A hike to this hidden trail should be in your next Sikkim itinerary

The word Tendong means “upraised”. Legend has it that long time ago, there was a flood in this area. To save the people from the flood, the land raised itself and gave refuge to the residents. Thus came the name Tendong. After having a sumptuous breakfast at the homestay, we started towards the uphill trek route. Tendong Hill trek is relatively less visited (I will not say it is lesser known though). There was not really any signpost about the trek at Damthang Bazar area. There is a paved way though beside a shop that will take you to the hilltop.

The paved way actually led to a flight of stairs and very soon the stairs disappeared into a jungle trail. We kept on hiking through the trail. The first 40 minutes was a easy hike. We gained altitude but there was a lot of flat portions in the trail. Yes, the thick forests gave us an eerie feeling, as there was no one on the trail. There were huge ferns and thick foliage of trees interspersed with bamboo groves. The trunks of the trees were mostly covered with moss and other fungi. The huge trees formed a canopy over us. Very soon, the only sound we could hear was the chirping of birds and rustling of leaves. We were entirely away from town and the concrete jungle enjoying the time with nature. We tried spotting a few birds, but were not much successful. And red panda, was elusive as well. Our wish to see a red panda was not fulfilled even this time.

After about 40 minutes, the trail became steeper. At places the trail got quite narrow where only one could pass. We stopped from time to time, rested for a while and continued our hike towards the hilltop. As we came near the hilltop, we saw a signboard of Tendong Gumpa. There were a few trails from that point, but I think all the roads led to the same place. We took one and reached a place where the prayer flags were fluttering in the wind. Very soon we reached the peculiar looking watchtower at the Tendong Hill. It looked like a pagoda but was not one. And from there we could see the panoramic view of the entire Eastern Himalayan range. The wind was cold and the air smelled pure. There were no words to describe the beauty and sanctity of the place. Little things do give us so much joy. There was also a small monastery on the hilltop. And the pagoda like structure is the three-storeyed Tendong Observation Tower.

The view from the hilltop was totally magnificent. We spent about an hour at the hilltop, had our packed lunch and then returned back taking the same route. During the descent, we saw the mountains changing colours in the glow of the afternoon sun. With happiness in our heart and fond memories, we came back to Damthang, only to promise to return back to Sikkim again and again.

Some Facts about the Tendong Hill trek

Total Distance: 3.5 km one way

Time taken: Approximately 2 hours uphill and 1.5 hour downhill. The time will obviously depend on your capabilities.