XXXXXXXXXXXX(XXXXXXXXX)80 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | MAY 2018
TAKING THE HIGH ROAD
THE DESTINATIONA journey to
Sandakphu not only
reveals four of the
world’s five tallestpeaks, but also hidden
aspects of self
By Manan Dhuldhoya
B
oundaries are often fluid but
also forbidding, whether it’s
the ones we draw, or those that
nations create and bicker over.
But crossing them, both literally
and metaphorically, can lead to un-
expected, wonderful adventures. This
is something I discovered on my four-
day trip to Sandakphu in March 2017,
a journey that put me out of my
comfort zone and made me break a
self-imposed rule or two.
“Sandak—who,” you might ask. And
you’d be well within your rights to be
bewildered. For a place that straddlestwo nations, it keeps a relatively low
profile. Sandakphu is the highest point
on the Singalila Ridge and the tallest
peak in West Bengal (11,930 feet),
lying on the border between Darjeeling
in West Bengal and Ilam district,
Nepal. The ridge lies in Singalila
National Park, where magnolias and
rhododendrons make mountain views
doubly special. Sandakphu’s calling
card, however, is the view—four out
of the five tallest peaks in the world
(Everest, Khangchendzonga, Lhotse,
and Makalu) can be seen from the
ridge, luring trekkers from around