Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek of Raconteur Adventure is your amazing holiday of 26 days where you will visit and experience east Nepal. Out of 26 days, you will do trekking for 21 days. Kanchenjunga region is less populated and renders you a peaceful trek experience. Trekking of 21 days covers 220km in area and rewards you amazing view of lush tropical jungles with blooming rhododendron, oak, and chestnut trees. This whole journey is all fulfilling as you will reach the base camp of the world’s third-highest peak.

Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek Highlights

• Get a rich wholesome experience during a journey made through the natural magnificence and simplicity of locals until reaching the base of the world’s third-highest peak.
• Travel crossing Mirgin La Pass (4500m), trek to one of the ice Base Camp, the Kanchenjunga Base Camp and rest overnight at Pangpema at 5140m above the sea level.
• Embark on the journey taking you through a glacial torrent of Tamur and Ghunsa rivers and to their source on the northwest side of Kanchenjunga Mountain.
• Wholesome walk experience passing alpine meadows and wetlands at high altitudes in the most beautiful setting.
• Get to the north base camp of Kanchenjunga to savour stunning view of the North face of Jannu(Kumbhakarna)
• Get a stunning view of Mt. Kanchenjunga massif, Makalu range and encompassing peaks including Jannu.
• Savour your camera partner with some stunning capture of flora, fauna and mountains never seen anywhere.
• Set your foot into a sea of ice and glaciers to reach the lap of Mt. Kanchenjunga.
• Traverse on difficult and challenging terrain passing through a region barely explored and visited.
• Spend some quality time with the Tamang, Rai and Sherpa people of the region.
• Walk passing through remote villages of Gurung, Rai, Limbu and Sherpa locals.
• Discover the village, and culture of the Limbu ethnic community.
• Explore the very little wild region in paradise Nepal.

KBC trek, permits and terrains

Trekking in this region is more restricted than other trekking regions of Nepal. You need a local guide and you cannot travel solo here as single permits are not issued for the Kanchenjunga region. Moreover, Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek of Raconteur Adventure takes you to both the north and south side base camps of mountains. And base camps here are small and are operated for rather small groups. Raconteur Adventure takes care of all the logistics and has a team of highly experienced and professional staff for your safety and fulfilling experience.

Trekking to Kanchenjunga Base camp passes through the Arun valley. Arun valley is one of the most stunning villages one can see during the trek.  This Kanchenjunga Base Camp is in the Kanchenjunga Conservation area which has an area of 2035 square kilometers. Trekking in Kanchenjunga requires more than your physical fitness, this trek needs patience and practice as it’s long at 220km and we will trek for three weeks. Terrains you encounter in your trekking journey are rough, have rocky paths and there are some long hills for you to conquer during the trekking journey to Kanchenjunga Base Camp. During your trek, you will meet with short ropes installed in rough terrains to help you pass the journey. These ropes are here for your safety and help people get assistance on short rocky paths. But mind you, you don’t need climbing skills to get past these assisting ropes.

Trekking route

As trekking continues, tracks are easy for you to set foot on and the path follows valleys and rivers enriching your overall journey experience. From easy paths, the track ascends over shoulders and ridges. This ascend is steep and rough, and then there is uphill compelling you to follow zig-zag routes.

Kanchenjunga region resembles isolation and has limited access to medical help. So, it is very helpful for you to train your body in your homeland by doing multi-day trekking carrying some loads in the back. As a result, this will help your body adapt to the challenges coming during the trek. You can go to the gym, do swimming and do so p cardio exercises to prepare for this amazing Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek of Raconteur Adventure.

Temperature

As, you approach our ultimate destination, the base camp, trekking naturally gets slow because of altitude. So, it is very necessary to rest and relax during the trek. During this trek, you will face a range of temperatures, which depends on altitude and time of day. When you will be in mountains with an altitude of 1000m to 3500m, the night is cooler with a temperature averaging around 5°c. Day temperature is around 25°c. As you trek more into high altitude, temperature varies from 15°c to -20°c at night. So, keeping in the mind the challenges this temperature can bring, you need to be warm and have protection layers for cold and the sun. It is also of absolute necessity to have nice food and comfortable sleep.

