Furthermore, The national bird of Nepal, Lophophorus can also be found in the area. The Kanchenjunga conservation region is also home to certain animals like the red panda, snow leopard, clouded leopard, and some species of Himalayan bear. Ghunse Khola, Aimbuwa Khola, Tamewa Khola, Ghunse Khola, and their suspension bridges add more beauty to this amazing trek along with cardamom farming and natural beehives. The Sherpa village of Amjilosa also provides you with a view of a small valley which is a special scene of natural beauty. Due to the scattered habitat and rough terrain of the area, it is counted as a challenging experience among the great Himalayan trails.
Trek to Kanchenjunga base camp trekking starts the day after you arrive in Kathmandu. Firstly, we will fly to Bhadrapur and then again take a drive to Suketar. Suketar is our trekking beginning point. After We Initialize our trek, we will pass through the Chirwa, Amjilosa, Gyabla, and Ghunsa and take an acclimatization day in Ghunsa. It will take 2 more days to reach Kanchenjunga base camp. After exploration and rest, we will descend to Suketar through the villages and forests of Khambechan, Phale, Chiruwa, and Likhim. Kanchenjunga trek ends at suketar.
Life Himalaya Trekking has been performing the Kanchenjunga trek for a very long time. Kanchenjunga trek is considered one of the off-beaten trails in the Himalayas of Nepal. Our company, with the help of our local, experienced, and skilled guides and porters, can make the trek exciting and praise-worthy. Our team will do whatever we can to make your trek the best.
Best season for Kanchenjunga Trek
The best season that we recommend for our Kanchenjunga trek is autumn, from September to November, and spring, from March to May.
The post-monsoon period of autumn offers the most perfect views of the giant Himalayas with the blue sky in the morning. The landscapes are often clean with the heavy rain of monsoon and there is still time for the first snows in the region.
The wildlife of the Kanchenjunga area becomes active in their habitat allowing you more chances to witness them in their natural habitat. In addition, the stable weather condition with the average temperature ranging from 4 to 15 degrees Celsius provides a comfortable atmosphere for long hours of walk.
Spring is another favorable time as the winter snow begins to melt uncovering the rich green vegetation and forests along the trail. The crimson rhododendron and multicolored wildflowers are another attraction of the pre-monsoon period of spring.
In the monsoon months from June to August, clouds appear very quickly hiding the massive summits from our eyes. The leeches that often love the herd can be another problem you have to tackle when trekking in summer/monsoon. The landslides often occur in the rocky and sandy terrain of the Kanchenjunga region. So we don’t advise you to trek in Kanchenjunga these months.
The winter months of December, January, and February on the other hand are the coldest in Kanchenjunga. The heavily covered snowy trail and cold temperature cause the teahouse and lodge owners to close their accommodation during winter. But they will open their lodgings on request. If you don’t mind cold, with some winter shoes, crampons, warm clothing, and gaiters, you can do the winter trek in Kanchenjunga.
Difficulty Level of Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek
The Kanchenjunga trek is ranked as one of the most challenging treks of Nepal. The trek itself doesn’t need any technical knowledge but the mountainous terrain, rocky trails, and the higher altitude make this trip a bit difficult.
The highest elevation you will attain in this trek is when you reach the northern base camp of Kanchenjunga at more than 5000 m above sea level. In addition, traversing through some local villages of Ghunsa and Kambachen will lead you to more than 3000 m elevation. You would walk for 6 to 8 hours each day of the trek spending nights in the higher elevations. therefore, you should be physically fit recommending you to engage in sports practice before joining this trek.
Following the instructions of your guide, and some basic knowledge of using essential gear such as crampons and gaitor are key to the accomplishment of this trek.
In addition, a strong mindset to overcome the difficulties that are unforeseen in nature is also needed. You should be prepared to accommodate in basic lodging where the availability of amenities that you are used to at home may not be accessible. However, nature in its intact state, completely unmarred by development is your reward.
Risks of Altitude Sickness At Kanchenjunga Region
Often when you exceed 2500 m altitude, you may be affected by the symptoms of altitude sickness also known as acute mountain sickness. On the Kanchenjunga trek, you begin your journey from the plain of Kathmandu at about 1400 m. Then, gradually each day, you will gain altitude which will reach more than 5000 m when you reach the Pang Pema Base Camp.
