5th October, Tumling to Kalapokhri
I could wake up early by 4.30 AM after a sound sleep for almost 9 hours. It was less cold compared to earlier night. The water in the bathroom was very cold. I could fresh up myself and get ready for the day's preparation.
DK ( Guide) knocked the door at 5 AM to show us the early sunrise and magnificent views of the Kanchenjunga snow peaks.
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Kanchanjunga snow peaks from Tumling
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| Early Sunrise |
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| After Sunrise |
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| Sun taking its stand by 5.45PM |
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| A small puppy which accompanied me to look at the Knachanjunga range from the highest peak of Tumling |
From there we went to Tonglu which is 2 kms away from Tumling.
Tonglu
Tonglu is a small hamlet located at an altitude of 10,130ft. From Tonglu you can get lovely views of Darjeeling and Kurseong town areas. Down below you can see the great valleys and the plains of North Bengal with rivers like Teesta and Koshi flowing. Tonglu also offers a fine view of Kanchenjunga snow peaks.
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| Tonglu Rest Houses |
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| Sleeping Budha, A view from Tonglu |
From some time we got back to our room at Tumling to have bath and eat breakfast.
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| " Lily" is the place where we stayed in Tumling. |
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| Lily- Interior |
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| Surprise- Tibetian Bread served as morning breakfast was very tasty as it is. We tried eating it with Allu Curry and Jam. |
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| Kitchen and Dining hall |
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A Monastery on our way
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| Stupa as a mark or enlightenment |
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| Jhaubari, A small village on the way to Gairibans |
Jhaubari (6kms from Tumling)
A small village further along the way to Sandakphu at an altitude of 9,186 ft. This place may not be important from trekking perspective. But I always combine trekking with exploration of life in the mountains.
DK (guide) told me about a local drink called Roxy which is only made and available in Jhaubari. The drink is made of prepared from some flowering plants known as Guras that grow quite abundantly in this part of the mountains. I was very upset to learn that the drink is not available as the hut was closed. Unlucky....!
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| A man, his horse and daily routine |
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Can see where we are going to trek for the next few hours
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I was very happy to see Gairabans from the top of the mountain as i know this is the place where we are going have tea and 15 min break
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Gairibas (1km from Jhaubari)
From Jhaubari one has to take a right turn towards Gairibas. It is further 1km ahead and located at an altitude of 8,600 ft. From Tonglu or Tumling, up to Gairibas is a continuous descend and a relatively easy trek.
From here it is little difficult to trek for the next 3.5 kms as it is really steep upwards. So at Gairibas it is important to take a break and recharged.
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| Solu Restaurant, where u get all the things in the list along with hot tea |
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| Army Camp at Gairibas, Steep route to Kaiyakatta starts from here. |
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| After 200 mts and 500 mts, getting on to the top of the mountain peak. |
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| It was great pleasure walking through dreamy Landscapes after all the hard work for 2 hours. |
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| Hoping we reached Kaiyakatta as we could not make out what is after this landscape, This milestone was a relief confirming that we are nearby. |
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| Kaiyakatta Restaurant |
Kaiyakatta is a small hamlet where we get fresh hot tea and some snacks. They make things by order and provide to the tourists. 3/4 th way for the day is completed and feeling very tired. We had hot maggi and tea as our lunch.
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| Restaurant Interior, Hot Maggi |
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| From Kaiyakatta there are two ways to Kalapokhri. The one going to the top is a shortcut 0.7 kms less than the other one |
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| Heading towards Kaiyakatta |
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| A small stream of water fall |
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| Being tired , we were hurry in reaching the destination |
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| Looking back from where we could trek |
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| Can anybody make out the time? it is just 3PM. |
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| A landscape which look surreal and i have to stop for a while and enjoy the scenic transition. |
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| A camp equipped with Solar power |
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| We could see a clear sky by the time we were about to reach Kalapokhri |
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| "Kala-pokhri"- Black- waterpond |
Kalipokhri (6kms from Gairibas)
From Gairibas, you will need to trek for about four hours to reach a place called Kalapokhri (or Kalepokhri) at an altitude of 10,400 ft. Initially you will trek uphill through forests of oak, rhododendrons and bamboo and reach a place call Kaiyakatta in about 1.5 hours. The trail starts descending from here. In another 2.5 hours or so you will reach Kalipokhri.
The place is so named because of a pond or a water tank filled with black water. The word Kali means black and pokhri stands for water area. However the black color is not due to pollution, it's muddy and the water never freezes. Due to all-time water availability, a small village settlement has taken place in this area. The pond is considered very sacred by the village people.
You will pass through forest of rhododendron, Singalila Sanctuary and then by the pond to reach the Kalapokhri village area. This is where most of the trekkers stay for the second night. There are several private lodges here including Pandim Lodge, Chewang Lodge, and Himchuli Lodge. There is no GTA lodge here, but the private ones also offer similar accommodations at reasonable rates. Drinking water is available at both Kaiyakatta and Kalapokhri villages.
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| Kalapokhri- Hamlet |
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| Landscape on the right side of the trekking road to Kalapokhri, and a small Shrine welcoming you before the village |
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A Silastupa at Kalapokhri, and a small hotel where we had tea at the very beginning of the hamlet
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| We have to wait for half an hour to see the beautiful sun setting without going to the hotel |
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Chewang Lodge is where we stayed for the night
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| Chewang Lodge interior, slogan, reputation and rules stuck on the walls |
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| Chewang Lodge; Dining Hall and Kitchen |
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Was very lucky to see a women making cheese in a long wooden container
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| Cheese Strips for sale |
I think i have explored a lot on this day. After the trekking from Garibans to Kaiyakatta i was exhausted. Then I took of the weight on me and lay down to rest and in next 10 mins my body became so tight that it was very difficult to move. After having my lunch when i started moving again it was not so easy as it was in the morning and could feel pain in the ribs. Though the route was easy to trek, the weight on my back was getting heavier. I had no option left other than to move forward to reach the destination.
Two things are learnt from the day's experience 1. knowing our physical body and science involved with it and muscle functioning; 2. weight to carry on back by being very selective what to carry and what not to (deleting all the unnecessary things).
I am very tired now. I could still fell pain in the ribs when i am gulping or swallowing something. I could not eat much in my dinner and I want to sleep at the earliest to get rid of the pain.
Expecting the pain would disappear by the next day morning.
Good Night.
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