Kangchenjunga North and South Base Camps Nepal - Part I by Ashesh Ambasta

6/11/24: On the slopes of  Drohmo Ri  at 5,281m):  It was thrilling to track the route taken by Pete Boardman, Joe Tasker, and Doug Scott who had made a successful bid in 1979. Here, I've traced the West Wall going up to the North Col (the site of Camp 3), the North Ridge leading to the “Croissant” and further up, to the “Pinnacles”, and the final push to the Summit.

Ashesh Ambasta is a seasoned trekker and photographer who has done a number of treks with South Col Expeditions.  In late October and November 2024, Praveen Gupta, Deepak Chandnani, Daniel Bayer and Ashesh trekked to both the north and south base camps of Kangchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world, from the Nepal side. In this evocative account with wonderful images Ashesh shares  their experience of this outstanding trek still relatively unspoilt. The first part of  their journey to the north base camp Pangpema  is documented here.

 For more photos of this trek do visit     https://photos.ap .goo.gl/QPHbCH7XxFn9Q29d8

28^th October – 14^th November 2024

For those accustomed to the relative comforts of the Everest and Annapurna circuits, be warned.  The lodges are rudimentary at best and, in places, downright crummy. The food is largely basic and passable.  And, if you plan to cover both the North and South base camps, as we did, it’s a long grind of about 18 days through steep ascents and descents at high altitudes.  But, if you love the peace and tranquillity of the mountains and detest hordes of trekkers jostling you on the trail, all this pales into insignificance.  The sheer grandeur of the peaks that tower over you at the two base camps and the breath-taking panorama on the approach marches are incomparable.  I have done countless treks in Nepal, but this easily stands out as among the best for the beauty, magnificence, and diversity of the terrain. 

31/10/24: Gyabla (2,730m) to Ghunsa (3,595m).  The beauty of the trek was occasionally marred by tricky traverses caused by land slips and rock falls, of which there were quite a few.

An overview

We had decided to first trek to the North base camp, which meant flying to Bhadrapur, driving to Taplegunj and then to Sekathum, from where the march began.  What would have been a pleasant nine-hour drive to Taplejung through forested hills became fraught thanks to our reckless driver. The journey to Sekathum the next morning could have been even worse, given the poor road conditions, but for the seasoned driver who knew the route and risks well.  

From Sekhatum, I would break the trek into four segments, each made distinct by the topography that we traversed and the nature of the climb.  First, the strenuous climb of over 2,600m to Kangbachan, involving over 32 kms of walking in four days.  This was particularly demanding since the bulk of the climb (1,500m) was accomplished on Days 1 and 2, when we barely had time to adapt to the rigours of hiking at altitude in the Himalayas!  Second, the march to Pangpema for views of the North Face, gaining 900m in height in about 11 kms, which was more taxing since we were now well above 4,000m, making breathing markedly laborious. This was followed by a headlong plunge back to Ghunsa, losing more than 1,400m in just a single day.  Three, the 18 km hike to Oktang, gaining 1,300m in three days, for a view of the South face.  Fourth, the rapid nosedive to Ranipal, the roadhead.  To give you an idea of how steep the descent was: we lost more than 2,100m, covering 21 kms in just three days. 

The trek to Kangbachan is simply divine

1/11/24: Half way to Ghunsa from Gyabla, the foliage on the larches had turned gold, rust, and orange, making for an even more stunning panorama.

The trail follows the Ghunsa Khola, which emerges at the confluence of the Lhonak and Kanchenjunga glaciers and flows all the way to Sekathum and beyond.  The path thus cuts through a narrow, forested gorge for the most part, criss-crossing the river several times on suspension bridges, or rickety wooden ones, a staple of Nepal treks.  For the most part, it was heavily wooded, profuse with pine, bamboo, rhododendron and oak.  The boulders and rocks, coated with moss and lichen, brightened the trail with a medley of colours and hues.  The panorama, on the walk from Gyabla to Ghunsa, became, if possible, even more stunning. The foliage on the larches had turned gold, rust and orange, with the ring of snow-capped mountains providing a spectacular background. The near absence of trekkers or teahouses made the trek even more pleasurable.

1/11/24: Heavy clouds descending on Ghunsa in the late afternoon, the main village on this route. Ghunsa boasts of a bakery, offering, among other items, fabulous bread loaves.

Just a few kilometres from Ghunsa, enroute to Kangbachen, the landscape changed once again.  We were now high enough for a grand bird’s eye view of the Ghunsa river, now azure under the clear blue sky. The golden canopies of trees on either side burned brightly in the sun. Crossing the tree line, we transitioned to small vegetation, mainly juniper and rhododendron bushes, enabling fabulous views of snow-covered mountains: our first glimpse of Janu (7710 m) and Sobi Thongje (6670 m), when the clouds parted.

2/11/24: Half-way to Kangbachan, around noon, we got our first views of snow-covered mountains, including of Jannu (7,710m) and Sobi Thongje (6,670m), hidden in the cloud when this photo was taken.

The beauty of the trek was occasionally marred by tricky traverses across exposed slopes which had been obliterated due to land slips and rock falls, of which there were quite a few. Or when we had to pick our way cautiously through boulder fields whenever the track led down to the river, which it did very often. 

4/11/24: From Kangbachan to Lhonak (4,780m): Negotiating boulder fields in rock-fall areas is daunting enough, which was made worse where the gaps were covered with ice.

