Most Inspirational Moment
This is difficult as there were so many ...the sun cleared immediately after our arrival at the first camp site, after an afternoon of misty conditions. We were able to see Kanchenjunga clearly that afternoon and at dawn the following day.Dillo's amazing Bollywood-style dancing at the end of trek celebration :-) cocktails/pink gin at the Windamere (sic) Hotel in Darjeeling. Dilip managed to get us into the guests lounge, usually out of bounds for non-residents.the overnight train journey was surprisingly enjoyable, and the arrival in Calcutta in heavy rain was quite an experience.Sikkim was lovely!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Dilip was an inspiration, and the group benefitted enormously from his leadership and superb organisational and team-leading skills. He has established an impressive network of local people from the villages on the route, and we were welcomed warmly wherever we went. His leadership style is very hands-on, and he himself greeted us every morning on trek with a cup of tea. He was constantly cheerful, despite the freak weather conditions we encountered on the trek, and was always looking for ways to make things more enjoyable for us all. The chips and pakora were perfectly timed to lift our spirits after a day when misty conditions had obscured the mountain views that we'd all been looking forward to. He was very good at solving all our problems, large and small - for example, when a few of us were queuing for the ladies loo in Sikkim, Dilip persuaded the restaurant owner to open the VIP toilets in the presidential suite for us. His leadership ensured that we all had a very enjoyable holiday, despite freak weather conditions, which were a side effect of the worst cyclone to hit the Bay of Bengal in 40 years.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take a good sleeping 4-season bag and the best mattress you can afford (or borrow). It did get very cold at night on the high points of the trek.Don't hesitate to book if you're thinking of doing this trip - it's been the best holiday we've had for years.