Friendly Group Long Run (FGLR) in Pedong (Darjeeling) 1st May, 2012.
After the successful Friendly Group Long Run (FGLR) in Pedong (Darjeeling) on 1st May, 2011, this year again we are doing FGLR on 1st May, 2012 (Tuesday).
Anybody interested to join us are most welcome. Sharing with you all, the plan / schedule of our FGLR in Pedong;
1st day plan (30th April, 2012);
On 30th April- we will check into a hotel in Siliguri (7km from Bagdogra Airport / 3-4 km from New Jalpaiguri (NJP) Railway station). The distance from Siliguri to Pedong is almost 100km.
2nd day plan (1st May, 2012).
On 1st May, 2012 (Tuesday), early in the morning, we will drive down till the point from where the distance to Pedong will be the distance, we want to run. We can choose our own distance.
Most probably, I will be running 65km. First 20-25km will be flat road and then uphill starts. We will arrange for cars to carry our luggage and some volunteers to give us water, juice, fruits, sandwiches etc. There will be medical arrangement for the contingency.
From Siliguri till River Teesta it will be flat road but traffic will be little heavy because it is a highway to Sikkim (but lesser than in Mumbai). From River Teesta, road to Sikkim and Kalimpong gets separated and traffic will be less. But most of the running will be uphill till Kalimpong town (14-15km). From Kalimpong, again we will be running uphill but not very steep and we will reach a place called Algarah (14km). From Algarah it will be downhill run of 6km till we reach Pedong.
We own a small guest house in Pedong by name Damsung Guest House. So we can accommodate the runners in our Guest House. One can find the details of Damsung Guest House in the link below; http://damsangguesthouse.in/
3rd day plan (2nd May, 2012).;
On Wednesday, Runners can go to see Pedong village, market and some viewpoints from where you can see beautiful Mt. Kanchanjunga. In the evening, we can go to River Rishi, which is 7km (down) away from Pedong. Some nature friendly resorts are there. River Rishi is the border of West Bengal and Sikkim and also the hot spot for fishing. In River Rishi, Runners can stay in Prakriti Resort owned by Mr. Chumbey, he will make arrangement for barbeque and camp fire at night in Rishi Khola (Khola is River in my language).
4th day plan (3rd May, 2012).;
3rd May, runners can plan to visit Kalimpong, Kurseong, Darjeeling (main city) and Sikkim for other 4-5days and after seeing all the places, one can again take a flight from Bagdogra and come back to Mumbai. My cousin Samir will help you to make your itinerary after 3rd May, 2012. Any information, you want to know about Darjeeling / Sikkim to make your travel plan, please contact Samir at 09932208042.
Or if time does not permit one can directly go to airport on 3rd May, 2012 to come back to Mumbai.
April-May is the best season to visit Darjeeling; you will get to see lots of flower in its bloom. You may plan to take your family also for this trip. Since it is a tourist season, we need to get the exact number of the people coming with us, at the earliest. If we delay, the flight tickets also will be very expensive.
Important things;
- Tentative costs;
- We can do the flight / train booking on our own. The cheapest flight will be Rs. 4000/- one way. There is no direct flight to Darjeeling from Mumbai, hence there will be minimum of 1hr layover in Kolkata.
- By train (3tier AC), it will cost around Rs. 1500- 1800/- (one way). It is advisable to go upto Kolkata from Mumbai by one train and change to another train from Kolkata to NJP because the direct train to NJP from Mumbai is always running late.
- We should do the return tickets and not the one way ticket.
- Hotel in Siliguri may cost, 1 Room Rs. 800 to 1200/- which can be shared by 2 people.
- Cost for arranging medical aids and cars for our luggage and other aids will be divided among runners. One car from Siliguri to Pedong will cost Rs. 2500/-
- Stay and food in Pedong - Rs. 700/- per person per day (that is both lodging and food) but the condition is we need to know the number of runners at the earliest
- Altitude of Siliguri is 400 ft (122 mtrs), Kalimpong is 4501 ft (1371mtrs) and Pedong- 4800ft (1240mtrs)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by zico on -
Roshni - I will help plan the logistics of your long run. The plan should be to mimic some of the conditions that runners that are running 'Comrades' this year, will encounter. Maybe you should invite runners that are doing 'Comrades', to join you in this run as it is ideal.
