Sandakphu Phalut trek takes you to the rewarding Sandakphu peak, with views of 4 of the 5 highest mountains in the world. The trekkers get to witness the enormity of Makalu, Lhotse, Kanchenjunga and Mount Everest.
The trek is an easy to moderate category trek in terms of difficulty. It can be attempted by first time trekkers with moderate level of fitness, if they do not have any ailments. Add to this what the trek offers and this makes it a must do for every trekker.
The trek is geographically located in West Bengal, bordering Nepal & Sikkim. Sandakphu and Phalut are two ridge tops respectively, after which the trek in named. A drive of 104 Km to Dhotrey in around 4 hours takes us to the starting point of the trek.
The trek can even be started from Manebhanjang, but the route from Dhotrey has lesser crowd, at least for the first day, as both the trails eventually confluence at Tumling. A tea house based trek, it comes on the easier side owing to the prior arrangements.
What is the best time for Sandakphu Phalut trek?
The Sandakphu Phalut trek can be done in all months except the rainy season. The trek can be done from September to April months. Rainfall arrives May onward and subsides by September.
Given that India is deprived of any snowfall except in the Himalayas, for trekkers from India, winters is the best recommended time to witness the spectacle of a snowy wonderland.
For wildlife or bird watching enthusiasts spring and autumn are a great time, as well as for non-Indian citizens who are well accustomed with snow landscapes, these two seasons make up for a great time. Rhododendrons & Magnolias bloom in the months of March & April the most.
Autumn months of September and October are the best time for bird watching. The views are spectacular around these months as the weather stays clear and visibility is the most. Downside of trekking can be increased crowd,s especially around the festivities of the October month, such as Durga Puja. Planning your visit post the festive period of October and prior to the arrival of winters (early November) will be the best time for the trek overall.
Why should you trek to Sandakphu Phalut?
The trek has its own unique charm and there are many reasons you should choose to do this trek once in your lifetime. It surely has been on the bucket list of every trek leader we have ever met. There are three primary aspects that make the Sandakphu trek special -
Trek to Sandakphu Phalut in different seasons, including peak winters
The Sandakphu Phalut trek can be done around most of the year except the rainy season. Winters, however, are the best time for the trek. Imagine an abode of snow, beautiful forests, vivid villages and tallest mountains of the world all covered in snow. You can enjoy it all even in the peak winter months of December and January. This makes it a fabulous trek and one of our most favourite trek on the easier side.
Witness 4 of the 5 highest mountains in the world
The first reason in itself makes most want to Sandakphu Phalut Trek. You get to view the following 8,000-meter mountain peaks from the trek:
- Mount Everest - The highest peak in the world at 8,848 meters
- Kanchenjunga - 3rd highest peak at 8,586 meters
- Lhotse - 4th highest 8,516 meters
- Makalu - 5th highest 8,485 meters
Other 7,000-meter peaks such as Chamlang (7,319 meters), Baruntse (7,152 meters), Nuptse (7,864 meters), Jannu (7,711 meters) & more. You will essentially be surrounded by the tallest mountains in the world. There can be no better reason to trek to Sandakphu Phalut than this. "The Sleeping Buddha", an appearance that the Kanchenjunga massif gives is a very pleasant and unique experience.
Enjoy a culturally rich trek
While most talk about how beautiful the peaks are, very few mention how culturally different this trek is from what you would experience in places like Uttarakhand or Himachal or even Kashmir & Ladakh.
The tea house experience en-route the Sandakphu Phalut trek shares a resemblance with the treks in Nepal in terms of conduct. The villages are unique in their layout, the people have a vibrant culture and warm hospitality. Do keep and eye out for this unique blend and try not to get lost in the views of the tall mountains alone.
