Day 6: Phalut to Gorkhey

Day 6: 20/10/2011

Phalut to Gorkhey

Phalut is the most beautiful place in the whole trek. When we stepped out of the Hut at dawn & climbed the nearby hill, the vista was the highlight of our trip. The valley below us on one side filled with clouds. The sun peeped through the clouds as more cloud flowing into the Valley, like a river, down & around a hill. Cresting the hill, there was our friend, Kanchenjunga, almost close enough to touch. Kumbhakarna still sleeping. The Everest trio still lording it over from a distance. The grass on the hill a bright russet with a few Kacchras grazing peacefully. Flags flapping at a ruined Stupa. No person to be seen anywhere; the whole creation to ourselves. Wow! This was beautiful beyond expectations. Something to treasure. Forget the geography, it was so peaceful. How would it be in winter, with the snow! Just sat around & absorbed the place.

After gorging on the sight for more than an hour, we went down to the Hut to prepare for our departure. We could see the SRT runners approaching from afar. They had to walk up the final slope & as they approached the Aid-station at the Hut, they were breathing like the Darjeeling Steam Engine. Today's stage was 42Kms from Sandakphu to Phalut, Molley & Rimbick.

We started out at 9:00 for the descent into Gorkhey. Farewell to Kanchenjunga & Everest. Kanchenjunga we would see again in Darjeeling, but not Everest.

Went past the SSD outpost here & soon we were in the forest. The trek today was a nice easy walk through thick bamboo forest. There was also Oak & Rhododendron forest. Several places where we could take short-cuts through water channels, stepping on the roots of the trees. Several places the path was dug like a gully through the Bamboo bush. Many places the path was paved with wooden logs. Some places with stones, but the path was mostly soft with padding of Horse Dung. We crossed several small streams. I was hoping to sight a Red Panda & looked intently into the bamboo bush. No luck.

This path seems to be a smugglers route into Nepal. Saw a family going upwards. Pratap said they were going into Nepal. To our left somewhere was the Ramban River, which forms the border with Sikkim. Our direction was mostly South-West. Along the way Pratap pointed a meadow below. Samanden, he said, a second Switzerland.

After 3 hours, the path became steeper & I noticed pine needles on the ground. Looking up, I was surprised to see that the trees were all Pine. I had not seen pine anywhere in the trek thus far. In a short while were looking down on a village. We had arrived at Gorkhey. A busy village of 30 families. The Gorkhey Khola running right to left below us to meet the Ramban River. Pine forest all around.

The room in our hut was a surprise. It looked like a kids room with calendars, table cloth, garlands, narrow beds. Indeed, I found a few school reports. The reports were for a school in Sikkim. We had reached our destination early today & we had a hot lunch for the first time: Maggi Noodles. We also had a hot bath.

The extended family of our Landlords consisted of 5 Daughters & 3 Sons. The first son was letting out our room & the second had a pair of twins: a boy & a girl, 3 months old. One of the daughters had married a German & immigrated to Germany, where they divorced after a few years. Remarkably, the German was visiting his ex-in-laws. The farm seemed prosperous. I saw Maize, Pumpkin, Turnip. There was cattle & poultry & a friendly black dog, Bhalu.

I walked down to the River after lunch & sat down on a rock to write the diary. Gorkhey is idyllic. The busy villagers tending to their farms, the beautiful valley, the river with the streams, the pine forest. Like Shangri La

I spotted this bird busy on the rocks in the river: White Capped Redstart. The photo is courtesy Wikipedia.

Dinner was in the kitchen as we talked with the hosts about the life here. It was another lovely day.