A new trekking route to Rachela Peak in West Bengal’s Neora Valley National Park is scheduled to open in November, giving visitors access to a nearly 10,000-foot-high watchtower with views of the Kanchenjunga range and the Himalayan landscape towards Sikkim.
The route, located in Kalimpong district, is being opened by the Gorumara wildlife division of Jalpaiguri. The viewpoint is expected to offer sunrise views of the Kanchenjunga range, including the ‘sleeping Buddha’ formation, on clear days. Snowfall at Lava and Rachela in December and January is also expected to draw adventure tourists, although the forest department has warned that visitors will need to prepare for extremely cold conditions.
Rajib De, additional divisional forest officer of Gorumara, said Rachela Peak offered a better vantage point for sunrise and views of Kanchenjunga than the popular Tiger Hill. He said the winter experience could be particularly challenging because of the cold weather.
Visitors will be able to buy tickets at the entrance of Neora Valley National Park in Lava. From there, they can travel by vehicle to Rachela Peak and Chaudda Feri. At a fork in the hilly road at Dumukha, after about 8km, visitors must leave their vehicles and walk or trek for a little more than 2km to reach the peak.
The forest department began constructing the watchtower around two years ago. The project was put on hold about a year and a half ago after former chief minister Mamata Banerjee waived forest entry fees. According to the report, the department suspended plans to open the route because of concerns that the removal of the fee could lead to an uncontrolled influx of visitors.
The remaining work is expected to be completed in early November. Wooden planks will be installed over the concrete pillars of the watchtower and a tin-sheet roof will be added before the route opens.
The trail passes through dense vegetation and includes several scenic points. Visitors may encounter Himalayan black bears, deer and the red panda, although the forest department plans to restrict the number of tourists allowed on the trek to protect the area’s fragile ecosystem.
The access rules will also apply to vehicles using the route. Drivers will be instructed to avoid unnecessary honking and to refrain from using headlights unless they are required. The restrictions are intended to limit disturbance to wildlife as visitor access expands.
The November opening will therefore combine a new tourism facility with a controlled-access model. The forest department’s next stated milestone is the completion of the watchtower and associated work in early November, followed by the opening of the trekking route.
