10D/9N
Duration
Moderate
Grade
7/10
Physicality
4635 m/15200 ft
Highest Point

Dafeybhir Trek:

The Uttarey/Singalila trek in Sikkim is all along the high ridges of the Singalila Range bordering Sikkim and Nepal. This challenging and off the beaten trek, pioneered by none other than the legendary mountaineer, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa. Trail is over steep and rocky terrain, lush green valleys, fast flowing rivers and beautiful high altitude lakes nestled on mountains. It offers striking and near perfect views of the Sikkim and Nepal Himalayas including Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga from countless view points. Dafeybhir trek is sure to whet the appetites of those seeking a singular experience.

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One of the numerous high altitude lakes on Dafeybhir trek
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On the way to Pahari Megu

Dafeybhir trail starts from Uttarey, a village located in West Sikkim, spread on the valley with one street small bazaar and lodges. Our trail will continue along Singalila ridge bordering south western Sikkim and Nepal border and then reentering Sikkim. Trail ends in upper Nombu region in west Sikkim which is around 2/3 hours drive from tourist town Pelling.  Popular Yuksom Goecha La trail lies further east to this trail, around 3/4 days hike from Dafeybhir joining in Dzongri.

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Darjeeling-Sikkim-Singalila ridge including Dafeybhir trail

Truly this trail can be referred Sikkim Alpine lakes trial. There are almost 10 high altitude lakes spreading on and around the trail once we reach ~ 4000 m/13000 ft, medium or large in size. Most of these are on the trail, for few you have to take a detour around an hour. To mention, Nepal Jumley Pokhri (twin lakes), Lampokhri (longitudinal lake), Sikkim Jumley (Ram and Laxman Pokhri). For Tembong Pokhri and Laxmi Pokhri, we need to add few kilometre from our usual trail. Pokhri means lake in Nepalese language.

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Jumley Pokhri (twin lakes) in Nepal/Sikkim border
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Nepal Jumley pokhri
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Lampokhri

Regarding peak views, this trail is mix of both panoramic and close up. After leaving Chewabhanjang, we take the famous Singalila ridge much northerly than usual Sandakphu Phalut trail. Basically we walk facing much acclaimed and revered Sleeping Buddha, a typical formation of Kanchendzongha and neighbouring high mountains. More than 2 days you will continue on the ridge witnessing the beauty High Himalayan mountains host of peaks in Sikkim and neighbouring Nepal. This trek essentially combines all the peaks one can see from Sandakphu and from Goecha La, with few additions!

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Trek starts amidst greenery
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On the way to Chewabhanjung
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Sleeping Buddha from Major Dara top
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On the way from Gairi to Pahari Megu
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Looking towards Nepal ranges along with Everest
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Gairi campsite
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Lampokhri camp

Brief Itinerary:

Day 1: Drive from NJP railways station or Bagdogra airport to Uttarey – 160 Km by car – 8 hours
Day 2: Trek to Chitrey – 8 Km – 4/5 hours
Day 3: Trek to Gairi via Chewabhanjang – 14 Km – 7/8 hours
Day 4: Trek to Dhor  via Sukhadhap – 9 Km – 4/5 hours
Day 5: Trek to Pahari Megu – 8 Km – 4 hours
Day 6:  Trek to Lampokhri via Sikkim Jumley Pokhri – 10 Km – 6/7 hours
Day 7: Early morning visit Dafeybhir pass, explore lakes around and return to Lampokhri camp. 5/6 hours round trip.
Day 8:  Trek down to upper Naya Patal (SSB camp) via Yombong  – 12 Km – 5/6 hours.
Day 9:  Trek down to the first village on the route, Chowri and further down to Shyang Khola. –  14 Km – 6 to 7 hours. Lodge or camp.
Day 10:  Drive to NJP or Bagdogra via Nambu – Darap – Pelling route – 180 km – 8 hours

Note: You need to reach latest by 10 am on Day 1 at NJP/Siliguri or Bagdogra. You will return to NJP/Bagdogra on Day 10, by 5 pm***

Access to Dafeybhir trek base: Uttarey (West Sikkim)

You need to reach NJP (by train) or Bagdogra (by flight) around the city Siliguri in West Bengal for your Darjeeling or Sikkim trips. Kolkata is well connected to Siliguri through flights and overnight trains and busses (road from Kolkata to Siliguri is not in good condition and may take 15/16 hours!) .

