Mamata to trek to Sandakphu next month

Prashant Acharya, EOI, Siliguri: Come October and Mamata Banerjee will create a record of sorts by becoming the first chief minister to trek more than 12,000 feet to reach Sandakphu, the highest location in the state.

Banerjee is expected to visit Darjeeling this October and is keen to walk all the way up to Sandakphu, said Trinamool Congress sources. They said the chief minister has decided to visit Sandakphu during her three-day stay in Siliguri and Kalimpong. The sources added Banerjee expressed her desire to travel to Sandakphu when she was in Kalimpong two days ago for the bipartite meeting with the GTA and the Lepcha Development Board function. The picturesque panorama of Delo spurred her to experience more of the beauty the hills have to offer, proffered one of the sources.

While in Kalimpong, the chief minister walked almost 6km all the way to the top of Delo. She said she loves the environment of the hills and the mountains as they give her an extra boost of energy and refreshes her mind.

Sandakphu is located at the fringes of the Singalila National Park in Darjeeling district on the West Bengal-Sikkim border and is the highest point. The place offers a kaleidoscopic view of the elemental grandeur of the perennially snowcapped mountains. One can get to view world renowned peaks such as Mount Everest, Makalu, Lhotse, Kumbhakarna, Kanchenjunga and Chomolhari all at once. The best month to visit Sandakphu is October, a 26km trek uphill from Maneybhanjyang, some 30-odd kilometres from Darjeeling.

Association for Conservation of Tourism convener Raj Basu said, “I have not yet heard about the chief minister’s decision, but if she indeed decides to trek all the way up to Sandakphu, the gesture will encourage tourists from across the country including Bengal. It also augurs well for tour operators.”