Kanchenjunga (8,586m), located in the eastern part of Nepal, is the second-highest peak in Nepal and the third highest in the World. The name ‘Kanchenjunga’ is derived from the Tibetan words ‘Kanchen’ and ‘Dzonga’ meaning ‘The Five Treasure of the Great Snows’. Three of the main peaks; Kanchenjunga Main (8,586m), Kanchenjunga Central (8,482m), and Kanchenjunga South (8,494m) lie on the border between Nepal and North Sikkim in India, and the remaining two peaks Kanchenjunga West or Yalung Kang (8,505m) and Kangbachen (7,903) lie in the Taplejung District of Nepal. Moreover, these peaks lie inside the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, which is also home to the Red Panda and other rare plants, animals, and birds. The most remote of all 8000m peaks in Nepal, Kanchenjunga, was first climbed on May 25, 1955, by Joe Brown and George Band of the British expedition team.
The Expedition: Typically 54 days are required to complete the Kanchenjunga Expedition, in which 32 days are set aside to climb the peak. Kanchenjunga Expedition starts with a flight from Kathmandu to Biratnagar (Suketar). There are two base camps options to climb Kanchenjunga: Kanchenjunga North Base Camp on Kanchenjunga Glacier and South Base Camp on Yalung Glacier – both accessible from Suketar. From Suketar, we walk up to the north base camp (not the easiest but the safest route); enjoying the remoteness of the area that has successfully retained its pristine beauty, mystery, and charm; the settlement of the people and the very rare endemic flora with 30 varieties of rhododendrons and 69 varieties of orchids. It takes about 11 days to reach the base camp.