BharatSangraha

Sikkim & Darjeeling Hills · Eastern Himalaya & Brahmaputra Belt

Terrain and eco-zones

Monsoon-dominated and extreme in its vertical gradient. The Darjeeling ridge takes 3,000–3,500 mm a year, most of it between June and September, and spends much of that period inside cloud rather than under rain. Gangtok at 1,650 m runs 4–25 °C through the year; Lachen and Lachung freeze from November; the Teesta gorge 2,000 m below can be 15 °C warmer than the ridge above it on the same afternoon.

Landforms

The Kanchenjunga massif at 8,586 m — the third-highest mountain on earth and the highest in IndiaSingalila ridge, the western wall, carrying the Sandakphu–Phalut walking route at 3,600 mChola range and the passes through it — Nathu La and Jelep La, both around 4,300–4,400 mThe Teesta trench, a deep humid gorge cutting the range from north to southSteep, unstable mid-montane spurs on Darjeeling gneiss, with jhoras (seasonal storm channels) as the main erosive agentAlpine plateau and moraine lakes above 4,500 m in the north

Rivers and waters

Teesta — glacier-fed from Chho Lhamu, the spine of the whole drainageRangeet — the Darjeeling ridge's own river, meeting the Teesta at TriveniLachen Chu (Zemu) and Lachung Chu, which join at Chungthang to become the TeestaRangpo, Rongni and Rani Khola on the Sikkim sideMahananda, Balason and Mechi at the foot of the range

Through the year

SeasonMonthsTypicalWhat it is like
SpringMarch–May10–22 °C on the ridgeRhododendron and magnolia flower up the slope in sequence, and the first flush of tea is plucked from the second week of March. Clear mornings, cloud by noon.
MonsoonJune–September16–24 °CContinuous cloud, leeches in the forest, and the landslide season. The second flush — the muscatel picking — is finished before the heaviest rain arrives.
AutumnOctober–November8–20 °CThe clearest air of the year and the reason the viewing points exist. Dasain, Tihar and the autumn flush all fall in this window.
WinterDecember–February-2–12 °C on the ridge, well below freezing in the northDry, bright and cold. Losoong and Namsoong close the harvest year; the high valleys are snowbound and the cardamom curing sheds run through the season.

Best time to visitMid-October to early December for mountain views and festivals, or March to May for rhododendron and the first flush. Avoid late June to mid-September if the plan depends on roads, because the Teesta corridor closes without warning.

The climate, landforms, rivers and seasons of Sikkim & Darjeeling Hills, and the best time of year to visit. (4)