Tendong hill hike from Damthang

Tendong is a long forested hill above the small market of Damthang, on the road between Namchi and Ravangla. For the Lepcha it is sacred. Lepcha tradition holds that long ago a great flood covered the land, and their ancestors climbed Tendong and survived on its top until the waters went down. Wikipedia notes that the festival also draws on the folklore of the Teesta and Rangeet rivers, which runs deep in Lepcha culture.

Every year on 8 August, a Sikkim state holiday, Tendong Lho Rumfaat gives thanks to the hill, and many people walk up from the Damthang side for prayers and offerings. On other days the trail is quiet and climbs steadily through oak and rhododendron forest with birdsong and moss. Allow about three hours up and two down at an easy pace, more if you stop often. On a clear day the top gives views across South and West Sikkim.

Go with a local guide, arranged through your hotel in Namchi or Ravangla for roughly ₹1,000–2,000 a group, indicative, 2026. Start early, carry water, snacks and a rain shell, and expect leeches from June to September. The festival day is busy and moving, but it falls in the monsoon, so plan for rain and possible road delays and check current status before you travel. On other days, a clear October or November morning gives the best chance of views from the top.