It is a 6 to 7 hour ride through the hills. Upon arrival in Uttarey prepare for the trek 15km next day. If time permits, one could also see around Uttarey Tenzing Hilleary Park, monastery, and local attractions. Additionally, Uttarey is famous trek point of Indio-Nepal border.

Our ascent takes us to the upper reaches of the Singalila Ridge, which forms the border between Sikkim and Nepal. We pass through a rich and dense forest, swathes of Rhododendrons, open ridges, sacred lakes and remote trails. Our first day takes us to Chewabhanjyang. An easy trail rises gently through the rainforest until a final steep ascent for the last couple of hours brings us right up to the Nepalese border and our first camp. We spend the following day here for necessary acclimatization before further ascending.

A walk to Phoktey Dara in the wee hours of the morning provides one of the most breath-taking panoramic view of the Sikkim and Nepal ranges.

Phoktey Dara (3,618m) is at a junction between Sikkim, Nepal and West Bengal and the borders meet here. You will have a full view of towering peaks including Mt. Everest, Makalu, Nuptse, Lhotse, Three sisters, Kumbakarna, Kanchenjunga and several other peaks in the region. This is one of the best grand-stand views one will get of the majestic Himalayas from anywhere in the mountains.

A gentle uphill traverse through forests and then over a more exposed hill side brings us to prayer flags adorning our first trail near Major Dara and views of distant mountains – a taste of what is to come. As we gradually gain height we will appreciate the previous day’s acclimatization. The occasional yak herders hut is the only sign of habitation as we look down far below to the rice fields and cardamom plantations. Our camp is in a remote and sheltered hollow below the ridge.

Throughout the day we alternately descend and climb, maintaining a steady height, spiralling from one side of the ridge to the other until a rough steep ascent takes us across a pass. Beyond, the trail winds its way steadily through Rhododendrons and past several Hindu shrines where a second easier pass drops down to our camp close to a Shepherd’s summer settlement. Watch the Blue Sheep on the high craggy mountainside.

We walk easily on a good trail through woods until we begin a steady rise up a broad valley where we catch our first closer view of the entire Kabru Range and a dominant Mt. Pandim (6,691m). A further two hours of ascent will get us to our camp with Everest and a host of other Khumbu Giants dominating the distant skyline. An afternoon of rest and acclimatization for the following day’s foot slogging.

Sparse vegetation can be seen as we mount up higher. A little snow underfoot can be expected as we climb to our first pass, the Danphey Bhir La at 4,530m, the Pass of the Pheasant. From here it is possible to see the whole of Sikkim with the view stretching out well into Tibet and Bhutan. A further hours contouring and a small ascent reveals the Kag Bhir La, (the Pass of the Crow) where we may be lucky enough to get the closest view of the panorama of the Himalayan peaks including Majestic Khangchendzonga. Reluctantly, we then must head downhill making a steep descent to our river side camp Gomathang. The camp is located in a beautiful meadow and is a great place to rest for the night.

This day we have to climb through forests of sweet smelling silver fir and rhododendrons. Soon we are in high mountains terrain again. The route goes up and down over the hills culminating with a stiff ascent as we near Pangding. Pangding offers the view of almost all the important peaks and ranges of this trek.

First trekkers have to descend down to Tigap Chu (3,700m) and then ascend up to Dzongri crossing Rathong Chu River. As Tigap chu is lower in altitude big pine trees and rhododendron bushes become visible and large rocks dominates the area. It offers a nice area to rest. After refreshment climb begans to Dzongri, a campsite at the junction of several trekking trails in the region.

This day you ascend a little from the Dzongri campsite and then walk through meadows with gentle up and down slopes till you arrive at the steep descent to the Kokchurang campsite by the Prek chu. The descent is challenging for almost everyone and can take around an hour. Kokchurang campsite is nestled in a dense forest by the river side and is a perfect spot to rest for a while. We do not set up camp here on our way up. After some rest, we proceed to Thangsing, our camp for the night, through some more beautiful forest. On a clear day, the Thangsing campsite gives you a welcome gift of outstanding views of Mt. Pandim right upon arrival. Soak in the beauty of the sights before you and surrender to nature’s splendour. Thangsing is a wide open field and you will often find trekkers or local staff playing cricket, football or volleyball here. Join in for some fun and to test your lungs!

It is the simplest day of the trek. A very gradual gain from Thangsing will take you to Lamuney in 1.5 hours. Start late by 10 am and you will still reach Lamuney by 11:30am. Relax at camp. The following morning you will be up early and leave for View Point 1 around 2:30am.

The day starts early at 2:30am. It will be biting cold at this hour and one must be prepared for it. Typically the temperature will be below zero at start. Start slowly and cross the Samiti Lake in the dark on your way up to the view point. The start is timed to take you the view point around first light and before sunrise for, as beautiful as first light looks on the peaks, the sunrise is pure magic. Peaks light up in the descending order of altitude with Kanchenjunga first to be lit followed by kabru north and then the lower peaks in order. The route used to be open right up to the Goecha la earlier. However, the NAtional park authorities have closed the route beyond view point 1 now as the zone beyond it has been identified as having significant concentration of blue sheep and the snow leopard. This area is a breeding zone for these species as well and has been demarcated as a conservation zone to reduce human interference. Carry a pair of binoculars with you to give yourself a chance of spotting a rare leopard or a flock of blue sheep. Leopard sightings are very rare as they are extremely shy and if you see one, count yourself very very lucky! Descend to Samiti Lake on your way back to the camp. Around 8am, when you are likely to be back at Samiti, the water is very still usually and a full reflection of the peaks around it is visible in the water. Several birds will be out by now and the area around the lake is a great place for photography aficionados. Come back to camp at Lamuney, have an early lunch and move down to Kokchurang campsite next to the river for the night. It is warmer here and of course very beautiful.

The walk from Kokchurang to Phedang is through a very dense forest and no pack animals can do this trail due to the narrow nature and dense vegetation on the trail. For several hours you will walk through forests that might remind some of the forests in the Indian Western Ghats during monsoons. This part of the trail takes about 4-5 hours typically. Have the packed lunch provided to you, here. From Phedang turn left and down towards Tsokha. It is a continuous descent up to Tsokha and takes up 2 hours.

Last day of the trek takes you back over the same route you took to come up. Descend all the way to the suspension bridge over Prek Chu below Bakhim. It can take anywhere between 1.5 to 2.5 hours. From the bridge there is a climb for about 20mins after which the trail takes you over gentle ups and downs while constantly losing altitude towards yuksom. Expect yourself to reach Yuksom in between 5-7 hours. You will have packed lunch on this day as well and Sachen is a good point to take a break. As you near Yuksom mobile networks will become active again. Reach the road head and you are standing at the end point of the trek. A cozy bed and hot water will be waiting for you at your hotel/homestay.