[nerd1200]

In search of the Sleeping Buddha

It was a random hot March afternoon in Kolkata, I was pretending to work while actually wondering what was on the day’s Lunch menu. Of course I couldn’t just go take a peek, afterall it was the first time I was at my in-laws’ place - a week post the wedding ceremonies. The Mrs was in her element and nowhere to be seen. At that very moment, a whatsapp message from fellow BHPian soumobakshi brightened my mood further. He congratulated me on my nuptials and asked if I drove to Kolkata in my AWD.

I instantly realized – there was only one thing that the question could build up to. I replied positively.

As expected, the next bit, summarized, read – Interested in a Sandakphu trip?



The Sleeping Buddha range

Sandakphu, at a height of about 12,000 feet, is the tallest peak in West Bengal. It’s almost pilgrimage for trekkers and the view from up top is unparalleled. It’s famous for the magnificent view of the entire Kanchenjunga/K2 range (christened The Sleeping Buddha) especially during the winter months in Q4. Even though we were not too lucky in that aspect, the view at dawn was mesmerizing nevertheless.

The peak is also a holy grail for most off-road enthusiasts across the country. Our forum hosts multiple threads validating the implication of the statement and several debates as to why only 4x4’s should attempt this trail. If you haven’t read the brilliant travelogues here, in all probability you’d have seen the Land rover 70th anniversary stories covered by prominent auto journalists (Samurai’s coverage of the event here (Drive to Sandakphu: With classic & modern Land Rovers)) or Evo India’s (controversial) story where they took a Polo GT TDI and a Tiguan to Kalipokhari. Without getting into those details, let me just carry on with our story.

[nerd1200]

SB drove to Kolkata in the beginning of April and we wanted to utilize the long weekend of 13th/14th April to schedule this trip. His cavalry included his mum and two relatives – all very fit and enthusiastic senior citizens in his All New Thar. In my FL Yeti 4x4, it was my wife (MD) and I.

Yes, I was quite skeptical if Yeti would make it due to its car-like ground clearance, lack of a low range box or even a 4x4 Lock option. However, Bhpian Debuda’s thread (Skoda Yeti sighted at Sandakphu!)was testament to the car’s abilities and it made me a bit more optimistic to attempt it if the road condition wasn’t too bad.

We initially planned to drive to Darjeeling first, climb Sandakphu the next day, spend the following day at Mirik before returning to Kolkata. But that’s so mainstream, thus SB got recommendations for a few off-beat locales. We quickly researched and having liked what we saw, modified our itinerary to include these two:

Chatokpur - 26 KM south of Darjeeling, located at a height of about 8000 ft

Lepchajagat - 15 KMs from Darjeeling at about 7000 ft.

Day-1: 9th & 10th April, 2021; Kolkata - Siliguri - Chatakpur

We met-up at and started from Azad Hind Dhaba (Gopalpur) at about 11 PM after finishing up the day’s work and pointed the car’s nose towards Siliguri after a quick refuel. Gmaps suggested us to not take the (via) Bardhaman route (NH-2) and instead diverted us via Memari – Katwa – Khargram to join NH-12 at Moregram. The state highway was narrow and uneven/bumpy at places but we were thankful to the absence of infamously diverse and chaotic local traffic.

The Thar’s ability to unwittingly annihilate bad patches of road ensured that when SB stopped at a small dhaba at Moregram for a tea break, I was already about 4 KMs behind him.



We started from Moregram at around 2:30AM. The rest of the drive through Malda – Raiganj – Islampur all the way up to Siliguri was pretty uneventful. The roads were good except for the stretch between Raiganj and Islampur where road widening work is ongoing. We stopped for breakfast at a BPCL owned dhaba “Apna Ghar” just before Bagdogra where some empty “Khatiyas” beckoned me enough to take a quick 15-minute power-nap. Started around 9AM from there and hit city traffic soon after before finally hitting the twisties.


