National_Geographic_Traveller_India-May_2018

82 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | MAY 2018

THE DESTINATION

DINODIA PHOTO/PASSAGE/GETTY IMAGES

of freshly brewed tongba, an alcoholic
beverage made by pouring hot water
over fermented millet and served in a
bamboo glass with a bamboo straw. The
best part? You can repeatedly top it up
with water.
The next morning, we set off for
Sandakphu, backs braced for a drive
that would show us how the road to hell
might be paved with good intentions,
while the road to heaven might not be
paved at all. Yet, serendipity led us to
an unplanned adventure. As the road
to Singalila National Park’s gate was
under construction, we took one that
turned left from Tumling. An hour
later, we stopped to ask for directions,
only to discover we were at Jaubari,
well inside Nepal! But thanks to that
mistake, we ended up taking a lesser-
known, stark but beautiful road down
to Gairibas, from where the ascent to
Sandakphu began.
It takes two breathless hours to cover
the 13 kilometres between Gairibas
and Sandakphu. The road seems like a
path hewn from the slope and strewn
with stones; its inclines mimic the

peaks shimmering in the distance. It

was here that Hero proved his parents’

prescience in naming him. Like the

consummate cowboy, he had the

measure of his steed. I’d be staring

at a series of hair-raising hairpins,

wondering if we’d have to walk up, but

Hero would use gear, clutch, and brake

like wands and coax the car uphill with

a smoothness that had both me and the

engine purring. He’d even nonchalantly

balance the car by the edge of road so I

could take photos. Later that night, as

I took in the valley from my homestay

in the village on Sandakphu peak,

it occurred to me that I had easily

entrusted a stranger with my safety,

and not regretted it once.

Day three dawned like it does

during the perfect test match—with

an unforeseen twist that threatens

to queer the pitch for the chasing

side. In our case, it was the rain from

the night before. The water froze

overnight, sending our car’s engine

into hibernation. I used this delay

to walk around and find the perfect

vantage point.

A few locals directed me to a path

that led to the bushes across the town

square. A 15-minute walk took me to

a place I will never forget—four of the

world’s five highest peaks, divinely

arranged for viewing. The snow-clad

Everest, Makalu, and Lhotse loomed

in the distance. The Khangchendzonga

massif, known as the Sleeping Buddha

because of its shape, dominated the

landscape. It takes a lot to shut me up,

but there I was: silence was around

and inside of me. Only after an

hour did I suddenly remember Hero

waiting back by the jeep. On the

way back, I was struck by how easily

I’d surmounted another boundary

British-era Land Rovers add
drama to the drive up to
Sandakphu, but trekking the
peak is equally popular.

HERO USES GEAR,

CLUTCH, AND BRAKE LIKE

WANDS, COAXING THE

CAR UPHILL WITH GREAT

SMOOTHNESS