Sikkim - Trekking beneath Kangchenjunga

Spectacular circuit trek through Himalayan foothills to the Goecha La ~ Sikkim`s finest trekking ~ Close up views of Kangchenjunga ~ The British Raj hill-station of Darjeeling

As seen from the characterful hill-station of Darjeeling, the five-summited massif of Kangchenjunga (8586m) dominates the northern horizon. Crossing the border into Sikkim, our sensational circuit trek to the world's third highest peak begins with an ascent to the crest of the Singalila Ridge - the prominent spur of high ground that forms the border between India and Nepal. Here, we find views that extend to the distant peaks of Everest and Makalu. Our route continues northwards through a mountain widerness, taking us via high passes and a succession of lovely camping places to the valley of the Prek Chu. Here, above sacred Samity Lake, we make our ascent to the Goecha La (4940m), a high and dramatically situated pass, directly opposite Kangchenjunga's huge south-east face. Providing a brilliant travel experience, as well as first-class trekking amongst fabulous mountain scenery, this is a quite superb itinerary.

Trip Guide
This is a unique and exciting trek, which aims to give a taste of the available trekking in the Sikkim Himalaya. The conditions we will find on this trek range from easy trails, sometimes in forest, to narrow ridge paths and sometimes rather rougher tracks across glacial moraine and scree, such as on the final approach to the Goecha La. We follow a well-made and established trail throughout the trek, following the routes used by yak herders, to take their animals to high pastures for grazing in the monsoon months. The unspoiled Himalayan foothills trekking, variety of scenery, the lack of other trekkers and the pristine nature of the campsites are all qualities unique to this Sikkim trek. The pace of a trip such as this has to be governed by speed of our pack animals and porters. Some of the walking days are quite short as a result of this and for this reason we have graded the trip at the lower end of DEMANDING. There are several long days during the trek.

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Itinerary / Highlights

Day 1: Rendezvous at the group hotel. Complimentary airport transfers are provided. KE land only package services begin with lunch after which there is an optional sightseeing tour of the city.

Day 2: Transfer to the domestic terminal for the onward flight to Bagdogra. We then drive to Darjeeling (2500m / 8200ft) and check in to our hotel.

Day 3: We have a sightseeing tour, to include Ghoom Monastery, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the Tibetan Refugee Centre. After lunch, relax in the grounds of the hotel.

Day 4: After an early breakfast, we set off by jeep for the 6 hour drive to Pelling (2250m / 7382ft). We check in to our hotel and have the opportunity to visit Pemayangtse Monastery.

Day 5: After a short drive to the roadhead at Uttarey, we set off on a 3 to 4-hour trek, through rhododendron forest to the first camp of the trip at Chitre (2680m / 8790ft).

Day 6: It is just a short walk to Chiwabhanjang and our camp. From here, we make an excursion to 'Singalila Peak' (3685m / 12,090ft) for great views of Himalayan peaks.

Day 7: Heading north on the ridge, we trek through rhododendron forest with alternate views into Sikkim and into Nepal. A longer day, to our camp at Dhor (3720m / 12,200ft). Great sunset views here.

Day 8: An early start to see the sunrise, then superb trekking along the ridge to our camp at Phedong / Khamsong Danda (3850m / 12,630ft), one of a series of high grazing areas.

Day 9: Trekking now through an alpine world, we follow the west side of the ridge to our camp at the sacred lake of Lam Pokhri (4240m / 13,910ft). A shorter day of 4 to 5 hours.

Day 10: A day for exploration. Above our lakeside camp, we can make a 3-hour excursion to a high ridge for views of Kangchenjunga, the Kabru peaks and Pandim.

Day 11: We cross the Damphebir Pass (4500m / 14,764ft), where the views extend to distant Everest, then descend to Gomothang. A short afternoon walk leads to our camp at Yangseb (3880m / 12,730ft).

Day 12: A pleasant day of trekking, on a good path which crosses a succession of low passes to the camping place at Panding (4275m / 14,025ft).

Day 13: Two further passes at around 4500 metres (14,700 feet) to cross today, en route to the camp at Bikbari (4120m / 13,517ft) which is located below the Rathong Glacier.

Day 14: Another fairly easy day, trekking up to the Ginge La (4340m / 14,239ft) below the peak of Kabur, then descending to camp at Dzongri.

Day 15: Trekking now on the main trail to the Goecha La, we head up-valley to Thangsing and on to Lamuney, where we camp.

Day 16: A long day, as we hike up to the Goecha La (4940m / 16,207ft) for great views of Kangchenjunga, then return via Samity Lake to Thangshing (3930m / 12,895ft).

Day 17: Our return trek takes us down the valley on a trail which avoids climbing up to Dzongri and follows the Prek Chu to Bakim where we camp.

Day 18: Our final day of trekking leads to the roadhead at Yoksom, where we check into a basic hotel.

Day 19: Today, we drive to the town of Kalimpong. After checking into our hotel, we can explore the streets of this thriving bazaar town.

Day 20: Drive back to Bagdogra and and fly to Delhi, where we transfer to our hotel.

Day 21: KE land only package services end after breakfast. Airport transfers are provided on this day.

Other Details

Accommodation Details

On arrival the group will spend one night at the hotel in Delhi, before flying onto Bagdogra. There are a total of 2 hotel nights in Delhi, 2 nights in Darjeeling, 1 night in Pelling, 1 basic hotel night at Yoksom and 1 night in Kalimpong.