Mount Kanchenjunga Expedition

Mt. Kanchenjunga Expedition (8,586m)

The second highest Himalaya peak of Nepal and third after Mt. Everest and Mt. K2 in the world, Mt. Kanchenjunga (8586m) is located in the eastern part of Nepal. The name “Kanchenjunga” is delivered from the Tibetan word 'Kanchen' and 'Dzonga' translated means "The Five Treasures of the Great Snows", as it contains five peaks, Kanchenjunga I (8586m), Kanchenjunga West (8505m), Kanchenjunga South (8494m) and Kangbachen (7903m). The treasures represent the five repositories of God, which aregold, silver, gems, grain, and holy books.

Kanchenjunga is located on the border between Nepal and Sikkim and it is very remote attracting relatively few trekkers and therefore it retains much of its pristine beauty, mystery and charm. Mt. Kanchenjunga due to its beauty and size is considered a sacred by local Sikkimese people. With 4 ridges radiating in X pattern almost symmetrically from the main summit aesthetically Kanchenjunga is a beautiful mountains visible from many places with a famous view from Tiger Hill in Darjeeling, India.

Three of the five peaks (main, central, and south) in Kanchenjunga are on the border of North Sikkim district of Sikkim, India and Taplejung District of Nepal, while the other two are completely in Taplejung District. Nepal is home to the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project run by the World Wildlife Fund in association with Government of Nepal. The sanctuary is home to the Red Panda and other montage animals, birds and plants. India's side of Kanchenjunga also has a protected park area called theKhangchendzonga National Park.

Kanchenjunga was assumed to be the highest mountain in the world until 1852, and only after the British Great Trigonometric Survey in 1849 Mt. Everest (known as Peak XV at the time) was crowned the highest and Kanchenjunga the third-highest. Kanchenjunga was first climbed on May 25, 1955 by Joe Brown and George Band, of a British expedition team. As a respect to the beliefs of the Sikkimese, who hold the summit sacred, they stopping a few feet short of the actual summit and this has developed to a tradition followed by successful summit parties since then. Kanchenjunga is called Sewalungma in the local Limbu language, translates as 'Mountain that we offer Greetings to'. Kanchenjunga or Sewalungma is considered sacred in the Kirant religion.

Kanchenjunga Expedition is an enormous mountain mass, and many satellite peaks rise from its narrow icy ridges. The Expedition is the most easterly of the great 8,000 meter peaks of the Himalaya. The climb is technical, even along the normal route but it is extremely interesting to climb with technical and intricate mixed rock and ice climb to the North Col followed by a not too technical steady 1500m ascent to the summit. The section past North Col in Kanchenjunga Expedition is exposed to the weather. The views are stunning both from the Base Camp as well as during entire climb of this Climbing Higher Peak.

In the Kanchenjunga Expedition, the west summit, Yalung Kang, is 8420m high and some people classify it as a separate 8000m peak. Three first Westerner to explore Kanchenjunga was the British botanist JD Hooker, who visited the area twice in 1848 and 1849. Exploration of the Skim, side of the peak continued with both British and pundit explorers mapping and photographing until 1899 in Kanchenjunga. In that year a party led by Douglas fresh field made a circuit of Kanchenjunga and produced what is still one of the most authoritative maps of the region. The Japanese now took up the challenge and mounted expeditions in 1973, 1974 and 1976 during which they climbed Yalung Kang. A German Expeditionclimbed Yalung Kang in 1975, and in 1977 an Indian army team mounted the second successful expedition to the main peak of Kanchenjunga.

Climbing Route:

The access trek from Suketar to the Base camp is also interesting due to its remoteness, the cultures inhibiting the area and a very rare endemic flora with 30 varieties of rhododendrons and 69 varieties of orchids. In Kanchenjunga Expedition the North Face route is definitely the safest, although not the easiest. Climb of Kanchenjunga begin from a charming base camp in the meadows of Panorama at 5,180 m. First challenge is to fix lines up 900 m of intricate mixed climbing to the North col. This provides the most challenging climbing of the expedition. Once creating a lifeline to and from the North Col you can begin the long process of establishing three camps up the long and complicated North ridge. Using Sherpa support and oxygen, you can move at a systematically slow velocity higher and higher up the mountain. This is a highly satisfying climb for the expert Climbers.

Itinerary