Kanchenjunga Trek - World's Most Adventurous Trekking Tour

Sikkim is home to the third highest mountain in the world which features in many Sikkim trekking tours. In fact, the name of the mountain itself means ‘The five treasures of Snows’ which is in reference to its five peaks. This mountain with an elevation of 8,586 meters is also considered very sacred by the locals.

Sikkim is home to the third highest mountain in the world which features in many Sikkim trekking tours. In fact, the name of the mountain itself means ‘The five treasures of Snows’ which is in reference to its five peaks. This mountain with an elevation of 8,586 meters is also considered very sacred by the locals.

One of the most popular Kanchenjunga treks is the trekking trail from Yuksom to the Goecha La pass which lies at a high altitude of 4990 meters. This trek is a challenging one but is worth the effort because of the lovely vegetation and natural beauty that can be seen only in this part of the world. Subtropical forests, bright rhododendron flowers, lush green meadows with huge yaks grazing and high valleys are the reward on this Sikkim Kanchenjunga trekking trail.

The journey begins with a 7 hour drive from Darjeeling to Yuksom from where the Kanchenjunga trek actually begins. On the way from Yuksom to Tshokha, trekkers leave the valley behind and pass by the Ratong Chi river. After crossing over four bridges and passing through lush forests of magnolia and rhododendron, trekkers finally reach Tshokha.

The next stop is Dzongri and trekkers pass through the Tshokha village and more rhododendron forests in order to reach the Phedang alp which lies at an elevation of 3650 meters. From here till trekkers reach the Dzongri summit, the view comprising of mountains like Kabru, Ratong and Kanchenjunga can be seen clearly. In fact, the Singalila Ridge which acts as a natural demarcation between Sikkim and Nepal is also visible.

From Dzongri, the trail again enters the valley and involves crossing the Prek Chu river by climbing over a bridge. From here, it takes another hour to reach Thangsing which is located on the slopes of Mount Pandim at an elevation of 3800 meters. From Thangsing, trekkers pass through green meadows and finally reach Onglathang. After passing through tricky glacial moraines, trekkers reach the mesmerizing Lake Samiti from where the actual climb to Goecha La begins.

The journey from Samiti Lake to the Goecha La which lies at an elevation of 5002 meters takes around 7 hours. The steep ascent passes through a dry lake at Zemathang and involves climbing over rocks which rise above 400 meters in height. Once trekkers overcome this pass, they will reach the Talung Valley which offers an astonishing view. From here, trekkers head back to the Samiti Lake from where they descend to Thangsing, Tshokha, Yuksom and then Darjeeling. Most Sikkim trekking tours take a minimum of 10 days to complete. The best time for Sikkim Kanchenjunga trekking is between June to September and October to mid November.