Kanchenjunga

Kanchenjunga (8,586 m), the world’s third highest mountain, forms Nepal’s eastern border with India’s Sikkim. In Tibetan, the name Kanchenjunga means ‘five great treasure houses of snow’ which hints at the mountain spectacle that awaits visitors.

The trek described below is a circuit and includes a visit to the Pathibara Temple, which is an important religious site for many Indian and Nepali pilgrims. The trail goes northwards to Ghumsa, where it touches the Upper GHT. It climbs to the Kanchenjunga Base Camp (5143 m) going through a spectacular high alpine landscape. It then goes east via 2 passes and continues to the Yalung Based Camp (4500 m), after which it goes back south to Taplejung, the starting and ending point of the trek.

The trek goes through the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, managed by local communities in partnership with WWF, which is one of the least densely populated in Nepal. Pristine forests, alpine meadows and high altitude wetlands are home to the endangered snow leopard and red panda, the vulnerable Himalayan black bear, clouded leopard and Assamese macaque.