Sandakphu Phalut Gurdum Winter Trek 2026 (By West Bengal State Branch)

YHAI's Sandakphu Phalut trek now takes in Gurdum on a new trail, so the walk holds both the big view and the quiet one - Everest, Kanchenjunga and a long line of snow peaks from Sandakphu and Phalut, then the hidden village of Gurdum with its own food and culture.

The trail runs along the tri-junction of Bengal, Sikkim and Nepal, and the mix shows in the culture and the cooking. Of the fourteen mountains on earth above 8,000 m, four can be seen at once from Sandakphu and Phalut - along with sunrise and sunset above the clouds, and a 360-degree view of peaks that change colour through the day.

Stay and Meals

• Sharing, basic accommodation
• Nutritious vegetarian food only

The Fee Includes

• Food - breakfast, packed or hot lunch, tea and snacks, soup and dinner
• Dormitory sharing accommodation in home stays, guest houses and hostels
• Guide
• Transfer from Darjeeling to Rimbick, and Rimbick to Srikhola
• Forest permission
• Trekking and training
• Group insurance

The Fee Excludes

• Personal expenses
• Camera tickets and any other activities
• Travel from home to the base camp, and from Rimbick camp home
• Anything not listed in the inclusions

Program Coordinator

• Mr. Sanjit Kr. Shaw: 9434301492
• Email: wbstateyhai@gmail.com
• YHAI West Bengal State Branch, Room 14, 3rd Floor, Standard Chartered Building, 19 Netaji Subhas Road, Fairley Place, BBD Bagh, Kolkata 700001

Who Can Participate

• Only YHAI members with valid membership.
• Without the admit card, the original membership card and the medical certificate, your registration is not confirmed.

How to Reach the Base Camp

• The base camp is the International Youth Hostel, Chota Kakjhora, Darjeeling - near the new taxi stand, 200 m before Darjeeling railway station.
• Nearest railway station: Darjeeling, 200 m away.
• Nearest airport: Bagdogra, 70 km and about three hours. Bus, jeep and taxi services run from there.

Mandatory Documents

An original trekking medical certificate is compulsory at reporting - valid within 30 days, signed and stamped by a registered medical practitioner (MBBS or MD only) with their registration number - along with a copy of the admit card, your membership card, two photographs and two photocopies of an ID card.

Special Casual Leave

YHAI trekking expeditions are approved by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (Department of Personnel and Training), Government of India, vide office order 28016/3/89-Estt (A) dated 25 October 1989. Participants working in central government organisations may apply for special casual leave for the duration of the expedition - up to 30 days in a calendar year.

What to Bring

• Trekking shoes, preferably waterproof, high ankle and non-skid; washable quick-dry sandals
• Four pairs of socks, cotton and woollen, one pair kept for night use only
• Lightweight trousers - no jeans, no cargos, preferably quick dry - and inner garments
• Cotton T-shirts, full and half sleeve, and a complete trek suit
• Windcheater and raincoat, upper and lower with hoods, preferably water repellent
• Sweater or woollen jersey, a cotswool set upper and lower, and a good jacket
• Woollen and waterproof gloves, bandana or throat cover, sun cap and woollen cap
• Sunglasses, polarised for preference, and a walking stick
• Rucksack - YHAI provides one if you do not have a good one
• Torch with spare cells, thermal flask, water bottle and water purifier
• Leak-proof lunch box for packed lunch; plate, mug and spoon
• Needle and thread with spare buttons, toilet paper, towel and toiletries
• Boroline, Vaseline and sun cream of SPF 30 or above
• Pen and notebook, passport photographs, original and copied ID, membership card
• Original medical certificate, and an indemnity bond if you are over 60
• Your regular personal medicines, plus a crepe bandage, micropore tape, band-aids, cough lozenges, Vicks, a cold remedy, clotrimazole cream and powder, paracetamol, mupirocin cream, diclofenac gel, loperamide, azithromycin and Electral
• Camera with spare cells, optional

Safety and Security

Extensive preparation goes into planning the routes for your safety, and field staff visit the area to check every detail. Even so, YHAI cannot be held responsible for accidents, illness or other unforeseen casualties. Anything you choose to do beyond the programme is at your own cost and risk, and only after the programme ends and you have checked out.

Additional Notes

• Smoking, alcohol and narcotics of any description are strictly prohibited throughout.
• Staying anywhere other than a YHAI camp is not allowed for the whole programme.
• This is an environmentally friendly trek. Do not litter, and if you find a wrapper, plastic bag or bottle left on the trail, carry it to the next camp.
• Burning wood at a campfire is prohibited. Bringing non-biodegradable material into West Bengal is an offence.

If you cannot join, you receive a 50% refund - Rs. 6,750 - provided your request reaches us clearly ten days before your reporting date, not counting the reporting day itself. After that no refund application is considered.

• An unforeseen event, strike or natural calamity is not treated as a cause for cancellation.
• Refunds are paid 30 to 40 working days after the programme finishes.
• Cancellation must be done online only - no other medium is accepted.