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Kanchenjunga Trek

4 Reviews

Kanchenjunga Trek

$2,397

per person

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28 Days
Unlimited People
Daily Tour
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Overview

At 28,198 feet, Kanchenjunga (Treasure of the Snow) is the third highest mountain in the world. It was first climbed by the British in 1956. It is located on Nepal – Sikkim border and a few westerners have traveled to this remote area.

Kanchenjunga Trek

We will fly from Kathmandu to Biratnagar and then, over the Terai plains and mountains to the airfield at Teplejung. From here we will begin our Kanchenjunga trek, following a route along a ridge top towards the Tamar River where we will enjoy the panoramic views of Makalu at 27,825feet and Chamlang at 24,000feet peaks. We will continue through forests and soon the Kanchenjunga range will appear.

Our route will continue up the Tamur River through Limbu villages to the terraced mountainside village of Amjilassa and the legendary Sherpa village of Ghunsa at 11,400feet. We will visit the monastery there and soon have our first glimpses of the unclimbed peaks including Jannu at 25,298 feet also known as “Mystery Peak” or “Terror”.
We will trek to the edge of Kanchenjunga Glacier and after crossing the lateral moraine, we will come to the junction of Lhonak Glacier at 15,680feet and the valley. We cut across at this junction and arrive at our campsite at Lhonak.

After a couple of days of rest and exploration at Lhonak, including a day trip to Pangpema at 16,900feet where we see the north face of Kanchenjunga, we will head south to Yalung Glacier. We will cross one of two passes, the Lapsang La at 16,760feet or Margin La at 15,300feet, depending on which is the safest to cross, into the Simbua Khola Valley and camp at Ramche at 14,000feet.
We will rest and explore the stunningly beautiful area of the Yalung Glacier and the southern face of Kanchenjunga and then begin our trek back to Heli.

P.S
• If you are trekking in the fall, you will be treated to the sights and tastes of oranges everywhere.
• On our last night of camping, we will celebrate it with our Sherpa’s and porters for having completed our trek together.

 

Earthbound Expeditions is recommended by Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor, Newyork Times, The Guardian, and many other national and international newspapers and magazines for our good services. We provide a "Kanchenjunga Trek in Nepal" at the best price, it costs just $2,397. For more information on Nepal Trekking, Hiking and Travelling, feel free to get in touch with us.

Cost Includes/ Excludes

Includes

  • Accommodation in a (3) three starred hotels in the cities but for the duration of the trek, only effortless lodges are available.
  • Ground transportations provided.
  • Sightseeing in Kathmandu where Earthbound Expeditions city tour guide will accompany you.
  • Full broad meals will be provided throughout the trek.
  • Government trained guides and needed no. of porters with their insurance, salary and meals will be provided.
  • Farewell dinner along with one cultural show.
  • Every single entry fees and TIMS permits will be provided.
  • Every single Domestic Flights will be booked according to the Itinerary listed.
  • Sleeping bags and down jackets for the trek will be provided.
  • Car / Bus / Domestic Flights included.

Excludes

  • International Flight tickets.
  • Museums entrance fees.
  • All personal expenses such as bar bills, beverages, snack etc.
  • Airport tax.
  • Extra shower, battery re-charge, laundry charge etc.
  • Personal clothing and gears.
  • Tips to guides and porters.
  • Cost raised by cancelations, landslides, weather, political unrest, illness will not be our responsibility since these factors are not within our grasp.

Itinerary

DAY 1: Arrival Kathmandu

We will meet you at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport and transfer to your hotel. When you have had your time to settle in and freshen up after your long fight, you will be invited to visit our office for a briefing about your program. You will have meeting with your trekking guide and discuss about the equipment needed for the trekking and we will process for the trekking permits. During this visit we will help you check your equipment and facilitate the processing of other necessary items such as National Park Permits, special permits etc. If you arrive at night we will have same discussion in next day morning after your breakfast.

DAY 2: A full day sightseeing tour of Kathmandu, the capital valley

The very next morning, after breakfast you will leave for a full day sightseeing tour around Kathmandu valley. You can visit sacred Pashupatinath Temple and Swyambhunath, very ancient and essentially enlisted in UNESCO World Heritage sites. The biggest Buddhist Stupa at Boudhnath and the fine arts and historical architecture of Kathmandu Durbar Square reflecting the ancient Nepalese culture are highlighted on our guided tour. On return to your hotel you will have time to explore the local area, have dinner and perhaps take a leisurely stroll through the popular streets.

