Kanchenjunga Trek

Mt. Kanchenjunga with an elevation of 8,586 m (28,169 ft) is the 3rd tallest mountain in the world. So you will get a chance to reach it’s base camp on this trek.

Kanchenjunga means ‘Five Treasures of the Great Snow’ in the Tibetan language.

They denote the five summits that makeup Kanchenjunga range. Himal delimited in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak Chu and Jongsang La, and in the east by the Teesta River.

It lies between Nepal and Sikkim, India, with three of the five peaks (Main, Central, and South) directly on the border, and the remaining two (West and Kangbachen) in Nepal’s Taplejung District.

Trekking in Kanchenjunga is really pleasing trail that offers us wonderful snow-capped mountains, Landscape and exotic scenic view of the Himalayas.

You can enjoy different types of small and high snowy peak above 8,000 m and below 8,000m  popular peaks such as Mt.Everest (8,848m), Mt.Makalu (8,201m) and Mt. Lhotse (8,516m) etc.

If you’re considering remote restricted-region trekking in Nepal, the Upper Mustang Trek is another culturally preserved route, known for Lo Manthang and Tibetan plateau landscapes.

Why Kanchenjunga Trek?

Some of the major highlights of Kanchenjunga Trek are as follows

• Magnificent views of Mt.Kanchenjunga, Mt. Jannu, Mera Peaks and Many other Himalaya ranges
• Trek through the pristine Rhododendron forest and the high alpine passes.
• Explore beautiful remote villages, Interact with the locals, their tibetan culture and lifestyle in Kanchenjunga region
• Get a chance to see the exotic wildlife of Kanchenjunga Region, like  musk deer, snow leopard, blue sheep

Best Time for Kanchenjunga Trek

Kanchenjunga Mountain Range View from Yalung Base Camp, Kanchenjunga Trek

Weather and temperature are the most important factors to take into consideration the best season trekking in Nepal.

Autumn (September – November) and spring (March – May) is the best season for trekking and mountaineering in Nepal. Weather is mostly clear and temperature is moderate in these seasons which offer beautiful views without any obstruction. Spring grants you beautiful flowers, plants and rare animals.

Autumn (September-November)

One of the best seasons to trek is in autumn. It is the time when the greenery of forests and colorful rhododendrons surround the trails. You can enjoy the serene view of mountains, clear sky in the perfect weather and temperature.

Spring (March-May)

As the winter ends, spring brings a beautiful ambiance for trekking. The temperatures are moderate while the scenes are spectacular of the mountains. The wildlife is also seen during this time to bask in the sun’s heat.

But, it is quite risky to travel during summer (June-August) as it is a rainy season. During the cold winter (December-February), the trails covers with snow and the trek is full of risk.

If you want Nepal’s most remote long trek…

Kanchenjunga is not a commercial route. It’s long, quiet, and feels untouched compared to Everest or Annapurna.

If you’re looking at other restricted treks with the same level of seriousness:

• Upper Dolpo Trek: Nepal’s most isolated trekking region.
• Upper Mustang Trek: cultural depth in a trans-Himalayan desert landscape.
• Manaslu Circuit Trek: shorter, but still restricted and culturally immersive.

Foods and Accommodation

While in city, Kathmandu Valley, you will get to choose from wide variety of delicious foods with lots of restaurants.

But while on trek the options are smaller. You will get to eat Continental, Indian and Nepali menu choices like Pasta, Pizza, Mo: Mo, Soup, Dal Bhat, Hot drinks Tea & Coffee etc.

Similarly for accommodation, you will get to stay on a luxurious hotels in Kathmandu but on the trek you will be staying on tea houses and hotels run by locals.

So the rooms will be on twin sharing basis with limited facilities. But you will get pretty comfortable single beds with mattress and blankets. Most of them have shared toilets and bathrooms and few of them will have hot showers.

Required Permits for Kanchenjunga Trek

You’ll need to have the following Permits:

• Restricted Area Permit permits cost US$10 per person for seven days
• Kanchenjunga Conservation fee is US$20 per person

(Permits are only issued to groups of at least two people.)