Do carefully check for the latest arrival timings on Day 1 of the itinerary (latest by 10 am) before you book your train or flight tickets.

We will arrange a pickup and drop from NJP/Siliguri to Uttarey and return from Pelling. This will be shared by the team members on actual basis and you pay directly to driver/owner on spot. Typically a Tata Sumo/Mahindra Maxx type Jeep charges ₹ 7000 one side which can accommodate 6 to 8 people. Tempo Traveller type vans are not available in this route. This cost is NOT included in the TREK FEE.

For details on how to reach nearest railways station/airport and move to trek base independently/public transportation check the details in GETTING THERE TAB.

Click here to view the List of Things to carry in Dafeybhir trek or  Download the PDF

Duration: 9 days of trekking; NJP to NJP in 11 days

Prerequisite: Hiking experiences on trails around, long day hikes etc. One or two prior Himalayan trekking experience is highly advised. Trekkers must be in good physical condition to endure sustained walk and climb.

Grade: Moderate (& Strenuous)

Physicality: 7/10

Trail Length: 80 Km

Highest Point: Dafeybhir top ~ 4635 m/15200 ft

Seasons: April/May (Spring/Summer) & October/November (Post Monsoon/Fall)

Further Option: From Dafeybhir one can continue to Dzongri in 4 days with a side trip to Chaurikhang, base camp of Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI).

Access: Trek starting point (trek base) is Uttarey, 160 Km from NJP.

Rail station: New Jailpaiguri (Station Code: NJP)

Airport: Bagdogra (Airport Code: IXB)

Map:

Upcoming scheduled dates for Dafeybhir trek: 

  • You can check the scheduled Fixed Departure dates in the calendar available inside Booking Form or inside REGISTER NOW form. Tour starting Dates are highlighted as per our itinerary (Day 1 of  10 days itinerary).
  • At present BOOK NOW functionality is disabled. You can get all the information in your email by submitting the REGISTER NOW form.
  • If you are a group of people and available dates are not matching then you may select Custom date mode (by clicking the Select your custom date) and fill in the displayed form.
  • You can also check all the available dates at a glance in our TREK CALENDAR.
  • Trekkers need to reach NJP/Bagdogra on Day 1 morning (latest by 10 am). Return to NJP/Bagdogra on Day 10 early evening (6 pm). Arrange your tickets for inward journey and return accordingly.
DEPARTURE LOCATION New Jalpaiguri railway station/Bagdogra airport
REPORTING TIME 9:00 AM for a prompt departure to Uttarey (Day 1)
RETURN LOCATION New Jalpaiguri/Bagdogra/Siliguri
RETURN TIME Approximately 8 PM (Day 10)

How to reach Uttarey (The trek base):

Depending upon the trek members we will arrange a pickup and drop from NJP/Siliguri to Uttarey and return from Pelling. This will be shared equally by the availing team members on actual basis.

Typically a Tata Sumo/Mahindra Maxx/Bolero charges Rs 5500 one side which can accommodate 6 to 8 people. This is NOT included in the TREK FEE and to be payable directly to the driver/owner.

Nearest Rail station: New Jailpaiguri (Station Code: NJP)

Nearest Airport: Bagdogra (Airport Code: IXB)

If you want to reach Uttarey by public transportation then here is the options. You have to reach Tenzing Norgay Bus Terminus in Siliguri. Then take a shared jeep for Jorethang in south Sikkim, takes around 4 hours. From there you will get a shared jeep service for Uttarey, but a seat is not guaranteed. The earlier you reach Jorethang the chances are higher to get this service. From Jorethang it is another 3 hours journey to Uttarey via Soren and Dentam.

For the treks in Sikkim and Darjeeling , one has to reach the city of Siliguri (considered the corridor to the North-East) in West Bengal.

The nearest Railway Station is New Jalpaiguri (NJP), 5 Km from Siliguri and the airport Bagdogra is 10 Km.

You can fly or by train reach Siliguri from Kolkata ( good for the trekkers coming from South/central or Western India) or Delhi as per your convenience from any part within India.

Direct flights are available from New Delhi and Kolkata. All the flights to Bagdogra reaches late in the morning or early afternoon. It becomes difficult to reach the trek base like Yuksom/Hilley/Uttarey on the same day unless a car is booked (takes around 8 hours to reach). One can stay the night in Siliguri and start the travel to the trek base next morning. It is better to reach Siliguri by flight/train to Kolkata and then take an overnight train to NJP unless you are coming from northern India. 

