Dry but use the Imagination

Trekking is the name of the game when it comes to backpackers making their way to Darjeeling, 2100m (meters) up there.
The former northeastern hill station of the British empire, recognized early on as the perfect place for a sanatorium, hosts the highest altitude tea plantations in the world and breathtaking views of the Himalayas - if you're granted clear skies. Oddly distinct from its fellow West Bengal city, Kolkata, there's little left to wonder why the majority population in the hills seek separate statehood. Sharing little in common, if anything at all, with the Bengali majority of West Bengal, the Nepalese centered culture of the Hills has sought political identity through the Ghorkaland movement leading to civil unrest that sadly lead to violence on more than one occasion. Fueled by Nepali immigrants via the Indo-Nepali Treaty of 1950, the distrust of their Bengali statesmen in Kolkata, and the flexible histories of the Hills, Darjeeling, along with surrounding areas, have become a hot bed of political unrest that perennially try the Democratic ideal of Self Determination. Despite the controversies, Darjeeling remains a vacationing spot for the socially elite as well as a convenient starting point for adventurers seeking the awe-inspiring Himalayas. Enough of the pamphlet talk...

The Singalila Ridge Trek has become a favorite for those willing to try the elements for 5 days. After getting the run around by every travel agency in Darjeeling, Misha and I opted to skip the "organized" trek for the seemingly more adventurous mode of the "unorganized" trek...cheaper too. We're not so naive to believe we could handle a 5 day trek on the Nepali border, averaging 3000m plus, without a guide, but the porter/cook didn't seem necessary.
After a 6am wake-up we hopped some local shared taxis and rode them through the fog and rain and ominous heights leading to Manay Bhanjang, Singalila's starting point. There we logged our passports with the Indian Army, a task frequently required throughout the hike, and hired a Sherpa through the Singalila Park.
I'm not going to give a play-by-play of the rest, but the first 7km were straight up and both Misha and I were having second thoughts. From there on we got the pace of the trek. We walk, mostly climb, for 4 hours, then stop in a small village for tea/lunch, then continue on for the 2-3 hours, until dinner. The trek is set so every 7km-15km there is a small town, either to eat or sleep in. Our days went as followed:

Day 1: Jeep from Darjeeling (2100m) to Manay Bhanjang (2134m), hike to Tumling/Tonglu (3070m)
Distance Covered by foot: 17km (all climbing)
Surprise of the day: We were well aware that the trek follows the Nepali border. We were not aware that we would be crossing into Nepal on more than one occasion. We spent our first night of the trek in Nepal. No, we didn't need visas. Yes, it's legal.

Day 2: Tumling to Sandakphu (3636m)
Distance Covered: 24km (some flat, lotta climbing)
Sandakphu is the highest point of the climb and offers amazing views of the Himalayas, alas the fog/clouds didn't clear.

Day 3: Sandakphu to Molley (3250m)
Distance Covered: 15km (short day)
In the morning I was lucky enough to glimpse Kangchenjunga and Everest, but minutes later the clouds rolled back in.

Imagine yourself 3000m up, thin air, and for 3 days straight skim milk fog fading to 2% at the worst with a constant stream of cold mountain rain and cold mountain air and only occasional fires to get you through the night. It's not a pretty picture and seeing as Day 4 was the last chance to get some views, we were increasingly nervous to be in the precarious position of hiking the Himalayas without ever seeing them.

Day 4: Molley to Sabargram (3536m) to Molley to Sri Khola (2450m)
Distance Covered: 20km (down baby)
Surprise of the Day: After spending the night without ever seeing a fire and constantly waking with pain because wood is hard and some creature out the window wouldn't leave us alone, Tserdin (our Sherpa) woke us at 430am with the news of clear skies. We dressed and backtracked and feasted our eyes on 4 of the 5 tallest mountains in the world, Lhotse (8516m), Kangchenjunga (8586m), K2 (8611m), and Everest (8850m). It was a sight no picture could describe.

Day 5: Sri Khola to Rimbick (2286m) to Darjeeling
Distance Covered by foot: 8km
Surprise of the Day: An 80km jeep ride to Darjeeling, that took 5hrs, and held 25 people...with only 16 inside. More on that later.

On the trail we were surrounded by yaks...not much to say about it, except I couldn't stop taking their photos. Yaks, cool.
Some would complain about the bad weather, but waking up for sunrise after 3 days of seeing only footsteps in the mud then finally viewing all that was always before us was a gift worth waiting for.

Sorry for mostly business but it seemed the best way of tackling our favorite 5 days of the trip. I'll put as many photos as a can throughout the next couple of days and when I develop the 35mm film I'll get it on here too.
-sam