Kanchenjunga – A Walk In The Indian Himalaya

This post is about a 9-day trek to the Kanchenjunga region in India.  It was written for us by Colin, based in Sydney, Australia. Colin is an avid hiker and was previously an adventure travel guide in the Australian Alps.

Overview: Kanchenjunga Trek (India)

With an excited party of 15, consisting of five fathers and sons, we assembled in Siliguri, West Bengal. Transferring to Yaksom via Darjeeling, we commenced a nine day trek to the base of Mt Kanchenjunga and return. The Indian Himalayan trekking industry and associated trail infrastructure is less developed than in Nepal. For example, there are less trekkers on the trails. We engaged Sikkim Tours and Travel. They provided the logistics, including 14 strong men and 13 even stronger yaks and donkeys. The trek commenced at an altitude of 1,760m, climbing to 4,940m at Goecha La at the base of Mt Kanchenjunga. Accommodation on the trek was a mix of tents and basic hut shelters.

Siliguri/Darjeeling/Yaksom

Bagdogra, near Siliguri, is the most convenient city for accessing Darjeeling by air. The riverside city of Siliguri (population 700,000) provided the party plenty of unexpected stimulus during our 24 hour stay.

We hired taxis for the three hour drive climbing steadily through tea plantations to Kurseong. Here, we boarded the famous UNESCO listed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Toy Train. This made for a fascinating three hour rail journey into Darjeeling.

We stayed for two nights at the Windamere Hotel in Darjeeling. The hotel is “one of the three Jewels of the Raj”, said a celebrated travel writer in the 1970s. Established in the 19th century as a cosy boarding house for bachelor English and Scottish tea planters, it was converted into a hotel just before the outbreak of the Second World War.

The centrally located hotel adjoins the forested Hindu Hilltop Temple which is home to hundreds of monkeys. Darjeeling offers commanding views of the Himalayan range including Mt Everest, visible from nearby Tiger Hill. A visit to the very informative Himalayan Climbing Institute museum is a ‘must do’ before a Himalayan trek.

With full bellies from the amazing four course silver service provided to Windamere diners, we boarded the four wheel drives for the six hour drive on rough roads to the Sikkim border. It was then on to Yaksom to commence our trek.

Kanchenjunga Trek Itinerary (India)

Yuksom, Dzongri, Goeche La, Yuksom: 103kms/9 days

Day 1 – Yuksom (1,760m) to Baktim (2,750m) – 6 hours

Lukendra, the business owner of Sikkim Tours and Travel, met us at Yuksom and graciously provided each of us with a silk Tibetan good luck scarf for our journey. The walk to Baktim ascended the forested valley high above the Rathong River on a good walking trail. Accompanying us from Yuksom was an intelligent canine ‘bitza’ that we christened Fred. For two and a half days he enthusiastically enjoyed the party; then he was gone. There was much speculation as to where.

Baktim is no more than a trail cooking shelter on a steep terraced area suitable for pitching our tents.

Day 2 – Baktim to Tshoka (3,050m) – 2 hours

After a leisurely breakfast, we ambled up the still good quality trail to the small Tibetan village of Tshoka. The short day two trek was to assist our acclimatisation. The village has 12 wooden houses, a basic store, tea house, a Buddhist monastery and numerous shrines. The land at Tshoka was granted to the Tibetans in the 1960s when they escaped from Tibet.

Day 3 – Tshoka to Dzongri plateau (4,020m) – 6 hours

This was the day some of us started to feel the effects of the altitude. The track into Drongri was rutted in parts under the canopy gnarly geraniums. As we broke out of the tree line onto green alpine fields, the vast Himalayan range gradually unfolded with spectacular views including Mt Kanchenjunga (8,586m) and to its east, the beautifully shaped Mt Siniolchu (6,888m).

Day 4 – Day of Acclimatisation

From our camp on the open fields, we soaked up the beauty of the landscape and rambled around the plateau inspired by the photographic opportunities with yaks, mountain peaks, prayer flags and rustic stone huts creating an ideal canvas. We met two young Indians hurrying across the plateau who informed us a 21 year old companion had just died from altitude sickness at the nearby Indian Himalayan Climbing Centre.

Day 5 – Dzongri to Thangsing (3,930m) – 5 hours

A pleasant trek across the plateau is followed by a gradual descent into the valley leading to the base of Kanchenjunga, India. At Thangsing, we spent the night in a basic timber shelter and again feasted on a simple but tasty and nutritious meal cooked up by the crew.

Day 6 – Thangsing to Samatli Lake (4,200m) – 4 hours

Before the easy walk up the valley to Samatli Lake, a few of the party scaled an open steep ridge running up the right side of the valley from the shelter. Under the early morning light, the views commencing 30 minutes up the ridge were spectacular, looking into the face of Kanchenjunga.

Day 7 – Samatli Lake to Goeche La (4,940m) back to Thangsing – 8 hours

Under the guidance of Bichung, we left our cold hut accommodation at 3am for Goeche La. The aim was to get there mid-morning, before clouds would most likely descend across the mountains above us. Our party’s ages ranged from 17 to 67 but this played no part in who coped best with the effects of altitude. The clouds came down on dawn to obscure the view of the summit however the final climb up the lip of the moraine was exhilarating.

Day 8 – Thangsing to Tshoka via Phedang – 7 hours

The walk back to Yuksom takes a more direct route and with the thought of a four course dinner at the Windamere, the party powered through to Tshoka. At Phedang, an Aussie mum and daughter informed us that some 5 days prior, the author’s beloved Sydney Swans AFL team had lost the grand-final to the Hawks: unfortunately there were too many joyous Hawthorn supporters in the party to expect much sympathy!

Day 9 – Tshoka to Yuksom – 6 hours

The last day was spent back on the well maintained trail and we arrived back in Yuksom late morning, biding farewell to the excellent team of men who escorted our group. By 12pm, we were back in the four wheel drives, bouncing our way back to Darjeeling. Unfortunately, at the Sikkim border we were held up for three hours due to a strike linked to independence for Gorkhaland. Our stiff bodies made a comical sight as we checked into the Windamere at 8pm; just in time for Kingfisher beers at the bar and the four course silver service dinner that was kindly kept on hold for us.

Thanks again to Colin for sharing his adventure with us.

You can also trek to the Kanchenjunga base camps in Nepal which you can read about here.