Car/Jeep         18 hours (743 kms to Fungling)

Bus                 13 hours (506 kms to Birtamod)
       8 hours (237 kms to Fungling from Birtamod)

Airplane          1 hour (Suketar)

Walk                21 days (Fungling, Taplejung Bazar to Kanchenjunga)

Mt Kanchenjunga is located in Taplejung of eastern Nepal. In this series, there are five mountains above 8000 meters - Kanchenjunga South (8,476 m), Kanchenjunga Middle (8,473 m), Kanchenjunga Main (8,486 m), Yalung/ Kanchenjunga West (8,505 m) and Yalung Khang West (8,077 m). In the Sherpa language, this mountain is called ‘Khancheng Chenga’. This means a place with 15 deities. People from Sikkim worship Kanchenjunga as their kul-devata, the guardian diety of the clan.

For the first time on May 25, 1955, British mountaineers George Wayne and Joe summitted the Kanchenjunga. Kanchenjunga can be climbed from both Nepal and Sikkim. There are two base camps in the mountains towards Nepal. The baseline camp to the north is Pangpema (5,400 m), while the southern base camp is Ramche (4,580 m). Nowadays, trekking trails have been developed on both sides.

Kanchenjunga is a conservation area in the northern geography of Taplejung. The conservation area, established in 1997, is spread over an area of ​​2,035 sq km. Kanchenjunga area is considered a repository of biological diversity.

The Kanchenjunga circuit trek begins at Taplejung. It has two routes. The first one passes through Tapethok and the second passes through Suketar Simbu. Passengers on both trails pass by Sinelapche Bhanjyang (4,646m), Mirgin (4,480m) Sinion La (4,440m) and Sele La (4,240m). In the Kanchenjunga area, there are sprawling plains, forests, streams and waterfalls. One will find general tea houses right up to the base camp. There are Sherpa, Limbu, Chhetri and other ethnicities living in this area.

The best time to visit Kanchenjunga is from mid-September to mid-December.

How to reach

      By road: Kathmandu - Birtamode is 506 km, 13 hours by bus. Birtamode - Fungling is 237 km. Fungling - Suketar is eight km.

      By air: Kathmandu - Suketar is an hour flight. The trek from Taplejung Bazaar can be completed in 21 days.

कञ्चनजङ्घा

पूर्वी नेपालको ताप्लेजुङमा कञ्चनजङ्घा हिमशृङ्खला पर्दछ । यस शृङ्खलामा ८ हजार मिटरभन्दा अग्ला पाँचवटा हिमाल छन् —कञ्चनजङ्घा साउथ (८,४७६ मि.), कञ्चनजङ्घा मिडल (८,४७३ मि.), कञ्चनजङ्घा मेन (८,५८६ मि.), युलखाँ (कञ्चनजङ्घा वेस्ट (८,५०५ मि.) र यलुखाँ वेस्ट (८,०७७ मि.) ।

शेर्पा भाषामा यस हिमाललाई ‘खाङ्चेन चेङा’ भनिन्छ । यसको अर्थ हो १५ वटा देवदेवी बास भएको स्थान । सिक्किम भारतका बासिन्दा कञ्चनजङ्घालाई कुल देवताका रूपमा पुज्छन् । पहिलो पटक सन् १९५५ मे २५ मा बेलायती नागरिक जर्ज भेन र जोले कञ्चनजङ्घा आरोहण गरेका थिए ।

नेपाल र सिक्किम दुवैतिरबाट कञ्चनजङ्घा आरोहण गर्न सकिन्छ । नेपालतिर हिमालका दुइटा आधारशिविर छन् । उत्तरतिरको आधारशिविर पाङ्पेमा (५,४०० मि.) छ भने दक्षिणी आधारशिविर राम्चे (४,५८० मि.) छ । अचेल दुवैतिर पदयात्रा गरिन्छ ।

ताप्लेजुङको उत्तरी भूगोलमा पर्ने कञ्चनजङ्घा संरक्षण क्षेत्र हो । वि.सं. २०५४ सालमा बनाइएको संरक्षण क्षेत्र २,०३५ वर्गकि.मि.मा फैलेको छ । जैविक विविधताको भण्डार मानिन्छ कञ्चनजङ्घा क्षेत्र ।

राउन्ड कञ्चनजङ्घा पदयात्रा ताप्लेजुङबाट सुरु हुन्छ । यसका दुइटा बाटा छन् । पहिलो ताप्लेजुङबाट तापेथोक हुँदै जाने र दोस्रो सुकेटार सिम्बु हुँदै जाने । दुवै पदमार्गका यात्रीले सिनिवन भन्ज्याङ (४,६४६ मि.), मिर्गिन भन्ज्याङ (४,४८० मि.) र सेलेले भन्ज्याङ (४,४८० मि.) पार गर्नुपर्छ ।

कञ्चनजङ्घा क्षेत्रमा ठाउँठाउँमा फराकिला पाटन, जंगल, खोला र झरना छन् । आधारशिविरसम्मै सामान्य टि हाउस छ । यस क्षेत्रमा शेर्पा, लिम्बु, क्षत्री लगायत जातजातिको बसोबास छ ।

असोजदेखि मंसिरसम्म कञ्चनजङ्घा यात्रा गर्ने उत्तम समय हो ।

कसरी पुग्नेः काठमाडौं–बिर्तामोड ५०६ कि.मि., बसमा १३ घण्टा । बिर्तामोड–फुङलिङ २३७ कि.मि. । फुङलिङ–सुकेटार ८ कि.मि. । अथवा काठमाडौं–सुकेटार १ घण्टा हवाई उडान । ताप्लेजुङ बजारबाट २१ दिनमा पदयात्रा पूरा गर्न सकिन्छ ।