Quick tea break just after Raiganj


Tasty affair at Apna Ghar restaurant

To reach Chatakpur, one has to take a right turn from Sonada onto a very narrow and steep road. It meanders through a small settlement leading onto a protected forest range. At the checkpost, we had to enter our details and pay a fee for car and person(s) before the remainder of the climb up to the homestay via some steep rutted trail. That was merely a warm-up for what the Sandakphu trail had in store for us the next day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpRObJScapM

The stay we chose is called Humro Homes Norbu Homestay. Just google Humro homes, you can contact and book your stay from their website. It is a basic but cozy homestay.




Parked up for the night..





We were famished and were greeted with hot fried noodles and omlette for Lunch. After a hearty lunch, while we were contemplating the evening plans, the weather took a turn for the worse, greeting us to the hills with rains and hailstorm. So we decided to just cozy up and catch-up on some sleep. When I woke up late in the evening, it was still drizzling and the wind was chilly. The owner, probably noticing my room lights turned on, brought in plates full of yummy steamy pakoras alongside hot tea. We spent the rest of the evening chatting, sharing stories of prior adventurous trips (“adda” as we Bengalis call it), and before we knew, it was dinner time.



A simple but tasty affair. We retired for the night soon after.

[nerd1200]

Day-2: 11th April, 2021 - Chatakpur

The next morning, we woke up early to catch a glimpse of Kanchenjunga range, to no avail. It was quite cloudy. SB had already explored the surroundings by the time we had our tea. MD and I trekked up to the view point a little later and treated ourselves to some amazing valley views.


View from the homestay






Trekking up to the Chatakpur view point






Your's truly..




MD overwhelmed by the serene beauty of the place




Friendly little fella


I'm sure the Thar did not mind the sunbathing

We had a hearty breakfast of Puris and omlettes and started packing and preparing for the day ahead.




















SB validating Jio's network coverage claims







We had planned to start at 9AM but were delayed for an hour and a half because the taxi drivers who’d parked ahead of us were nowhere to be found.

[nerd1200]

Day-2: 11th April, 2021 - Onwards Sandakphu

SB dropped his mum and relatives at Lepchajagat and we started off from there at noon, making our way to Maneybhanjang. As expected, at the checkpost, we were asked to get permission from LR association to drive in our own vehicles. It took us a while to convince LR association guy and were finally successful, thanks to SB’s clever negotiations and credentials. It was around 2PM when we started the climb from Maneybhanjang.



Due to the delay, we decided to visit Chitrey monastery the next day and skip lunch. Our only stops were the check post near Meghma and Garibas.


SB posing next to his Thar - Meghma monastry in the backdrop






Rhododendron - It grows only in this region in India and blossoms only during the spring season. The locals use it as an ingredient to brew wine.

At Garibas, we leave the concrete path behind and the 12 KM climb up from here is the real deal. Very steep and narrow, difficult switchbacks and jeeps/LRs coming the other way seldom announced. Add to it, the path is made out of stones – which due to constant travel gets dislodged often forming deep ruts. The first 600-700 meters was manageable for the Yeti. Kept good momentum and it was able to climb up without much hesitation, although it encountered a few underbelly hits. The first point where it started struggling had deep ruts on either side and a raised portion in the middle of loose stones and mud. A major drawback of the Yeti, especially in such circumstances, apart from the car like ground clearance is the absence of anti-stall, a very aggressive (due to the gradient) Hill-hold and minimal low end grunt. So you effectively cannot start off at a steep incline because the engine will stall. Your only option is to build up revvs and launch – Can’t do that either because if you don’t time it perfectly, Hill hold doesn’t disengage and the car stalls. So only option is to slip the clutch, which at that gradient will eat into the clutch pack in no time. To handle that effectively, we can put stones behind the rear wheels to ensure there’s no loss of torque countering the effect of gravity. We did that, however after a while I realized that whatever approach angles I try, there just wasn’t enough usable traction for the car to climb the rock at the end of it without damaging the bumpers or clutch or something else. That’s where you need a proper low range box – to crawl.

The LRs were struggling a bit at this point too, but the high ground clearance and a properly lockable low range gearbox meant they were able to climb. Moreover, they were seasoned drivers on that route and am sure would’ve driven through the trail in much worse conditions. They mentioned that the path ahead was much worse. I took their advice seriously and felt there was no point in pushing the car beyond its limit at a place where backup is hard to find (Good luck getting a tow truck or recovery van to reach there) and any breakdown could lead to very horrid experience, for all of us. Giving it a bit of thought, I took the decision to reverse down while MD spotted for me.
Unfortunately, we missed taking pictures at this point.

