It was late May and the just right season for a flight to the hill, when we arrived in Jorethung, a small town in the West Sikkim, situated at the confluence of the rivers Rammam and Rangeet. A four hour bus ride following the course of Rammam river via Sombaria, took us through the picturesque valley of Daramdin to Ribdi(8000 feet), a reomote village in southwest Sikkim perched on the slope of a hill. Visible through the forest on the opposite hill, was the Rammam Trekkers’ Lodge and the trek route to Phalut. The only bus that could take us there would leave the following morning. We put up, therefore, at a local house and the cool mountain air soothed our spirit along with our aching muscles.
The following morning we were on the trail that lead to Versey(10100 feet), a nine kilometer trek from Ribdi via Hiley. The forest rest house at Hiley provided us with tea and a splendid view of the Kanchendzonga.
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We resumed our journey along a path that cut through a dense forest of silver fir, hemlock and magnolia with rhododendrons creating a riot of colours here and there to liven up the route. Pinpoints of sunlight stole in through the leafy canopy of the branches overhead to trace patterns across our path. But as so often happens in the hills, a heavy downpour overtook us soon and drenched to the skin, we sought shelter in a lodge. Aptly christened Guraskunj, the Nepalese term for rhododendron resort, it had been built on the summit of a hill, from where a small number of trek routes led off in different directions, including one to Chiwabhanjang on the Singalila Range.
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The two days we spent at Guraskunj, seemed to represent an idylic period, surrounded as we were by an abundance of orchid and rhododendrons. The following dawn had yet another delight in the store for us. The veil of cloud that had been obscuring the face of Mt. Kanchendzonga, gently driffted off, revealing the entire range in all its glory. With memories of that spectacular view still lingering in our minds, we left for Ribdi.
The following morning we undertook the nine kilometer trek to Gorkey, famed for its natural beauty. It involved crossing the Rammam River, the demarcation line between the states of Sikkim and West Bengal.
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From Gorkey in Darjeeling district we made our way to Rammam a three hour trek through dense forest. It rained all the way and by the time we reached the well-furnished Rammam Trekkers’Lodge, we were exhausted. As we warmed ourselves by the fire, the sun emerged from behind its cloud cover, lighting up the village, the forest, the distant hills on the horizon and the valleys below.
Setting out the following morning, we passed through Rammam village on our way to Srikhola. At the Srikhola Trekkers’ Lodge located on the banks of Srikhola River, we were given the alarming news that a strike had been called in the district by the rulling political party and no transport would be available for the return journey, should we fail to start out immidiately. Without waisting a moment, therefore, we left for Rimbik to catch the bus to Darjeeling town, from where we would make our way to Siliguri. Within a couple of days we were back in Calcutta – anticlimactic end to an exhilarating experience.
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