In order for you to adapt to greater heights, we have planned scheduled acclimatization days during the entire trek. You will sleep at lodges and camps of higher elevations. These measures will assist you in overcoming the probability of altitude sickness.
Still, some trekkers may be affected by the symptoms due to rapid ascension, alcohol intake, smoking, and dehydration. If you have unusual fatigue, weakness, headaches, insomnia, nausea, or vomiting, do not hesitate to tell your guide.
The best treatment for altitude sickness is rapid descent to lower elevation and consuming the best local remedy of garlic soup. You can also take a pill of Diamox for quick relief from the symptoms.
Remember, you should progress gradually, avoid alcohol intake, and drink enough water to properly hydrate your body.
What to Expect in This Kanchenjunga Trek?
As you begin your unforgettable journey with the Kanchenjunga trek in Nepal, prepare to be amazed. Observe the authentic Nepal you have never ever experienced in any other trek. You will begin your trek from the Kathmandu plains and after a couple of days, you will enter terraced farmlands, cardamom plantations, and scattered small villages.
Along the trek, you can notice the lifestyle of the local people of Rai, Limbu, Tamang, and Sherpa tribes. You can see farmers working, plowing their land, and some herding their livestock.
You will then enter the unpopulated lands with dense forests of rhododendron, conifer, pine, oak, and birch. You will find very few human settlements here but the forest energizes with the rare wildlife of the Kanchenjunga area. With your luck, you may come across the Impedance Pheasant, Red–billed Blue Magpie, Shy Dragon, Black Bear of the Himalayas, musk deer, and the rare snow leopard and red panda.
You will then suddenly enter the alpine region with a few seasonal kharkas or herds or shepherds. As you approach the 5000 m elevation, you will reach a much more humanized village with few lodges and tea houses.
The landscape possesses the greatest specularity here and you will be continuously watched by the famous Jannu peak. As you reach the foot of the five treasures of the great snows, you will have an up-close view of Mera Peak, Nepal Peak, Langpo Glacier, and Drohma Ri. The mountains you have hardly heard of, right?
We will then return through the similar impressive valleys, and cross the raging rivers of Tamor and Ghunsa, walking sometimes on an uphill trail and sometimes on a downhill route.
In short, the Kanchenjunga trek is not just a trekking tour. It is a search for motivation, answers, and eternal truth. It is an attempt to touch the peaks so sublime that they exclude the very fact of human life next to them. Maybe there you will understand why the Himalayas are considered sacred. You go to places where only gods can live.
Accommodation, Food, and Transportation For Kanchenjunga Trek
Our company is aware of your need for calm, comfort, and safety. Therefore, we will take care of all your accommodation, food, and transportation requirements during the entire Kanchenjunga trek.
When you commence the trek, you will travel to Biratnagar and Suketar on a small domestic flight from Kathmandu. In Biratnagar, you will stay in a comfortable 3-star category hotel with modern amenities. Breakfast will be provided with a range of options but the lunch and dinner are at your expense.
With the beginning of the trek, you will stay in the best available lodges or guest houses when you stay in the remote Sherpa, Limbu, and Rai Villages of the Kanchenjunga region. The lodges may be rustic with few facilities such as a bed, mattress, blanket, and some furniture.
But trust us, the local people here will welcome you with their warm hearts. Their friendliness and hospitality will touch your soul and make you forget about the worldly inconvenience.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided along the trekking trail and in guesthouses where you spend the night. The food variation may be limited as you gain altitude but the food will be freshly cooked and nutritious necessary to maintain the long walking hours.
For breakfast, you can have bread, chapati, egg, or pancake. For lunch and dinner, rice lentils, and vegetable is the better option. You can also go for Thukpa, Momo, Tsampa, etc according to the lodge menu. The lodge also provides tea, coffee, beer, Tongba, and butter tea excluded from our package.
As we set up the tented camp in Lhonak, and Kanchenjunga Base Camp, our cook and field staff will prepare a hot delightful meal from fresh produce.
When we return to Kathmandu, we will again take a brief flight to Kathmandu from Suketar and Biratnagar. We will then conclude our service by transferring you to your hotel in Kathmandu.
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