From Kolkata to Siliguri:

1) By train:

There are several overnight trains running between Kolkata (Howrah or Sealdah) to NJP. Day trains are also available.

From airport (Dumdum, CCU) , Sealdah railway station is 15 Km and may take 1 to 2 hours depending upon the time you travel. Howrah is 17 Km and may take up to 2 hours during the heavy traffic in the rush hours. Howrah and Sealdah are only 5 Km apart, though it may take an hour to travel. Pre Paid taxi booths are available.

DARJEELING MAIL – Train No. – 12343 (Very good option to reach NJP in the morning. Starts around 10 pm in the night and reaches NJP 8 am in the morning.)
PADATIK EXPRESS – Train No. – 12377 (Very good option to reach NJP in the morning. Starts around 11 pm in the night and reaches NJP 9 am in the morning.)
KANCHANKANYA EXPRESS – Train No. – 13149 (Starts at 8:30 pm in the evening and reaches NJP 7:30 am in the morning)
SHATABDI EXPRESS – Train No. – 12041 (Day train, starts 2:15 pm in the afternoon and reaches NP at 10:20 pm in the night. There are hotels/lodges outside the railway station at a walking distance of 5 minutes. Otherwise book an auto rickshaw/taxi to Siliguri, which takes around 15 minutes. There are several hotels around Siliguri Junction/Tenzing Norgay Bus Terminus/S.N.T (Sikkim Nationalised Transport stand).

There are other trains also of which some run daily and some on particular days of week.

Avoid booking wait listed (WL) tickets in AC classes (1A/2A/3A) or Chair Car (CC). Book Sleeper class (SL)/Second Sitting class (2S) tickets which have normally more seats/berths and hence much better chance to get confirmed.

2) By flight:

From Kolkata(CCU)  take a flight to Bagdogra (IXB). From airport book a taxi to reach Siliguri which is 10 Km away.

From Delhi to Siliguri:

1) By Train:

Following trains are good to reach NJP and run daily.

DIBRUGARH RAJDHANI – Train No. 12424 (arrives NJP late in the morning @ 10:45 am)
NORTH EAST EXP – Train No. 12506 (arrives NJP @ 8:20 am in the morning)
BRAHMAPUTRA MAIL – Train No. 12424 (arrives NJP at 5 am in the morning. But this train runs late frequently.

Always avoid booking wait listed (WL) tickets in AC classes (1A/2A/3A) or Chair Car (CC). Book Sleeper class (SL)/Second Sitting class (2S) tickets which have normally more seats/berth and hence much better chance to get confirmed.

2) By flight:

From Delhi (DEL) take a flight to Bagdogra (IXB). From airport book a taxi to reach Siliguri which is 10 Km away.

For night stay in NJP/SIliguri:

Trekkers reaching on the previous day before the journey to the actual trek base need to stay the night in Siliguri/NJP. There are several options in Siliguri for spending a night while staying in Standard or Budget accommodation. It is better to reach to the centre of Siliguri called Siliguri Junction (adjacent to Tenzing Norgay Bus Terminus and Sikkim Nationalised Transport/S.N.T Bus terminus). It takes 30 minutes from Bagdogra or 15 minutes from NJP. There are hotels 5 minutes walking from NJP also.

Return from NJP/Bagdogra:

Normally you reach NJP/Bagdogra from any trek base  by 5/6 pm in the evening. You can take any train after 7 pm. Accordingly arrange your homeward journey.

Day 1

Drive from NJP/Bagdogra to trek base Uttarey - 160 Km - 8 hours

Pick up NJP railway station/Bagdogra airport and by car we drive to our trek base Uttarey (~1950 m/6400 ft). The distance is around 160 Km and may take 7/8 hours.
Day 2

Trek from Uttarey to Chitrey: 8 Km - 4 hours

Our trek starts today.
Day 3

Trek to Gairi via Chewabhanjang – 14 Km – 7/8 hours

Day 4

Trek to Dhor via Sukhadhap – 9 Km – 4/5 hours

Day 5

Trek to Pahari Megu – 8 Km – 4 hours

Day 6

Trek to Lampokhri via Sikkim Jumley Pokhri – 10 Km – 6/7 hours

Day

Early morning climb to Dafeybhir Pass and Top - Explore lakes around - 5/6 hours

Day 8

Trek down to upper Naya Patal via Yombong - 12 Km - 5/6 hours

Day 9

Trek down to the first village on the route, Chowri – 8 Km – 4/5 hours

Day 10

Trek to Tashingong – 3 hours – drive to NJP/Bagdogra - 190 Km via Nambu and Darap – 7/8 hours

P.S.: Distances and altitudes are approximate and may not be exact.

