Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek Overview
Kanchenjunga is the world’s third-highest mountain at 8,586m, it forms Nepal’s eastern border with the Indian state of Sikkim. A trek around Kanchenjunga means scaling the base camp of the world’s third-highest mountain through rough remote mountainous terrain, perfect for trekkers who prefer solitude and are looking to go on an adventure.
Kanchenjunga in Tibetan means ‘five great treasures of snow’ which justifies the fantastic views of five peaks which are symbolized as gold, silver, precious stones, grain, and holy scriptures. This remote and holy land in Nepal’s far-eastern region was opened to trekkers in 1988 only, it was a restricted area before. Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek takes you along one of the most challenging and least visited mountainous terrains of Nepal. The region’s culture, people, and landscape offer hospitality so genuine, that it almost feels spiritual!
The conservation area that hosts Kanchenjunga in Nepal stretches into protected areas in Tibet and Sikkim. Kanchenjunga circuit trek is Snow Leopard territory, but it is not the only predator lurking in the untouched unbounded forests, the Himalayan Black Bear and Assamese Macaque among others dominate the area as well.
Trekking to the Kanchenjunga Base Camp through the remote, rugged, and wild terrain of the east of Nepal not only makes for a perfect challenge but also makes for jaw-droppingly gorgeous scenes. Cascading waterfalls, a variety of flora and fauna, lush vegetation, scattered human habitation, views of the towering Kanchenjunga, and the cultural diversity make for an incredible trip, one that has been rarely attempted. Considered one of the most beautiful massifs in the world Mt. Kanchenjunga is a rare delight. Our trek to this less-visited mountain starts with a flight from Kathmandu to Suketar. The flight itself is scenic with incredible views of the Himalayan ranges.
As our trek slowly paces ahead, you can witness how the gradual change in landscape from flatlands to hills and mountains also brings a change in vegetation. We pass through many coniferous forests, meadows, alpine shrubs, and grasslands on our way. The terrain is completely rocky and the views are of snow-capped mountains starting from Ghunsa. Frozen streams, waterfalls, and glaciers are a common sight. Small landslides and avalanches are quite frequent as well. Jannu at 7710m is a dramatic and beautiful mountain which you can witness along with Jannu Glacier’s terminal moraine on the way from Ghunsa to Kambachen.
We wake up to probably one of the best sunrises ever at Kambachen. Views of mountains like Jannu (7710m) Pholesobi Thongje (6552m) and Tanga (Sarphu) mountains make the sunrise ethereal. The route from kambachen to Lhonak and Kanchenjunga Base Camp and Pang Pema gets rockier and more remote with each step. The best views of Kanchenjunga are from Pang Pema. During late spring/ early summer which is from March to May, one can witness incredibly low clouds at over 5000 m. If you ever wanted to feel like walking in clouds, this is it! Morning views are mostly clear though.
Chances are high that you will get to see carcasses of Himalayan sheep along the way, as they tend to be the Snow leopard’s most frequent prey. Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek is truly once in a lifetime sort of experience! If Kanchenjunga doesn’t suit your thrill of challenging trekking. Adventure Club Trek also offers Upper Mustang Trek-17 Days. The trek is shorter and has a Tibetan cultural influence on it. Manaslu region is another restricted area trekking option. Adventure Club Trek offers Tsum Valley-18 Days, Manaslu Circuit-17Days, and Tsum Valley and Manaslu Circuit-21 Days Trek in the region. For the thrill of a summit expedition, Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek-20 Days are ideal! Contact Adventure Club trek for any further details.
