Trip Reports

Kangchenjunga Circuit - 6 Oct to 4 Nov '11

Written by Leader, November 2011

Apart from Lizzie & Alexander, who were each travelling independently & would meet us at the Summit Hotel, we met up at London Heathrow for the flight via Delhi to Kathmandu. The flight was problem-free and we were all impressed by the now-completed, very large & modern Delhi Airport.

At the Summit Hotel, those who had just arrived envied Alexander & Lizzie’s rested & relaxed state, as they’d had a day or more already in Kathmandu. As always, by the time briefings had taken place, safe deposit etc had been arranged, it was time for drinks in the welcoming Summit bar. The group started to get to know each other and then continue chatting over an excellent dinner. We didn’t stay up late as we had an early start for the 35 minute flight to Biratnagar, in far eastern Nepal. Biratnagar is only 72m above sea level so tablets to prevent catching malaria have to be started before travelling here.

We met our Sirdar, Sangbu Sherpa, and the wonderful Sherpa and cook teams at Biratnagar. A number of porters had also travelled with them, by bus from Kathmandu.

From Biratnagar (as Suketar Airport where one would normally fly is being up-graded), we began two long days on a bus to reach Taplejung and the start of our trek. However the journey was very interesting: there were wonderful contrasts as we gradually left the tropical lowlands behind and slowly gained height to over-night at Ilam, a famous tea-producing area of Nepal. The neat middle hills, covered with tea plantations and the misty, cool conditions reminded me so much of Darjeeling in India.

We began trekking from Taplejung, walking up deep river valley systems to access the heart of the Kangchenjunga massif. The first 3 or 4 days were still very hot & humid and despite being below 2000m, it was found by all to be very tiring. The area is very undeveloped & unfrequented, compared with say the Everest or Annapurna or even Langtang areas. The footpaths are very small and many areas of landslides come down each monsoon. We decided the catch-phrase was ‘concentration’ all the time to foot placement. However, it was quite special to walk in such a quiet area, slowly working upwards (with lots of undulations!) to the temperate zone then coniferous forests.

On reaching Ghunsa, everyone was really happy to have a rest & acclimatisation day and a chance to bathe, wash clothing and dry out gear after days of demanding walking in humid conditions. We started to enjoy the ‘high mountain feel’ at Ghunsa (3595m). After another acclimatisation day at Kambachen, 4100m, we headed up to the wonderful alpine pastures at Lhonak, 4785m. We saw more and more of the bigger, snowy peaks, including Chang Himal (climbed in 2009 by Bullock & Houseman). Tom Briggs on his reconnaissance trip accompanied these elite climbers, his friends.

Unfortunately, after a night at Lhonak, it was decided that Chris, due to worsening altitude symptoms, would be safer to descend, with a trusted Sherpa, to Kambachen and then down to Ghunsa the next day (where he was previously well), to await our descent. Consequently, the rest of the group were a bit subdued as we made our way up challenging paths to Pangpema 5100m (North BC of Kangchenjunga). Awesome views but also ominous clouds greeted our arrival at the small and stunningly-situated campsite; high on a lateral moraine above the Kangchenjunga Glacier.

The beautiful but scary clouds had indeed been harbingers of bad news – we woke during the night to heavy snowfall and the Sherpas clearing snow from our tents. In the morning, a very cold and white one with continuing storm and snow and already 30cm of snow on the ground, we packed as quickly as possible and headed down to Lhonak. The wind was very strong, rocking even the men and driving stinging snow into our faces & eyes. For much of the time, there were white-out conditions and we had to be really careful about not trapping feet or legs between the many boulders on the moraine. Everyone in the party did incredibly well in these dangerous conditions, but I was very concerned for the porters. A slip carrying a load could lead to serious injury.

We were storm-bound for a cold & uncomfortable night in Lhonak; as the Sherpas felt the winds were too strong, some slept in a yak herders’ hut and two tents were pitched inside the shells of buildings. The storm lasted 12 hours then good weather returned and we were really glad to be able to see well to cross the extensive boulder fields, covered in 40 cm of snow and with much deeper drifts abounding. We pushed on down to Ghunsa in a punishing 10 hours. The snow-level went to within 150m of Ghunsa and it was very cold indeed as cold air flowed down into the deep valley from totally white slopes all around.

Everyone needed a rest the next day. Chris had been relieved to see us get down from the storm! Careful consideration and seeking more local advice made me decide that it was simply not safe to try to exit over the Sele Le side and towards the South BC of Kangchenjunga, as planned. We did not have the 4 or 5 days needed to let the snow melt either. With great regret and disappointment, I explained my decision to the group and they were very understanding.

While somewhat of an anticlimax, our descent the way we had walked in was still enjoyable but also very tough physically. There were helicopter rescues for 2 consecutive days as we descended from Ghunsa and we heard the terrible news that very sadly, a porter had died over on the Sele Le side.

So, while we did not complete the itinerary as planned, we did experience a very unspoilt & pretty undeveloped part of Nepal. This trip provides an amazing trek from tropical climes to high, cold Himalayan areas. The walking, even low down, is constantly challenging and requires constant concentration during the fairly long days. Together with the undeveloped nature of the area comes the difficulty of access and rescue so while I would recommend this as a very special trek, I do think one needs to keep in mind it is tough and best suits those who are fit, not nervous crossing lots of landslip debris, are experienced (and have been well) at altitudes above 4500m and are experienced in walking on snow.

I cannot stress how well the group, Sherpas, cook team and porters did in the awful conditions. During our days back in Kathmandu, we all started to say how challenging a trip it is, even without the bad weather. Of course we are all disappointed but, as we know what it was like in the storm, we also know that we came out safely from a potentially serious situation. The mountains will always be there for us to enjoy.

Bonny Masson, Trek Leader « Previous report | Next report »

Jagged Globe Newsletter

We publish an email newsletter with trip reports and latest availability, plus features, competitions and general news of our climbing, trekking & skiing activities.