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Permalink Reply by Gaurav Madan on -
Hi Roshni
Well... I wanted to join in last year too but somehow I managed to skip it..lol :P
I'm IN for this :) Will be running anything between 50-100 km. Will decide on the basis of fitness during those days and terrain. Never been to hills for running :)
It'll be great to run with you.
Good Wishes and take care
Happy RUNNING :)
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Permalink Reply by Roshni Rai on -
@Coach, please you too join us in this run. If you come to Pedong, many local runners will be benefited. Please please, try to come to Pedong in May. You can plan ur family vacation for a week over there.
@Gaurav- you are most welcome to Pedong to do any distance, you want to do.
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Permalink Reply by Roshni Rai on
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Coach, don't run in Pedong but come for vacation, instead of planning only finer things for us ;-) You will enjoy it and it will help you to recover faster. Please do send message form MMR. Some runners are already confirmed. It will be fun, if there are more runners ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Unmesh Nayak on -
Hi Zico/Roshini,
As informed earlier i will join this run,however will do @38-40 Km as i will be running a Marathon in Singapore on 26th May 2012. Can you pls inform me what sort of training should i do (Hills-Aarey ,BNP or Someplace else) to be Run ready for such type of event in rarefied atmosphere??.
FYI,i will start to train from 01st March 2012,as i am running a full in Auro on 12th feb 2012.Looking forward to your inputs.
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Permalink Reply by Dr Ajit Shripad Oak on -
Hi Roshni,
I wanted to do it last year,could not make it, would like to do it this year.My wife,my daughter(who would be finishing her 10th exams) and cousine would be accompony me,is it possible to bring them along with me?,they won't be running.
Ajit Shripad Oak
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Permalink Reply by Roshni Rai on
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@Unmesh- FGLR is just a long run, don’t worry about ur training for it. You are already a very strong runner, you can do 50km also there in Pedong. Your marathon calendar looks very interesting. Coach Zico may give you some tips for FGLR training. Do let me know, how many people’s accommodation I should reserve for you.
@Dr. Oak- you can bring as many people as you want. There will be no problem of accommodation in Pedong. Non- runners can be our volunteers, when we run ;-) It would be a great support for me, if you come to Pedong for my Comrades training. I am confirming four seats for you and your family.
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Permalink Reply by Unmesh Nayak on
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Roshni,
I will b coming alone,will exit Darjeeling on 3rd May 2012.
Roshni Rai said:@Unmesh- FGLR is just a long run, don’t worry about ur training for it. You are already a very strong runner, you can do 50km also there in Pedong. Your marathon calendar looks very interesting. Coach Zico may give you some tips for FGLR training. Do let me know, how many people’s accommodation I should reserve for you.
@Dr. Oak- you can bring as many people as you want. There will be no problem of accommodation in Pedong. Non- runners can be our volunteers, when we run ;-) It would be a great support for me, if you come to Pedong for my Comrades training. I am confirming four seats for you and your family.
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Permalink Reply by Srinivas Ramanujam on -
@Roshini -
Count me in for the run. I'll be running the distance that you are running... around 65 km.
Not sure yet if Dharini will accompany me. Will let you know in a few days.
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Permalink Reply by Manoj Haveri on -
Roshni, I would like to do a 30K if possible. But would like to confirm by end of February.
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Permalink Reply by Srinivas Ramanujam on
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@Roshini - I'll be coming alone.
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Permalink Reply by Roshni Rai on
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@Srini- You are most welcome to Pedong. It would have been so nice, if Dharini could come too.
@Manoj and Unmesh- your bookings are confirmed.
Srinivas Ramanujam said:@Roshini - I'll be coming alone.
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