Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek Guide

Kanchenjunga is one of the most challenging, longest, and most thrilling journeys in Nepal. It was known as the tallest mountain before Everest and K2 were known, however not got sufficient notoriety. How Kanchenjunga is quite far from present-day advances and urban communities regions makes it a segregated trip.

Similarly, Trekking to Kanchenjunga is all about authentic & local experience obviously better than any other treks. The journey to Kanchenjunga can’t be portrayed by words, that is the reason it’s recommended to visit once in a lifetime.

Deserted at the time of COVID-19, Kanchenjunga is now getting busy with domestic & foreign tourists from Oct 2021. In this way, before it becomes crowded with more & more visitors, you should take part in the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek soon. And here is the simple and easy “Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek Guide” for you.

How to prepare for Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek?

As already mentioned, KBC is the longest and most isolated trek, preparing for the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek can be exciting & challenging. With practically no direction from experts, it is almost impossible to complete. Along these lines, with every point, I will give you some valuable data about this journey and the experience I have encountered during the trek too.

So, the things you need to prepare for the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek is

1) Choosing the best time for Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek

Your journey generally depends upon which month you are heading to Kanchenjunga. Picking the best time to trek in Kanchenjunga can be a smart idea. Similarly, the Autumn & Spring Season is considered the best time to trek. Be that as it may, you can find your own taste between the four seasons as well.

Autumn season in Kanchenjunga:

The Autumn season always welcomes you with a clear blue sky, warm atmosphere, and most important festivals. That is the reason, Autumn season is also called the peak season in Nepal. Thus, trekking to Kanchenjunga during the Autumn season is the best. In any case, since it is peak season, you might find lots of people while trekking.

Winter season in Kanchenjunga:

The Winter season can be a bit hard when traveling to Kanchenjunga base camp. Most of the time, you will be stuck in one place due to bad weather. What’s more, the freezing cold temperature is not to be underestimated of the fact that it can go from 0 to even minus degrees Celsius.

Similarly, the tea houses at higher altitudes will be closed, the path will be most likely blocked by snow and the chance of getting help is also dim. So, we don’t recommend you this season for trekking.

Spring Season in Kanchenjunga:

Spring season as its name suggests “New Beginnings” demonstrate a fresh start, fresh bud blooming, nature-filled with flowers & greenery. Also, known as the peak season too, this season is the best season to travel in Nepal.

I also trekked in Kanchenjunga at the time of May and it was successful. Sometimes, I had to face a thin rain & leeches but everything went well.

Summer Season in Kanchenjunga:

The summer season can be a dangerous season for the Kanchenjunga trek due to heavy rainfall, fog & landslides. The odds of landslides are such a lot that the route will be gone in the next day and you will have to find your own. What’s more, remember about the blood-sucking leeches which won’t leave you on your entire trek.

However, not at the beginning of June but rather from the mid-September, trekking should be possible to Kanchenjunga base camp.

2) Preparing Kanchenjunga Base Camp Essential Permits and Costs

The next thing you will need is the Kanchenjunga Base Camp permits which will be an easy part. You will require a Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project Permit & Kanchenjunga Restricted Area Permit and the costs are as follows:

Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project Permit Cost=NPR 2,000 per person

Kanchenjunga Restricted Area Permit= USD 10-20 per person per week

Similarly, a trekking guide is mandatory & porter is optional for the Kanchenjunga trek. Things like accommodation costs will be USD 20-50 for a normal room, transportation costs will be USD 140-200 per person & food costs will be around USD 5 per meal.

So, about the mandatory local guide, you may think why you need a local guide and can’t be done solo.
Well, there are 5 important reasons to take a local guide for the Kanchenjunga trek:

1. Kanchenjunga is an Isolated and Restricted area declared by the Government of Nepal to preserve its ethnicity and biodiversity. Also, tourists are not allowed to visit some villages with practically no Kanchenjunga trek guide.
   
2. Well known as the longest trek, Kanchenjunga’s difficulty level is considered as hard. Landslides, altitude sickness, unpredictable weather, wildlife, and so on is also the reason that you will require an experienced company known as a guide.
   
3. The government of Nepal has likewise made a standard that the special Restricted Area permit will be acquired through local trekking agencies only.
   
4.  To break the language barrier also, you will require a local guide because it’s the Nepali language that they will comprehend on the Kanchenjunga trek.
   
5. Finally, the last reason to hire a guide is that you won’t need to stress over lodging and fooding because your guide will take all the responsibilities regarding advance booking.

3) Things to pack for Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek

Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek is an isolated trek which means that there are fewer tea houses and furthermore the longest trek. This clarifies that you will require additional things in your backpack yet not excessively heavy. Along these lines, I will provide you with some tips about the things to pack for the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek for you.

So, the things that you need to pack for Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek are:

• Day Bag Pack
• Sleeping Bag
• Head-wear (hat, sunglass, buff, beanie)
• Innerwear ( warm gloves, wicking long sleeve t-shirt, thermal underwear, quick-dry t-shirts)
• Outer-wear (fleece-jacket, insulated jacket/down jacket, insulated trekking pants, waterproof jackets & pants, shorts, gaiters)
• Foot-wear (hiking boots, spare shoes, camp shoes or sandals, woolen hiking socks, cotton socks)
• First aids kits
• Toiletries, Water bottles
• Accessories (trekking pole, portable charger, headlight, backpacking stove)

Conclusion:

Overall, preparing for the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek is not so hard. Having said that, don’t forget to maintain your physical fitness too. Your trek depends upon how you handle it physically and mentally. In the end, your sacrifices will be paid off because it’s always the best moment things that come last. 

From my point of view, it is one of the best places I have visited too. The villagers were friendly and kind. The food costs were favorable and the accommodations were also good. I enjoyed every stay in Kanchenjunga drinking tongba which is special homemade alcohol. If you ever visit the Kanchenjunga region then remember to taste tongba.

Sometimes, our group had to face downpour and leeches, and obliterated routes due to landslides but it was the climax of real adventure. Watching some blue sheep, confronting snow, drinking yak milk, eating yak cheese & so many things is what makes this a genuine adventure.

Finally, I hope this Kanchenjunga trek won’t get modernized like different treks. And if you are interested in this trek then I would be glad to guide you too.