The height of the poisonous plant

The name Sandakphu is usually traced to the Lepcha language and translated as the height of the poisonous plant. It refers to aconite, Aconitum ferox, and some poisonous rhododendrons that once grew thickly on the upper slopes. Herders driving sheep and cattle along the ridge risked losing animals that grazed there.

That is why Sandakphu is sometimes called the land of poisonous flowers. Aconite was well known in the eastern Himalaya; its roots were used as a poison and, carefully prepared, in traditional medicine. It is among the most toxic plants of the Himalaya, and herders learned to keep their animals moving across the high meadows where it grew.

Today most of the plants are gone, and the ridge is known instead for its views and for its trekking route through Singalila National Park, declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1986 and a national park in 1992. The forests here shelter a small population of red pandas, and the Darjeeling zoo has released captive-bred pandas into the park.

Another local story concerns the road. For decades a fleet of old Land Rovers based at Manebhanjan has carried supplies and visitors up the rough ridge track. Drivers maintain them themselves, and many vehicles are older than their drivers. In the mornings you can watch them grinding up the bends near Chitrey, loaded with passengers, gas cylinders and sacks of rice for the lodges.