SB and I were connected through walkie-talkies. He was waiting slightly ahead of where I was stuck and was kind enough to come back to Garibas and give us a ride up to the top in his Thar. This however costed us precious time, compounded by the earlier delays. We missed the opportunity to experience sunset at Gote view point, towards Phalut while compelling us to drive in that terrain after dark.

The trail did become worse thereafter. There are several points where one actually crosses into Nepal. Also, it’s said that the trail on Nepal’s side is a little more forgiving than the corresponding Indian trail. As luck would have it, Gmaps decided to route us through the latter. As I recall, SB completed most of path in 4H. The new Thar’s rear MLD and front BLD + wider track + wide A/T tyres from the factory make it more competent off the road when compared to the last generation (which had an open front differential). He engaged 4L for just about few 100-200 meters where we were literally crawling over huge boulders. It was already getting dark by the time we crossed Kalapokhri and was completely dark by the time we reached our destination – Sherpa Chalet Lodge, Sandakphu – IIRC at 7PM.


At Kalapokhari




Crossing into Nepal for the first time



We were ecstatic but tired. Had a quick snack with tea before freshening up. MD and I decided to relax in our room till dinner time while SB went back to his car to download the dashcam footage. Below is a compilation of the same.



We had dinner at 9PM and retired for the night.

[nerd1200]

Day-3: 12th April, 2021 - Sandakhu

Woke up pretty early the next morning, just in time for a magnificent sunrise. It was my birthday and I couldn’t have wished for anything more than the breathtaking view the peak offered. The pictures hardly do justice to these moments.




















Admiring those classic Land Rovers.


SB making sure he's got all the dashcam footage from the day before

The view from our room at Sherpa Chalet.







We explored the area and returned to the lodge for a tumbler of Coffee and a breakfast of noodles and boiled eggs. It’s all someone needs at such altitude, temperature and the environment overall.





While there, we met an elderly gentleman from Hyderabad. He was visiting on an impromptu plan for birding. He showed us some amazing photos that he was able to capture that morning. We chatted for a while before bidding adieu to him and starting preparations for the climb down.

SB’s was the first new Thar to ever reach Sandakphu. It was not only turning heads, this information spread like wildfire. We were told that people from neighboring villages came to look at it. Of course for them it’s not just passion, it’s their profession and the only connection to the nearest town.

[nerd1200]

Day-3: 12th April, 2021; Sandakphu - Mirik

We started the climb down at around 10AM. We wanted to take the Nepal trail, but somehow missed a turn and got lost. So we just returned and decided to descend via the same route. That’s when we realized the magnitude of what we achieved. The night before when we climbed up, we knew the stretch was bad: we realized how bad in daylight. SB’s amazing driving skills dampened us from that fact.

https://youtu.be/6OG9TG3bbXQ

The climb down involved lot of pitstops for photo ops, to make up for the quick ascent the day before..








That's the "Sandakphu tamed" pose..











We stopped at a restaurant opposite Meghma monastery check post for Lunch – noodles and coffee, no complaints.







The next stop was Chitrey. The monastery was closed, we spent some time around it and descended.















From Maneybhanjang we were to go to Lepchajagat, pick SB’s mum and relatives up and go to Mirik. Turned out to be a bit more eventful than expected as a little girl abruptly ran across the street and crashed into the side of my car. I was doing slow speeds since it was a crowded marketplace but her movement was so unexpected and swift that it couldn’t be avoided. As expected, a crowd gathered in no time, but unlike elsewhere, their sole concern was if the kid was fine and not to harass the driver. We offered to and drove them to the nearest hospital where the Doctor examined her and said she was fine. He prescribed some ointments and basic medicine for her which we bought and handed over to the family. The locals were quite supportive there and although the ordeal shook me up quite a bit, I was relieved that it did not escalate any further. *Sigh*

Anyway, we drove on to Mirik, checked into a nice cozy room at Hotel Jagjeet, had a nice dinner and spent the rest of the evening chatting away before calling it a day.

