Having the height of 8586 meter (28160 ft.) the Kanchenjunga Mountain (Nepali: कञ्चनजंगा हिमाल) places itself as the third tallest peak of the world and the second tallest mountain of Nepal. It was first climbed successfully in 1955, May 25 by George Brown and George Band of British Expedition. It’s old name is Gold River (Nepali: सुन नदी). Before declaring the Mt. Everest as the tallest mountain, the world had considered it the world’s tallest peak. In the Kanchenjunga Mountain range there are 5 mountains viz. Kanchenjunga Main, Kanchenjunga Center and Kanchenjunga South forming the border between Taplejung, Nepal and India, and remaining two completely belonging to Taplejung, Nepal.
Characteristics of Mount Kanchenjunga
- It is the world’s third tallest mountain and Nepal’s second tallest mountain. It was officially announced as the third highest mountain in 1856 AD.
- The Tibetan name is “Kangchendzonga” which refers to ‘The Five Treasure of Snow”. Its’ because of having five distinct peaks in the entire massif.
- The five peaks are Kanchenjunga/कन्चनजंगा (8586 m), Yalungkang/यालुङकाङ (8505 m), Kangwachen/काङवाचेन (7903 m), Kinrat Chuli/किराँत चुली (7365 m) and Kumbhakarna/कुम्भकर्ण (7710 m). In addition, it is also called the “Mountain of Five Peaks” (पाँच चुलीको हिमाल).
- In word Kangchanganga is a fusion of two Sanskrit words Kanchan and Ganga where Kanchan refers to gold and Ganga refers to the river. Thus it indicates that the river from there shines like a gold.
- Kangchendzonga lies in the Kanchenjunga National Park which is the habitat of different mammals, birds, amphibians, insects and more than 1500 reptile species.
- It’s map coordinates are 27°42′09″N by 88°08′48″E.
- It is bounded in the North by Jongsang Ka and Lhonak Chu, in the east by Teesta River and in the west by Tamur River.
- Among five peaks, the three peaks viz. Kangchenjunga Main, Central and South lie in the border between Nepal and India. Kanchenjunga West and Kangbachen lie entirely in Taplejung district, Nepal.
- The three routes to reach the mountain from Nepal side are North-West, South-West and North-East routes.
- Kangchendzonga is the source of four main glaciers viz. Zemu glacier in North-East, Talung glacier in South-East, Yalung glacier in South-West and Kangchen glacier in North-West region.
- As per locals, this area is a home to the deity “Kangchenjunga Demon” or “Dzö-nga”. In 1925 AD, British geological Expedition team had spotted such a bipedal creature in the mountain. Thus the local belief cannot be ignored.
- Gaining an experience of walk to Kangchenjunga Base Camp, in 1979, British Mountaineer Pete Boardman termed the trek as the “Most Beautiful Walk in the World”. Further, this region being the cynosure for the trekkers to off the beaten areas supports the Pete’s statement.
Highlights of Kanchenjunga Trip
- View of mountains like Mt. Kangchenjunga, Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Mera Peak, Mt. Jannu and many other snow-capped mountains
- Walking over high altitude glaciers
- Remote life experience in different villages
- Exploration of high alpine floras like Rhododendron
- Tibetan cultural experience fuse with Nepalese one
- Wildlife experience
Some FAQs about Mt. Kanchenjunga
Where is Kangchenjunga situated?
It lies in the restricted area along the Great Hiamalayan Range in Nepal/Sikkim border in the Eastern region of Nepal. It is 74 km north-northwest of Darjiling, India.
Is kanchenjunga in Nepal or India?
Being a part of Great Himalayan Range, it extends from Nepal to India. The north peak is in Sikkim, India and the rest viz. center, main and south peaks lie in Taplejung, Nepal. Thus the range mainly lies in Nepal.
Is Kangchenjunga dangerous to climb?
Not so deadliest, but it is dangerous peak for climbers because constant snowstorms and avalanches are common. Also being eight thousander the oxygen level is low.
What is the age of Kangchenjunga?
According to scientific study, the age of rocks in this region fall between Neoproterozoic to Ordovician era. Hence it must be about 445 million to 1 billion years old.
Is special permit required for Kanchenjunga base camp trek?
Yes! Kanchenjunga conservation area is the restricted area under the controlled tourism policy. So you need to get special permit, along with assistance of registered trek guide, to enter this region.