DAY 3: Kathmandu to Biratnagar flight and drive to Hille

Today we take a flight to Biratnagar of about 30-40 min. Biratnagar is an industrial city in the lowlands of Eastern Nepal. From here we take a drive to Hille viewing all around the spectacular sceneries of lowlands. Hille is a Tibetan settlement valley which would be our first place for overnight camping.

DAY 4: Hille – Shidua

We make an early trek to Buranse Danda, towards the Tamur River along a ridge. At the top of this ridge we arrive at Shidua. Here we camp for the night.

DAY 5: Shidua – Door Pani

After breakfast today we’ll trek through a forest area to Chitre, observing the local wildlife along the route. The views of Mt. Makalu (8476m) and Chamlang area the main highlights along the trail. The trail climbs up through mossy rhododendron forests, with superb views over the valleys of Arun Koshi and Tamur koshi to the hamlet of Door Pani 2780m. Camping at night.

DAY 6: Door Pani – Gupa Pokhari

After gentle climb through more rhododendron forests to a mountain ridge Milke Danda and we drop down to the village of Tongise Phedi. The trail continues through pretty grassy fields with views of snowy mountains range and Mt. Makalu in a constant view. Soon the Kanchenjunga range appears and we come to Mongol Bharai pass, lined with Mani stones. The trail dips up and down before reaching two small lakes at Lamo Pokhari and another collection of mountain pools at Gupa pokhara for our camp.

DAY 7: Gupa Pokhari – Nesum

This is a long day trail. Follow the trail uphill from Milke Danda ridge to a second ridge running northeast towards the Tamur koshi. Enjoy the shade of rhododendron until Akhar Deorali (3200m), and then follow an undulating path through mixed deciduous forests to Gurja Gaon, 2000m for lunch. The later part of the day is long and time tdious, descent through cultivated country to village of Chatrapati and finally drops down a rocky trail to Nesum (1620m) and set up camp for the night.

DAY 8: Nesum – Taplejung

Below Nesum, the trail continues its descent to the Tamur Koshi, zigzagging down past scattered farms to a suspension bridge over the small river. Show your permit for inspection and cross Dobhan (640m), after three hrs leaving Nesum. At Dobhan, you cross the Tamur Koshi and make the step, testing ascent to Taplejung. This is the central hub of this region and also a useful exit route for any ill.

DAY 9: Taplejung – Chirwa

Follow the east bank of Tamur as the trail dips and rises along the riverside, striking rocky fields and landslides to a valley populated by the Limbus peoples, the descendants of the Kirati warriors who ruled Nepal at the dawn of Nepalese history. The valley narrows and descends to a wooden bridge across the Thiwa Khola at 1140m, then wind up and down along the riverbank of Chirwa. We camp near Chirwa, a pleasant bazaar with a few tea houses and shops.

DAY 10: Chirwa – Sakathum

Stroll north along the east bank of the Tamur River on a rolling trail to the Chhetri village Tapethok (1320m). This is a Kanchenjunga National Park checkpoint. From here cross the simbuwa khola, a river formed by the Yalung Glacier, along the Tamur to the Walunchung gola (3220m). Drop down to the Tamur and cross on a new suspension bridge, just above the confluence with the Ghunsa Khola. It’s a short walk along the steep to a riverside camp site near the Tibetan village of Sakathum.

DAY 11: Sakathum- Amjilossa

Start on the narrow trail that wind along the north bank. After few ups and downs beside the river, you’ll reach some stone steps that scramble high above the river to a waterfall and the tiny hamlet of Ghaiyabari (2150m). Another climb from the gorge bottom passes by Solima. The trail passes along thegorge, hence be careful while walking. Then following the uphill and downhill tricky trial, we conclude our today’s hectic journey at Tibetan settlement Amjilossa.

DAY 12: Amjilossa – Gyabla / kyapar

This is relatively short day continues to climb along the Ghunsa valley. You’ll definitely feel the mountains are getting closer as you climb to a flat ridge and meander through a forest of bamboo, Rhododendron and gnarled brown oaks, passing scattered pastures and waterfalls. We climb steeply to Kyapart, perched in the middle of terraced hills about 350m up from the Ghunsa Khola. The trail begins a grinding climb to the Sherpa village of Gyabla or also called Kyapar.