The highlight of our stay in Kangbachan, involving an ascent of 550m, was the hike to the Jannu viewpoint.  The lookout was centered around a huge, free-standing boulder with a hostel for pilgrims on one side and an open shrine on the other. From here, a 20 minutes’ walk took us to the lip of the moraine of the Jannu glacier. We were now encircled by the glacier to our south. Right in front, the Jannu massif rising vertiginously from the glacier, towering 3,000 meters above from where we stood. We were treated to extraordinary views of Jannu (7,710m), Sobi Thongje (6,670m), Pholesobi Thonje (6,645m), and Ghabur (6,044m) peaks.

The lodges enroute comprised a mixed lot. Lamatar was very basic, but Gyabla had large rooms and offered hot water for a wash.  Ghunsa, the main village on this route, had a fair number of lodges of varying quality. It even boasts of a bakery, offering among other items, fabulous bread loaves! Do remember to preorder, as these fly off the shelves! Kangbachan, our stop for two nights, is in a wide valley surrounded by towering peaks, offering cosy rooms built on stilts with abundant light thanks to large glass windows. 

4 & 5/11/24: Lhonak (4,780m): Soon after our arrival at noon, the weather turned ominous. The snowfall refused to let up and by next morning, it became even more relentless, blanketing everything in sight. We also endured piercingly cold, gusty winds.

The views from Pangpema are spectacular

The walk to Lhonak from Kangbachan required extra vigilance since the trail twisted and curled through several landslips on sharp inclines, frozen streams and the occasional waterfall thundering down to flow swiftly below creaking wooden bridges. Occasionally, the path dropped down to the river, which entailed negotiating boulder fields, daunting on its own and made worse when the gaps were sometimes covered with ice.

The approach to Lhonak was startling. A steady climb suddenly opened out to a large confluence of the Lhonak and Kanchenjunga glaciers, resulting in a sweeping, sand-covered floodplain, much like a delta.  Lhonak is situated in an L-shaped valley, skirted by the Kanchenjunga glacier on the west and steep slopes that I guess eventually lead to Lhonak Peak in the north. The Wedge Peak looms up across the glacier to the west.

Unfortunately, soon after our arrival at noon, the weather turned ominous with snowfall that refused to let up even until the next morning. . The following day, the snowfall had become even more relentless blanketing everything in sight., and the winds piercingly cold, preventing any thoughts of transiting to Pangpema. It finally cleared by 8 pm, revealing a clear night sky that foreboded plummeting temperatures. As the mercury dipped between -4 and -10 degrees, staying warm during the night was our primary preoccupation. This was easier said than done; the gaps between the planks of the floor made sure that we had an icy draft the whole night! 

6/11/24: From Lhonak (4,780m) to Pangpema (5,150m): The gradual climb in 4-5 inches of snow through an open meadow along the banks of the Kangchenjunga glacier soon gave way to a trail snaking across rock fall and land slip areas on the slopes, with ramps of rocky hills to our left. Most times, it was narrow and very exposed.

The second morning dawned with an icy grip. The sky above us was clear but it seemed quite cloudy where we were headed. The first couple of kms involved a gradual climb in 4-5 inches of snow across a lengthy meadow on the banks of the Kangchenjunga glacier. To the north, a rocky slope rose towards, I presume, Tengkoma Peak. To the west, across the glacier, Wedge Peak seemed to loom higher with every step. The going, although slow, was exhilarating until the meadow soon gave way to a trail snaking across rock fall and land slip areas on the lateral moraine, with ramps of rocky hills to our left. Most times, it was very narrow and exposed. Often the path plunged to the glacier, spots where the moraine had eroded and toppled into the glacier, followed by equally steep ascents to retrieve lost height. The thick layer of snow covering the trail made the hike particularly dodgy, especially when crossing rock fall areas.

6/11/24: Pangpema (5,150m): The seasonal habitation boasted of one small lodge, a second, belowground lodge that looked more like a sheep pen, and three two-person tents (bottom left). But the location was dramatic, providing a commanding view of the entire north face of Kanchenjunga and Yalung Kang

Pangpema boasted of one small lodge, a second, below ground lodge that looked more like a sheep pen, and three two-person tents. But the location was ideal, providing a commanding view of the entire north face of Kanchenjunga and Yalung Kang. The allure of even more breathtaking views higher up on the slopes of Drohmo Ri was too tempting to resist. We climbed for an hour, buffeted by icy winds on a snow-covered track littered with stones, rocks, and boulders, ascending another 140 meters to 5,281 m. The view was awe-inspiring, dominated by the summits of Kangchenjunga (8,586 meters), Yalung Kang (8,505 meters), and Kangbachen (7,802 meters) all in a row, with Wedge Peak (6,802 meters) to the right. 

6/11/24:  On the slopes of  Drohmo Ri  at 5,281m: The view from higher up on the slopes of Drohmo Ri was awe-inspiring. It was dominated by Kangchenjunga (8,586m), Yalung Kang (8,505m), and Kangbachen (7,802m) all in a row, with Wedge Peak (6,802m) to the right.

I doffed a silent hat to Pete Boardman, Joe Tasker, and Doug Scott who had made a successful bid in 1979, on what must surely have been a dangerous traverse across the glacier and perilous and scary rock climb to the top, especially given the altitude at which they had to accomplish it. It was thrilling to trace their route – the  West Wall going up to the North Col (the site of Camp 3), the North Ridge leading to the “Croissant” and further up, to the “Pinnacles”, and the final push to the Summit.

6/11/24:  Ashesh at 5281m on the slopes of Drohmo Ri - 

The climb, buffeted by icy winds on a snow-covered track littered with stones, rocks, and boulders, was worth it.  The Kanchenjunga glacier is behind me, with the Kanchenjunga massif rising above it.

To be continued in the second part ....

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