrow track, which rose and fell across the staggering landscape, ocassionally it was covered in concrete steps!!! Placed there by workers who would have had to carry the concrete there by hand… but for the most part the track was covered with a layer of stones to prevent erosion. As we neared our final destination we began to pass small isolated homes with terraced fields, where we ended up walking along narrow earthen tracks parallel to maize fields. All the people would call out Nameste as we passed. The final few km’s were an eye opener as families and students from local schools made their way home along this at time precarious track - I realised that these young people (some at primary level) were left to wander home along these tracks for, in some cases, several km’s. No school buses hear!!
At journeys end it was time for more noodle soup followed by a 4 hour jeep transit back to Darjeeling. This in itself was amazing, in the dark evening the jeep had to descend and ascend regularly across the landscape crossing military check points and fording streams - at times the road had been washed out and had been replaced by a flattened earthen track, which of course had been heavily shaped by vehicles - the roads were in poor condition in Nepal and pot holes seemed to outnumber areas of tarmac so speed was restricted to 10mph for much of the journey. Nearing Darjeeling the roads improved and speed increased, but the ride was like the thrill of a roller coaster, knowing that to one side of you was a terminal drop. The stars were shining in the darkness but at times in the valley the beautiful lights of the settlements above use looked like stars - the whole landscape is magical at night with lights strung out across the valleys.
I would strongly urge anyone seeking an adventurous holiday to seek out both the Indian and Nepalese Himalayas as they are a wonder of nature, which I believe, will remain with you long after you return home.