Darjeeling Tenzing Rockis a popular tourist place and is one of the only natural rock climbing sites in Darjeeling. This gigantic rock is named after the mountaineer Tenzing Norgay who climbed the Mount Everest with Edmund Hillary in 1953 and it has his name inscribed on it. This place is a paradise for trekking and adventure enthusiasts. You will find a board on top of the rock that reads “HMI Rock Climbing Training Area”. Tenzing Rock comprises two sides from where the trekking can be done among which the left side of the rock is for the training of the rock climbers while the right side is testing for the rock climbing skills.
A lot of amateur climbers and tourists visit this place and feel motivated to climb high with the help of guides. As you climb, you can have a look at the beautiful surroundings with lush greenery and fresh air which will leave you with a unique feeling of happiness. However, during monsoons, the slippery moss around the rock makes the climbing quite challenging.
There is another rock present opposite to the Tenzing Rock named Gombu Rock which is named after Nawang Gombu, He was the nephew of Tenzing Norgay, he was the first person to climb Everest and summited Mount Everest twice, once in 1963 and then in 1965. Nawang Gombu was appointed as the Director of Field Training at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute after Tenzing retired in 1976. Both Tenzing Rock and Gombu Rocks are located on Lebong Cart Road, Darjeeling, and are opposite to each other. The Gombu rock is also quite steep and rises high above the road level. However, it does not look as menacing as the Tenzing rock.
How to reach Tenzing Rock
Tenzing Rock is at a distance of 4.8 km from Darjeeling. You can hire a cab or drive your own vehicle to Tenzing Rock. Darjeeling is easily accessible by flight, train, and bus.
The nearest airport from the Tenzing Rock is Bagdogra which connected with the major cities of the country. There are several direct flights to Bagdogra from cities like Kolkata, Delhi, and Guwahati. From the airport, you can reach Darjeeling by hiring a cab.
The nearest railway station is New Jalpaiguri and it is well connected to all major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Cochin, and Chennai. The toy train service of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Station starts from New Jalpaiguri and it takes about 7 hours to reach Darjeeling.
There is a regular bus service from Siliguri to Darjeeling which is approximately 70 km away. The buses ply on daily basis from nearby towns like Kurseong and Kalimpong. The road network is good and you can drive down to Darjeeling from nearby cities like Siliguri, Kalimpong, and Kurseong. The road network is quite good with the stunning mountain landscape.
Best time to visit Tenzing Rock
While summer months from April to June are the ideal time to visit Tenzing Rock, some tourists prefer to visit this beautiful place during winter months from October to December. It is better to avoid the rainy season, from June to September. During and after the monsoon, the surface of the rocks become slippery and the climbing becomes difficult. Tenzing Rock in Darjeeling is used by the Indian Army for annual rock climbing competitions. While climbing the Tenzing rock a guide will be with you to teach you how to climb. The climb will be quite difficult since most people who climb will be doing it for the first time.
Places to visit near Tenzing Rock
There are many picturesque spots near Tenzing Rock that attract tourists. They are Gombu rock, Padmaja Naidu Himalayan zoological park, Mahakal Temple, Peace Pagoda and Mirik.
Tenzing Rock timings: 8:00 A.M to 5:00 P.M.
Tenzing Rock entry fees: Entry fee for rock climbing is INR 2,000.