DAY 13: Kyapar – Ghunsa

The day begins with a day steep drop into a ravine, followed by an easy level stage through fir and rhododendron forests along the riverbank. It takes all mornings to trek to the yak pastures and potato fields of Phole (3210m). Above Phole, the valley widens and the trail improves through fields and larch forests, dipping down to the riverbed before crossing to Ghunsa Khola and crossing a bridge to the village of Ghunsa overnight camp there.

DAY 14: Ghunsa – Khambachen

Heading north from Ghunsa, the trail makes a gradual ascent through a forest of larch and juniper along the east bank of the river. After crossing a sandy, boulder-strewn floodpain, the path crosses a rickety, wood and stone bridge to the west side of the river at Rambuk Kharka (3720m). We glimpse the Jannu Glacier, later on we get a view of Jannu (7710m) we descend the mountainside to our camp at Khambachen and overnight staying there.

DAY 15: Acclimatization day in Khambachen

This is a rest day to allow your body to adjust to the higher altitude. The views from here are superb- the peaks of Khabur (6332m) and Phole (6645m) and Jannu are lined up at the east, while the snowcapped ridges beyond the Kanchenjunga Glacier loom dramatically to the north. Alternatively you could try a bit of nature Photography. So deserve a rest today to collect our thoughts on how wild and wonderful everything has been so far.

DAY 16: Khambachen – Lhonak

Above Khambachen, the trail enters a desolate landscape gouged by the icy fingers of glaciers. The path climbs gradually across the slopes of landslides to pasture area Ramtang (4350m). The trail runs along the lateral moraine of Kanchenjunga Glacier, following the north bank of the river and cross over to the Lhonak Glacier. On the east side of the valley is the crown shaped Merra Peak (6344m). We arrive at our campsite at Lhonak. The village of Lhonak sits beside a wide, often dry lakebed, on an open, sandy plain.

DAY 17: Lhonak trip to Pangpema

To reach Pangpema, ascend through gradually across the plain and follow the line of the moraine. The most stable trail climbs onto the ridge before dropping to a pair of lonely-looking huts at Pangpema. We shall have excellent views of the towering peak of Kanchenjunga today.

DAY 18 - Pangpema to Khambachen and to the Passes

The views are often crisp and clear in the early morning to hike up the ridge north of Pangpema for the kind of view that inspire religions. From a vantage point about 300m up the slope, you will have a panorama of Kanchenjunga, Taple Shikar and Gimmigela Chuli. We link to the Kanchenjunga south treks by crossing the Mirgin La (4663m) and the Lapsang La pass (5160m) depending on the weather conditions where both are of tough kind.

DAY 19: Rest day in High Pass

We shall have a rest today to make progress from the labors of the previous day. Have a beautiful glimpse around the pass of the spectacular snowcapped mountains and ridges.

DAY 20: High Camp – Ramche

It takes about seven hours Trek to Ramche. The view is wonderful as you ascend past the snout of the Yalung Glacier and into a series of ablation valleys. Explore around South base camp. Especially impressive is the east part of Khumbakarna Glacier.

DAY 21: Ramche – Tseram

A relatively short day walks to Tseram. The scenery is magnificent as we descend past the snout of the Yalung Glacier and into a series of ablation valleys. A frozen lake, crystal clear streams and views of Kokthan, Rathong and Kabru are the highlights of this walk. We will have a magnificent view of the Kanchenjunga south face from a chorten at about 4500m. We descend later to Tseram for our over night camp.

DAY 22: Tseram – Torontham

Just after Tseram, the towering heights of Kabru and Rathong peep over the moraine. The trail is fairly downhill and as the day progresses, the trees become sparser and more stunted, giving us glimpses of the snow-capped giants ahead and of the massive snout of the Yalung Glacier. We steadily descend through the forests of mixed rhododendron and pine to Torontham.

DAY 23: Torontham – Yamphudin

A steep ascent takes us down into the valley of the Simbua Khola after crossing an interesting wooden bridge. We ascend across some fairly steep and exposed slopes after re-entering the forest. We pass through Lamite Bhanjyang (3410m) and Amji Khola ascending to a pass at Dhupi Bhanjyang (2540m). The path zigzags down through the fields of corn and barley. Reach Yamphudin crossing the ridge at 1690m. Yamphudin is a mixed community of Sherpas, Limbus, Rais and Gurungs and the first real village since Ghunsa.