[nerd1200]

Day-4: 13th April, 2021; Mirik - Kolkata

Throughout the trip we did not get an opportunity to try local Momos and this was bothering MD as well as the others quite a bit. Luckily enough we found a joint right opposite to our hotel which served piping hot momos for breakfast. It was the perfect ending that we needed for our amazing trip.
We started at around 11AM from Mirik, filled up at Siliguri and stopped at the same Apna Ghar restaurant for Lunch.



From there on we made steady progress until Islampur post which we got stuck in a massive pile-up at Dalkhola rail crossing. There was a VIP car behind us due to which we were able to squeeze our way through the traffic right upto the front. The pile-up would easily take hours to clear up. It’s appalling to see such blockades on a National Highway. No wonder logistics struggle quite a lot in this belt. Another similar situation was at Kaliachok after Malda. The traffic build up there was massive and would’ve easily taken 4-5 hours to clear. We had to off-road, drive on the wrong side and perform many such antics to make our way through that.

Had a quick dinner after crossing Farakka



Started off at 9:30 PM and chose to follow NH-12 via Behrampur – Krishnanagar. The last bit from Ranaghat was quite frustrating due to the bad road conditions and commercial vehicular traffic. We were literally inching ahead in several sections. Our average speed through that section should’ve been < 15kmph. Anyway, we reached home at around 3AM, still quite elated having ticked Sandakphu off our bucket list.

Last but not the least, I would like to extend a big Thank you and heartfelt gratitude to the Kolkata Team-BHP members for extending their support, answering my queries patiently and their overall guidance..

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[soumobakshi]

Let me be the first one to Congratulate you for the awesome write up. The pictures you shared, took me back to Sandakhphu tonight.

Let me add few of the dashcam footages for those who would like to take this trail..

https://youtu.be/3yVAKaUpFLY

https://youtu.be/ufsv-KKr2l0

And how can I miss that magnificent sunrise

https://youtu.be/mTPcpAHFHlQ

I will share the last leg of the video series once I compile it

[ABHI_1512]

Some travel this Debayan and SB, the pictures are fantastic specially the sunrise ones. Two back to back travelogues on Sandakphu and some co-incidence that cars are from Karnataka !! Would have loved to see the Yeti make it but wise decision made at the right time. Congratulations to SB on scaling Sandakphu and I hope new milestones are created after the journey resumes. Enjoyed reading the log,

Regards.

[Altocumulus]

Congratulations both of you.

A very sane decision not to take the Yeti through all that torture. It was not an emergency and when a Thar is available why take the risk of damaging the car unnecessarily. I would have turned back at the second hit.

[RedTerrano]

Of all the awesome travelogues I thoroughly enjoy on TBHP, Sandakpur is one of my favourites. This one is no different. Loved the awesome pics and narration. Thanks for sharing.

One quick question. Was the Thar 4x4 as well?

[Dr.AD]

Wow! A fantastic travelogue with great pictures, and an amazing adventure story! Thanks for sharing this nerd1200!

And Kudos to soumobakshi for taking his brand new Thar all the way to Sandakhphu. It sure looks awesome in those surroundings, and great to hear that it managed that terrain quite well.

Your paragraph describing limitations of Yeti in the extreme tough situation is very well written. That is a good summary to understand the limitations of a "soft-roader" AWD vehicle compared to a proper hard-core 4X4 SUV. Even then, whatever you managed with Yeti is already very good, and Yeti really looks at home in that tough terrain.

I really envy guys from Kolkata for access to all such great locations for a weekend drive. Enjoy your stay there and looking forward to hearing more stories of your Yeti while you are there.

[KingKong]

Oh Wow! This was a fantastic travelogue, especially considering the fact that you have come to the Himalayas by car from Bangalore. Travelling is something that most BHPians enjoy and road trips are the best form of travel. Hope You had a great with your Yeti and Thar.
KingKong

[haisaikat]

Congratulations to both of you for conquering Sandakphu, we all know how capable of an offroader the Thar is, yet the Yeti is not to be overlooked even though you had to turn back, but being able to weigh in the odds of the situation and acting accordingly is truly the mark of a BHPian.

Kudos for the adventure, rating 5 stars. You folks were lucky with the timings, election commission took lot of private vehicles this time.