Accommodation

In trekking of this nature, you will be getting accommodation in lodges offering you western and Nepalese food and there is always the choice of camping where porters and our staffs will do the needful. In some places in this trek, the choice in lodges gets more traditional giving you the choice of Nepali food only. Nepali food is Dal, Bhat, and Tarkari which is rice, pulse soup, and veggies. It is a good idea to have a water purifier with you and we encourage you to drink only boiled water.

The itinerary designed here by Raconteur Adventure allows enough time for acclimatization, and our safety kids include medicine for managing high altitude sickness like Dexamethasone and Diamox. We do trek with full safety by preparing for the worst as we have trained staff in first aid in the mountains. For trekking of this scale, it is advised to go slow, have hygienic meals and sleep well. You don’t need extra vaccination to do this Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek.

Flora and Fauna

The whole trekking experience is rich and meaningful with added numbers of variety in flora and fauna. Trek commences from Taplejung where you will enjoy forests having maple, birch, and chestnut trees. You can see terraced farmed lands along the trek in this region. As you enter Chitre, you will experience upper-temperature vegetation consisting of rhododendron, firs, orchids, and pines. As you trek uphill from here across the Sele La(pass) to Ghunsa, the subalpine and alpine climatic zone welcomes you with open meadows, shallow and dwarf shrubs. Kanchenjunga Base Camp is at an altitude of 5143m in icy and rocky landscapes.

Some of the animals you are likely to see and encounter are Himalayan black bears, Snow Leopard, and Red Pandas. Common bird species are blood pheasant and chestnut breasted partridge. Some time is better than others to do this trek.

Best Season

The idea time to engage in Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek is in April, May, early June and in October, November to early December. During this time, the weather is stable, the sky is clear, days are warm and nights are cool. While trekking experience is peaceful and quiet compared to the trekking done in the central region. Kanchenjunga translates to “Five Great Treasures in the Snow”. Kanchenjunga was considered the highest peak in the world until Mt. Everest was discovered in 1856. There lie five peaks in the Kanchenjunga range and locals believe each of these peaks is a repository of treasures like gold, silver, gems, grains, and sacred text. Kanchenjunga mountain is a sacred mountain.

As it is considered sacred, climbers don’t stand on the summit. The main Kanchenjunga peak is 8586 meters with other four accompanying summits with altitudes over 8000m. These summits include Kanchenjunga West which is also known as Yalung Kang(8,505m). Around these massif mountains, three are twenty peaks with an altitude of more than 7000m. The highest among these twenty is Kambachen(7,903m) with other mountains like Jannu(7,710m), Jongsong(7,483m), Kabru(7,353m), Tent Peak(7,365m), and the Twins(7,350m)

The list doesn’t end here. As five major glacial systems are here in huge clusters of peaks. Out of five glacial systems, Zumu, Talung, and Rathong flow into Sikkim and the west, Yalung, and Kanchenjunga glacier flows descending into Tamor river of Nepal.

Kanchenjunga Peak is visible from Sikkim, India too. You can explore and experience the warm hospitality of the Sherpa, Rai, Limbu, and Gurung communities. As the Kanchenjunga region is the restricted region you need special permits, one a Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project Entry Permit (KCAP) and a Restricted Area Entry Permit for trekking in Tapethok and Yamphuding VDCs.

Trekking Permit Cost for Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek

• Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project Entry Permit (KCAP) is NRS 2000 per person and you can acquire these permits with no time limitation.
• Kanchenjunga Restricted Area Permit(RAP)- USD 10 per person, per week.

Just don’t worry, book this trekking itinerary with Raconteur Adventure, we will take care of all the logistics and needful We guarantee you the highest class of service and has all the needful assets to make your Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek worth remembering.

Image Credits;

Photo by Amey Meher on Unsplash

Photo by Farhan Khan on Unsplash