How to do the Sandakphu Trek on Your Own?

If you are looking forward to planning a trek without any guidance from any trekking company, you can surely go for the famous Sandakphu trek. This trek is one of the ideal opportunities to venture on a solo trek and experience solace in the world of trekking and connect with nature. There are reliable retreats dotting the region for a comfortable shelter or a cup of tea, while on your trek journey. These retreats will surely welcome you with a warm embrace. Why say yes to the Sandakphu trek? Well, this trek is unlike many other treks in Uttarakhand or Himachal. The Sandakphu trek gives access to well-connected roads, ensuring you feel safer and not marooned by isolation.

Although this Sandakphu trek summons independent and free spirits, it is of utmost importance to adhere to the requirements to have a guide. This mandate may sound restrictive, especially to those who are beginners. However, the guide serves as a wise companion on your maiden trek journey.

To know more details about our exciting Sandakphu trek, please click on Sandakphu trek

Why getting a Guide is Compulsory?

You must get a guide for the Sadakphu trek as this trek traverses through the Singalila National Park, which will require you to know the best route for your trek.

There are different routes for doing this Sandakphu trek. Thus, getting a guide is best to help you navigate the best trek route and easy navigational assistance. However, get hold of only those guides who have their registration done with the forest beat offices and their associations.

Guides also help in providing a safe trekking experience to trekkers as they have good local knowledge of the weather patterns, wildlife behaviour and pattern of terrain throughout the trail, to protect you from any unwarranted changes in weather and encounters with wild animals.

Guides are also equipped to assist trekkers in case of any medical emergency or tackle them during altitude sickness, which makes rescue operations faster and safer.

Essential Consideration When Seeking for a Trek Guide:

It is essential to get the guides who have registered themselves with the associations based on their locations and the forest division office. The list of all the registered guides from Rimbick and Manebhanjan will be available to the range officer. So, when considering a guide, you must always keep in mind that:

the guide must be registered with the forest division office and with the association

Securing the Permit: A Step-By-Step Guide

The entire Sandakphu trek transverses through the famous Singalila National Park and you will need to make payments for:

For Yourself
Tent
Mules

Two Methods to Process Payments

Concurrent Payment:At the entrance of the Singalila National Park, you can collect all your permits from the forest office located there.

Payment as you proceed:you will encounter forest beat offices at different locations once you enter the Singalila National Park. you can get your permissions and permits for each day.

However, you need not pay any fee when you trek from Manebhanjan to Tumling as you are yet to enter the National Park. Once you walk for 10 minutes from Tumling to Kalipokhri, you will be near a forest beat office, from where you shall collect your necessary permits. You need to keep in mind that there are separate fees for camping and a visit to the National Park.

Approximate Charges

If you are an Indian citizen,Charge for Trekkers: Between 120/- to 150/- each trekker per day Mules: 400/- Tents: Between 100/- to 150/-

For Foreigners: 400/- per trekker per day

Suggestions from Us

We would like to suggest you take permits for each day separately from the forest check post, based on the route you shall choose each day, as this trek will lead you to move in and out of the Singalila National Park.

Anticipated Experiences During Your Independent Trekking

While trekking through the Sandakphu Phalut trekking trail, you can expect to come across many tea houses, which are home to the local people. They provide both food and lodging for tourists and trekkers. So, these are hotels with a more intimate setup. You shall also come across different spots throughout the trek providing snacks and lunch to trekkers.

Benefits of Going on the Sandakphu Trek:

Easy evacuation when compared to other treks. Also, if you wish to discontinue the trek, you have the option to get help from the people around you. However, it will be expensive if you hire a car.
Good accessibility with roads.
You always will get the chance to reach out to people during the trek which is not done in isolation.
The Sandakphu trek is easier compared to other treks in India.

Situations Unsuitable for Trekking Solo

Around Christmas and New Year, which is from mid-December to the first half of January, this place will remain crowded. Around this time, this place gets filled with people from Nepal and Darjeeling to spend their vacations here. Such a massive crowd causes frequent scarcity of accommodations in tea houses. Additionally, in this peak season, the prices of tea houses escalate significantly, compared to other seasons, and there will be a considerable decline in the quality of hospitality in these tea houses, as they need to attend to a large segment of the crowd.

Key Takeaways:

It is essential that you are always accompanied by a guide who possesses valid ID proof and a card.
You must always opt for those trek routes that are well-travelled to ensure increased safety.
We would like to advise you to take daily permissions of the selected trek route and each forest check post.
You are also advised to avoid trekking during the winter season, especially from mid-December to mid-January, with snow-covered routes and limited availability of accommodation.
Also, if this is your first time planning a trek at a high altitude and you wish not to do it all on your own, WeTrekkers will fondly organise a memorable Sandakphu Phalut trek for you.

So, why wait any longer? You must pack your bags right away and leap into the trekkers’ world to explore it independently.