  TREK FEE: ₹ 24,950 (Uttarey to Tashingong) + 5% GST  

Suggested TREK FEE is for a group of 8 to 10 persons.

Inclusions:

1 night’s accommodation at Uttarey (Day 1) in lodge on sharing basis and dinner.

 All meals during the trek (Day 2 to Day 10 breakfast). Regular Indian style nutritious vegetarian food during the trek (including occasional eggs), breakfast packed/hot lunch (depending upon the time you reach a campsite), snacks, dinner along with coffee/tea/soup.

Excellent Trekking Guide, who will be a local to this particular area and has profound knowledge of the trekking trails around.

 Specialised Cook, Support staff, Porters/Packed Animals for carrying the central logistics of the trek.

 Stay in tents (3 persons dome or ridge shaped tents) on sharing basis during the trek.

Camping equipment like Sleeping bag, Carry mattress, Gaiters, Micro spikes/Crampon. (Bring your own sleeping if you have a high altitude specific personal Sleeping Bag. This is always better for hygienic reasons.)

Kitchen tent, dinning tent and toilet tent as required during the trek.

All permit fee, camping charges, forest levy required for the trek inside Kanchendzongha National Park.

 Basic Medical & First Aid kit.

Accidental Insurance Policy covering high altitude trekking tours (For Indian nationals it is included in the TREK FEE, up to 60 years of age). It covers your trek as well as your return journey to NJP/Bagdogra.

Exclusions:

Transportation from NJP/Bagdogra to Uttarey and return to NJP/Bagdogra.

We assume that you will carry your personal Rucksack/Backpack with all your personal belongings. If you want to offload your Rucksack and be carried by Porter then you need to pay additional ₹ 2500 for the entire duration of the trek. The Rucksack should not weigh more than 10 Kg.

 Any tip/gratuity to the HT supports staff.

Anything is is NOT mentioned in the “Inclusions” or personal in nature.

Booking:

  • We assume that you have read and understood our “Terms & Conditions” before Booking.
  • To book a Fixed Departure/Schedule trek or a Customised/Private trekpay 25% of the Trek/Tour Fee as the initial “Booking Amount”. You can pay by Net banking/Draft/Credit/Debit/AMEX cards. This will ensure your participation in the desired trek and we will reserve your place in the scheduled date. You need to pay the remaining amount at least 15 days before starting the trek.

 Cancellations:

  • “Booking Amount” i.e.25% of the Trek/Tour Fee is Non-Refundable at any stage.
  • If in case you are not able to make it due to unavoidable reason(s), we provide you avery flexible choice of Shifting to another trek withing next one year. One year is counted from the starting date of the trek/tour you booked initially with us.
  • In case you postpone your trip you need to informminimum of 15 days before the trek/tour starting date. (Though we suggest to inform us earlier if known)
  • In case you postpone a Trek/Tour before 15 days of the scheduled starting date, you may shift to the same trek/tour group scheduled in the same season or within next one year. You may shift to another suitable route also. For changing any, you need our approval first. Your request must be in written communication through your registered email with us.
  • If you Cancel/Postpone a trek/trip from14 days to 8 days before starting date, your Booking Amount is Non-Refundable. We will not take any request of shifting dates. We will charge 50% of the amount as Cancellation Charges and process refund of remaining 50%. You may also shift to another group within next year but 25% Booking Amount will be deemed as Cancellation Charge and the rest amount will be transferred to the shifted group.
  • If you cancel a trek/trip before7 days (i.e. a week) before starting date there will be NO REFUND.
  • In case of any unforeseen incident including but not limited to natural calamities like flood, earthquake, landslide, forest fire or any political unrest, if we are compelled to cancel the trek/trip, you will be entitled to redeem the full amount for the same/similar kind of trek/trip within next one year.
Dafeybhir trek