Kanchanjunga south base camp trek, one of the challenging trek which explores the south side of Mt. Kanchanjunga (8586 m), the third-highest mountain in the world. It is located in Ramche, Taplejung District which is situated in the Mechi zone, Province no.1, Nepal. The camp is situated at an elevation of 4850 m.
While heading towards the base camp, you can explore, cheerful and beautiful forests, crop fields, amazing valleys, quiet and calm villages, snowcapped mountains, and the Himalayan peaks. You can observe vivid flora and fauna including varieties of birds like snow cock, blood pheasant.
Wide variety of wildlife can be explored like snow leopard, red panda as you travel inside the Kanchanjunga Conservation Area. You can explore the culture of the Rai, Limbu, Sherpa who are residing over there.
Permits for trekking:
You need 2 permits for Kanchanjunga south base camp trek, you cant trek until you have your permit. The permit that you need :
- Kanchanjunga Conservation Area Project entry permit (KCAP), and a
- A restricted area entry permit for the trail in Tapethok, Yamphuding VDCS
Best season to trek:
You can trek Kanchanjunga south base camp in April, May, June, and October-November. These seasons usually have stable weather, clear skies, warm days, and cool night which makes trek more beautiful.
Itinerary of trek:
This trek begins with the short and scenic flight from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur. From Bhadrapur, youhave to drive to Taplejung from where the journey of real trek starts. From Taplejung, you head towards LaliKharka then to Khesewa to phumpedanda then to Yamphuding, Torangding, cheram, and then finally to ramphe, the south base camp.
On the way, you will pass trhough the beautiful villages, unique lifestyle and culture of locals and the lush desne forest. You have to make a few ups and downs, however this route is easily achieveable. From the base camp, you can enjoy the beautiful views of glaciers and different peaks. After the complete sightseeing, you return the same way to Kathmandu. So the trek is of almost 18-19 days. A brief itinerary is given below:
Day 1: Arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal
Day 2: Explore Kathmandu
Day 3: Fly from Kathmandu toBhadrapur, Jhapa. Flight Duration: 1 hour
Day 4: Drive from Bhadrapur to Taplejung (1820 m). Total duration: 8-10 hours
Day 5: Trek from Taplejung to Lalikharka (2240 m). Total duration: 7-8 hours
Day 6: Trek from LaliKharka to Khesewa (2120 m).Total duration: 6-7 hours
Dau7: Trek from Khesewa to PhumpeDanda (1780 m). Total duration: 7 hours
Day 8: Trek from Phumphedanda to Yamphuding (2080 m). Total duration: 5-6 hours
Day 9: Trek from Yamphuding to Tortorongding (2990 m). Total duration: 7 hours
Day 10: Trek from Torongding to Cheram and hike till lake (3870 m). Total duration: 6 hours
Day 11: Trek from Cheram to Ramcheand visit Yalung Glacier (4570 m) total duration: 4 hours
Day 12: Trek from Ramche back to Tortorongding. Total duration: 7-8 hours
Day 13: Trek from Torongding to Yamphuding. Total duration: 8 hours
Day 14: Trek from Yamphuding to Khebang (1950 m). Total duration: 7 hours
Day 15: Trek from Khebang to Khamdine (1550 m). Total duration: 9 hours
Day 16: Drive from Khamdine to Bhadrapur. Total duration: 10 hours
Day 17: Fly from Bhadrapur to Kathmandu. Total duration: 1 hour
Day 18: Departure
During the trek, we explore the mesmerizing scenery of mountains, glaciers, diverse wildlife and creatures, dense forest, a lot more. We can learn about the eastern part of Nepal.
The trek is full of fun, exciting, and also inspiring. You can explore the beauty of nature.
-Article Written by: Kusum Kharel for Land Nepal
