 Kanchenjunga
straddles the border with Sikkim in the
remote North East region of Nepal . The
third highest mountain in the world it
is one of the most inaccessible and formidable
of the entire Himalayas. The trek in
is a long and often an arduous one. Kanchenjunga's
proximity deters all but the most avid
mountain enthusiasts.
A journey, which takes you through scattered
settlements of thatched farmhouses with
colourful flo wer gardens, wild coniferous
woodland and on to remote Buddhist settlements
where people scratch a living from the
barren land. The climax of this trek
in both altitude and scenic splendor
is undoubtedly the three days hike up
the Kanchenjunga glacier where the views
are quite simply overwhelming.
At 8598 m. Kanchanjunga,
is the third highest peak in the world.
It lies in a sensitive restricted area
astride the Nepal/ Sikkim border, only
a few miles from Tibet. Our trip will
avoid the restricted area and head for
the Yalung glacier immediately
to the south of Kanchanjunga.
The journey starts with
a trek over the Mahabharat Lekh range
with majestic views of both the Everest
and Kanchanjunga massifs with the Arun
Valley between them. We trek through
richly cultivated hillsides, Rhododendron
forests and yak pastures that lye below
the glacier. The return route heading
west passes through some delightful villages
of Taplejung. The panoramic views of
Everest, Makalu and Kanchanjunga are
magnificent on our descent to the road
head. |
