Most Challenging And Breathtaking Expedition | Kanchenjunga Climb

  • Kishwor Adhikari
  • Last Updated on Nov 2, 2023

Many climbers who have climbed both Everest and Kanchenjunga argue that Kanchenjunga climb is tougher than Everest expedition. Now, it could be a personal opinion, but when you go into the details you’ll have no option other than accepting the fact that Kanchenjunga climb is the most challenging and breathtaking expedition out there.

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Kanchenjunga Expedition

It is a different thrill altogether to climb on Mt. Kanchenjunga and reach the top. The mountain is the third highest mountain in the world, and climbers from all over the world look forward to the opportunity to climb this giant.

Kanchenjunga Expedition is a 48 days long journey, and like any other expedition, Kanchenjunga climb can also be divided into three segments. The first one is the relaxation segment, and the easiest one among the three. On this day, you rest, fly or drive, or stroll for no reason. Altogether, there are 9 such days in the journey. Your days in Kathmandu, the ones that you spend traveling to and from Taplejung, and the ones you spend acclimatizing on the route can be categorized under this section.

mount kanchenjunga

The second segment of Kanchenjunga climb is the trek segment. Your journey from Tapethok to Pangpema on foot before the Kanchenjunga climb, and the same way back after the Kanchenjunga climb can be kept under this section. Altogether, you trek for around 12 days.

The third and the final segment is also the most challenging one, it’s the Kanchenjunga Climb section. The trekkers spend 28 days climbing the peak. During this time, they go from one base camp to another, sometimes ascending, and sometimes descending. They do so in order to get their bodies to adapt to the high altitude environment.

Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek

Kanchenjunga Circuit trek is the amalgamation of Kanchenjunga North Base Camp trek and Kanchenjunga South Base Camp trek. Since it is the amalgamation of both the journeys, the trekkers are offered the best of both worlds. Altogether, it consists of 21 core trekking days, which makes it one of the longest trekking journeys in Nepal. Because of the increased duration, Kanchenjunga trek is also more difficult than Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek. It offers you the attractions of both the worlds, also, it makes you go through the challenges of both the treks, in the form of passes, high altitude places, extreme weather, rough terrain, and more.

On the trek to Kanchenjunga, the trekkers first finish the Kanchenjunga South Base Camp trek. Then, from Ramche, which is one of the villages on the route, they head towards Ghunsa, which is a village on the Kanchenjunga North Base Camp route. These is a path that joins both the treks, and in terms of going from one route to another, the trekkers need to cross Mirgin La. Situated at 4480 m, it is one of the highest altitude passes on the route. From Ghunsa, the trekkers continue on their Kanchenjunga North Base Camp trek. Kanchenjunga trek starts and ends at Suketar itself.

Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek Map

Kanchenjunga Circuit trek is full of surprises, in the form of side trips and hidden attractions. There are so many of them that it’s almost impossible to cover all of them in one go. What you can do is choose the few that you like the most, and try to cover them instead. You can do this on your own only if you have a Kanchenjunga Circuit trek map in your possession. Kanchenjunga Circuit trek map will give you all the information about the route and the region. You’ll be able to decide which attractions to cover on your trek, as you’ll know where they are, what they are, and how long it will take for you to cover them. So make sure that you have a map in your possession before you embark on your journey.

Kanchenjunga Trek Difficulty

Without a doubt, Kanchenjunga trek is the most difficult trek in the region, and one of the most difficult treks in the entire country. It expands for a duration of around 21 days, and most of the times during the trek, the travelers remain higher than 4000 m. At an elevation as such, the chance of travelers suffering from altitude sickness increases. Kanchenjunga trek difficulty level can be reduced by making the trek shorter, which you can do by excluding few of the attractions, and by not covering few of the high altitude places, mainly the passes and the base camps. But there is a very high probability that once you do that, the trek will lose its essence. Kanchenjunga trek is nothing without the high Kanchenjunga trek difficulty level. Taking it in its original form is the only way of doing justice to the trek.

kanchenjunga difficulty

Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek

Kanchenjunga massif is composed of 5 peaks altogether. The two Kanchenjunga Base Camp treks highlight the two different peaks. Kanchenjunga South Base Camp trek takes you to the base camp of Kanchenjunga South, whereas Kanchenjunga North Base Camp trek takes you to the base camp of Kanchenjunga Main. The entire region, along with the routes, the base camp, and the peaks are parts of Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, which is one of the richest protected areas of Nepal when it comes to rare animals, birds and plants species. These living beings play a great role in making both the treks beautiful. During your journey, you will walk through beautiful rhododendron, magnolia and bamboo forests. Don’t be surprised if you come across any of these rare animals and birds. These are the features that make the trek further exciting and picturesque.

kanchenjunga climb

Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trek

Kanchenjunga South Base Camp trek is one of the most sought after treks in Nepal. Altogether it’s a 9days long journey, which starts at Lalikharka and ends at Ranipul. During the trek, you get to visit villages and settlement areas like Khesewa, PumpheDanda, Yamphudin, Tseram, Ramche, and so on. Needless to say that the main attraction of the trek is Kanchenjunga South Base Camp, which lies at an altitude of 4730 m. Apart from that, you also get to see Yalung Glacier, one of the prominent glaciers of the region, and numerous high altitude lakes. Another significant attraction of the trek are the Rais and Limbus living in the region. These are indigenous communities living in the villages of this region for centuries. It’ll be an absolute pleasure to get to know these people, their cultures and traditions.

kanchenjunga south base camp

Kanchenjunga North Base Camp Trek

Kanchenjunga North Base Camp trek is one of the most amazing treks in the region. In comparison to Kanchenjunga South Base Camp trek, Kanchenjunga North Base Camp trek is slightly longer, consisting of 14 core trekking days altogether. The journey starts at Ranipul and ends at Sakathum. During the trek, the trekkers will come across villages such as Amjilosa, Ghunsa, Lhonak, Khambachen, Gyabla, and so on. Needless to say, the main attraction of the trek is Kanchenjunga North Base Camp, which is also known as Pangpema. It is situated at an altitude of 5140 m. You will have the most amazing views of peaks such as Kanchenjunga, Kubhakarna, Ramtang, Makalu, and so on, during your journey. Also, you’ll get to see Jhinsang and Kanchenjunga glaciers upclose among many others.

Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek Solo

Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek is one of the toughest treks out there. Apart from high altitude, rough terrain, and extreme weather, what contributes to its toughness is the unavailability of basic facilities like food and accommodation. In a route where such facilities are not available, the trekkers are forced to carry all their stuffs on their own. Now, if you’re walking in a pack, all this seems possible, but for someone who’s walking on his own, it all seems like a herculean task. Though, going on the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek solo is not impossible, but it’s certainly not meant for everyone either.

If you are an expedition enthusiast, and yet, you haven’t gone for the Kanchenjunga climb, well, you’re missing out on a lot of things. As per popular opinion, Kanchenjunga climb is the most challenging and breathtaking expeditions out there. And what makes it so are the high velocity winds that flow on the peak at all times. The natural phenomenon occurs on the top of Everest as well, but not with as much intensity as on top of Kanchenjunga. It is things like these that give a climber the chill and the adrenaline rush. Go for Kanchenjunga climb, if you have the required skills and experience. You will definitely regret not going for the Kanchenjunga climb any earlier, and missing out on all the adventures.

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Kishwor Adhikari

Kishwor Adhikari

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