About the Kanchenjunga section of the Great Himalaya Trail
Kanchenjunga (8586m), the world’s third highest mountain, lies on Nepal’s eastern border with Sikkim. It is a beautiful, unspoilt wilderness area which boasts some of the most impressive mountain scenery on Earth. The name Kanchenjunga means ‘five great treasure houses of snow’ in Tibetan which indicates the visual riches of this area.
In this region you will walk trails used only by the local people as very few trekkers take up the challenge to venture into this unspoiled wilderness area, making it an unforgettable journey into some of the most stunning landscapes on the planet. The magnificent mountain views of Kanchenjunga and surrounding mountains, traditional villages, pristine forests, cascading mountain rivers and scarcity of other trekkers combine to make trekking here a glorious and unforgettable experience.
This eastern region of the Great Himalayan Trail is a fascinating introduction to the cultural diversity of Nepal. The indigenous Rai and Limbu communities are the most populous groups in the hills of this region, with Magar in smaller numbers. In the lower valleys you find communities of Chhetri people along with a small number of Newars and in the higher reaches you meet the Buddhist communities of Sherpas, Tamang and Bhotias.
Being less travelled by foreigners, the far east of Nepal is wild and exhilarating to travel in. In the lower reaches the trails seem to disappear in the lush forest and the high rainfall of this area ensuring that the trails remain pretty rough. As you go higher the landscape opens up into immense mountains and stunning views of Kanchenjunga and the surrounding peaks, many over 7000m. While there are some very basic tea houses in the lower altitudes you need to self sufficient to trek in this area and be prepared for the high passes to proceed west to the Makalu region and onwards along this epic trail.