DAY 24: Yamphudin – Phumphe

Following the west bank we cross the Kabeli Khola. Ascend rocky cliffs on the rubble of past landslides. Crossing on a fragile-looking suspension bridge, get down to the ridge. Passing through the dotted house of Pauwa of Mamanke (1780m) continue to ascend rice terraces up to Phumpha.

DAY 25: Phumphe – Phawa Khola

We climb to a ridge and descend through series of side valleys past Phun village to Kesawa. The trail continues to ascend to a Gurung settlement at Bhanjyang (pass). From here the trail traverses a ridge and descends to the Limbu village of Khunjari. We camp below on the banks of Phawa Khola at 1430m.

DAY 26: Phawa Khola – Taplejung

We descend from Phawa Khola to Taplejung for our overnight stay. This would be our last day of the trek. Enjoy the local customs and traditions at evening.

DAY 27: Taplejung – Kathmandu

We fly in the morning back to Kathmandu via Biratnagar. At the evening you can have your last night in Nepal enjoying the Nepali cultural dinner show, taking some beautiful snaps and making up your mind for the returning journey. (Or you may stay longer for short tours such as drives at National parks, rafting, Tibet tours, mountain flight etc). A huge range of Western, European and Nepali cuisine offers you very delicious taste all around in city. You can have a greetings exchanging among friends and buy some souvenirs.

DAY 28: Final Departure

We will drop you to the International airportto catch your flight back to your home. Wish you best of luck for rest of your life having very great experiences and adventures.

Tour's Location

Reviews

the_bespectacled_SJ

the_bespectacled_SJ

Awesome Trekking Experience!
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Nepal, especially the trekking bit, albeit a physically draining experience, the views at the mountains were absolutely awesome and was every bit worth it! Thanks to Earthbound Expeditions, we did not have to worry about all the nitty-gritty details such as accommodation and transport. Further, they were also very accommodating to all our last-minute changes to the itinerary. We really appreciate the flexibility and expertise of the Earthbound staff and we would certainly highly recommend Earthbound Expeditions to anyone who intends to visit Nepal in the near future. Have fun!=) SJ Singapore

Noahhittner

Noahhittner

An Amazing Experience!
The guides from Earthbound Expeditions were generous, caring, knowledgeable, and professional. I was constantly amazed by their quantity and quality of service during our week-long trek through the Himalayas. I would--without hesitation--recommend them to anyone of any age or ability! -Noah Hittner Wisconsin, USA

Leebobs_12

Leebobs_12

Earthbound ..the best!
This is a little late, I meant to do this some time ago! Last October 2014, we arranged our trek with Earthbound through Mahendra and Rajan. Mahendra had guided me to Kanchenjunga in the past and was a wonderful guide so I fully trusted him to book through the company again. Absolutely everything was arranged for us, including a free pick up from the airport to our hotel. There was no hard sell for extra activities even tho they can arrange pretty much anything you require. As I had been to Nepal several times before, we were happy to do our own sightseeing, although we also used Mahendra as a mountain bike guide around the Kathmandu valley for something different. It was fantastic, safe, and he is so knowledgeable. Our trek to Manaslu was arranged and planned with perfection, and we had a wonderful 2.5 weeks trekking with Mahendra, and Prakash our porter. Both were attentive, helpful, friendly, fun, knowledgeable and went beyond the call of duty to make our trek a very memorable experience. Due to bad weather, we couldn't make it over the Larkya La pass, which was disappointing but we fully trusted the advice of Mahendra and pleased we took the safe option of turning around. In fact, it turned into a positive experience, as M knew a different way to trek out and so we returned via the amazing villages of Laprak, Barpak and the town of Gorkha. Hardly any trekkers around and a truly Nepalese experience. We will always remember this special trip and the kindness of everyone at Earthbound. Thank you, Rajan, Mahendra, Prakash, and all behind the scenes. You are doing a fantastic job and we fully recommend you to anybody coming your way! Leanne and Tom x

AdamJSeldon

AdamJSeldon

Well organised
Rajan, the President, was a very helpful co-ordinator and first point of contact, giving very useful options and insights after my initial response - one of the reasons why I went for Earthbound over other agencies I emailed. My guide, Amrit, was very kind-hearted and interesting, letting me do my own thing at times, and then being very approachable when I had questions, as well as proactively pointing things out at times too. His co-ordination of food, accommodation, and transport was considered and made things easy for me. The price was reasonable I’d say and part of your money goes on the various charitable projects they support. Well worth considering Earthbound if wanting a professional, friendly and reliable trekking agency!

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