|
Kanchenjunga the mountain of jewels,
the third tallest peak (8586m) in the world and possibly
one of the least unexplored remote region of eastern
Nepal and certainly one of its most beautiful.
Breathtaking views of the vast Himalayan range from the
majority of the routes trails. Walking in pleasant
villages, through rhododendron forest in the lower
valley then in the high regions, glorious mountains
views of Everest, Makalu and the Kanchanjunga massif
will make the trip memorable and abundant wildlife such
as musk deer, blue sheep and yak grazing in the high
altitude always astonish us. Nepal opened the
Kanchenjunga area to trekkers in 1988, though people
have trekked in the area in connection with
mountaineering expeditions since the turn of the
century.
Kanchenjunga is a long way from Kathmandu, and the
nearest roads and airports are a long way from the
mountain. You can trek either to the north or south
Kanchenjunga base camp, but it takes luck, determination
and a lot of time to visit both sides of the peak. The
northern side is particularly remote; it takes almost
two weeks of walking to get to the base camp at Pang
Pema. Kanchenjunga is on the border of Nepal and the
Indian state of Sikkim, so a circuit of the mountain is
politically impossible. The next best alternative is to
visit both the north and south sides of the mountain
from the Nepal side.
The Kanchenjunga region remains technically restricted,
but you can trek here if you get a trekking permit form.
There are a few tea houses in the lowlands, but in the
high country we must have food and a tent. A 20 to 25
day trek takes you to the snowline through high pastures
and into the romance of the mountain jewels. Much more
than a trek, it is a journey of discovery. |
