Details about Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek

If you are a trekker who relishes travelling more of the isolated parts, Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek is a good call. The queen of the mountains, Mt. Kanchenjunga is the third highest in the world at the altitude of 8,586 meters.  Kanchenjunga base camp trek is considered to be one of the longest distance treks in the world. The entire trek covers 24 days at max. Trekkers have option to choose the shorter version. Located in the far-east of Nepal, part of Mt. Kanchenjunga lies in Nepal whereas the other part lies in Sikkim. There are altogether four climbing routes to reach the base camp where three of them starts from Nepal while the remaining one from northeastern Sikkim. The route from Sikkim till date has been successfully climbed for only three times. And since 2000, the route has remained closed under the strict order of Indian Government.

Majority of the residents in Kanchenjunga are Rai, Limbu and Sherpa. Some of the major villages of this region are Mamangkhe, Yamphuding and Thorpu village. As you move uphill to the Kanchenjunga base camp at the elevation of about 5000 meters above sea level, you will find a number of tea houses or lodges to provide accommodation. Lodging on the mountain is not an issue but the food is because of no provision of transportation to carry it up the mountains. Kanchenjunga is one of the rural regions in Nepal, a very secluded part of the Himalayas. Transportation to and from this region takes up to 3-4 full days. Dense rhododendron and bamboo forests, villages with ancient history and striking view of some of the world’s highest mountains; it all combines to make the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek one of its kind. A 35 minutes flight from Kathmandu to Biratnagar and a few hours long drive will take you to the starting point of this camp trek. Expedition begins once you reach Taplejung. After Taplejung is a long and strenuous walks through the most remote parts of the world. A permit is required to trek to this region. Minimum two trekkers and a porter or a Nepali guide is necessary to accomplish this trek. Lapsang Pass is the maximum point to reach with elevation of 5,160 meters. Known as the ‘five treasures of snow’, Mt. Kanchenjunga is the second least climbed mountain among the 14 mountains over 8,000 m. However that does not make this trek any less fascinating. In fact it will rather prove to be an undoubtedly the best thing one will ever come across in life. Kanchenjunga trek does not have an easy route with rough trails all the way from bottom to the top and there are a lot of myths about the mountain and the entire region. While some people believe in those stories, for most of them, it is on this ground that makes the whole expedition worth a visit. The most recommended route is Pangpema the north route of Kanchenjunga base camp trek. Unlike other treks, this one is strictly banned during winter season because of extreme cold weather and extreme remoteness.