GHT Kanchenjunga Exploratory

You will be met by a representative of World Expeditions and transferred to the Radisson hotel. Remainder of the afternoon at leisure. A pre-trek briefing will be given around 4.30-5pm where arrangements will be made for the distribution of your kit bag, sleeping bag and down/fibrefill jacket. This evening we will head out for dinner, this is a great opportunity to get acquainted with your fellow group members.Overnight: Radisson Hotel

Today you have a full day to explore Kathmandu’s bustling streets and significant landmarks. You may wish to start by exploring the city’s two most important World Heritage Listed spiritual sites: Pashupatinath, Nepal’s most sacred Hindu temple and an important cremation site; and Boudhanath, the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal and the most sacred Tibetan Buddhist shrine outside of Tibet. Alternatively you could wander through the markets and shops of the busy Thamel precinct or explore some more of the city’s significant sites such as Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) or the World Heritage Listed plazas of Patan, Bhaktapur or Durbar Square.

Bhadrapur is situated in the terai, south east of Lukla. The flight from Kathmandu takes approx. 50 minutes and affords views of sections of the trek and the Himalaya from Kanchenjunga to Langtang. Phidim is located within a magnificent valley in the foothills of the Himalayas in eastern Nepal. It is a beautiful hill township which offers enchanting views of the eastern Himalayas. Approx. driving time: 5-6 hrs. Overnight hotel/lodge.

Today we drive to Chiruwa via Taplejung. Chiruwa is located in a Himalayan gorge with dense patches of sub-tropical rainforest and cliffs. The ethnic group here, the Kirati's now known as Limbu, date back more than 2000 years as subsistence farmers in this region. Crops such as rice, millet, barley, wheat and corn are nearly always growing at the time that we visit. Approx. driving time: 8-9 hrs. Overnight camp.

Today we commence our trek to Sukethum. The trail is well defined and the walk is both enjoyable and satisfying. We have only a few climbs up towards the valley where we begin to notice subtle changes in the landscape surrounding us. We weave through large boulders passing below the village of Tapethok and cross a landslide area to reach a bridge crossing a tributary of the Tamur River. This is the Simbuwa Khola, which flows from the south side of Kanchenjunga. We continue on towards the base camp, crossing several bridges and following what is now called the Gunsa Khola. Overnight camp.

The trail is very narrow and we follow the Ghunsa River until we break for lunch. This walk requires a lot of caution and concentration. On the way, we pass a small Sherpa settlement mainly tending to Yaks. After lunch, there is a steep climb towards our overnight camp at Amjilosa. Amjilosa is a small Tibetan settlement.

Today’s walk is predominantly through forest and we will sight many waterfalls along the way. There are no villages to pass through leaving us with a feeling of remoteness in the tranquil forest surroundings.

Before lunch, we follow a narrow trail through thick forests to our lunch site is at Phole village, this is a typical Tibetan village and winter settlement for the villagers of Ghunsa. People of this village depend mainly on yak rearing and weaving carpets. Here we find the one and only monastery of the entire trek and visitors are most welcome.

Today we will enjoy a rest day and there may be time, weather permitting to wash some clothes or other domestic chores. We also have an option of a 3 hrs walk opposite River Khanso Thanso, from where we see a panoramic view of Phole Peak and Sobithongi Peak and also a glimpse of Mt. Khumbakaran. After long days of walking, a rest day is highly recommended.

From Ghunsa and above, any signs of human habitation are that of seasonal settlements for the yak herders. They will take their animals to heights of 4000m-4500m in the warmer months of the year. For the trekker the scenery is unmatched. The route past the sheer cliffs and towering peaks of the Kanchenjunga massif and Jannu (7710m) are awe inspiring. They rise directly out of this classical and very grand glacial valley. The trail is ill-defined at times, crossing loose scree and rocks that have been pushed forth from old glaciers. We usually make a camp at Kambachen (4200m) enroute, which is seasonally occupied by locals only. It is quite possible to see wildlife in this remoter part of the Himalaya; blue sheep, ibex, mountain goat or smaller animals among the rocks such as hyrax and marmots. Overhead, various birds of prey may be seen- Lammergeir (a type of vulture) and various eagles, kites and falcons!

Today will be another challenging day and an early start is needed. We climb lateral moraine for an hour before reaching a landslide section with large boulders which we must pass through at a steady pace. The trail then climbs steeply to the top of a section of lateral moraine and then eases off before arriving in Lhonak.

The mountain views on this stage of our trek are stunning as we make our way along the lateral moraine to base camp. Climbing gently for 2 hours we then cross a steep section of loose rock for another hour before a further gentle climb of another hour before arriving in base camp. For those feeling enthusiastic there may be options for side walks in the area.

Taking two days we retrace our steps back to Ghunsa. The return journey offers a different perspective of the mountain views and stunning surrounds.

From Ghunsa we descend the main trail alongside the Ghunsa Kola until we meet a junction in the trail, from here we ascend to a series of summer grazing pastures (Khaka) where we will camp for the night.

An early start this morning will give us the best opportunity for clear views during our crossing of the Nango La. Once over the pass we descend to a bowl shaped valley. We stay on the northern side of the river and enter thick forest to Yangma Kola and our camp for the night.Day 17 - Trek to Olangchun Gola. Olangchun Gola is one of the most important centres for trade between Nepal and Tibet in this region. Most commonly exports to Tibet include grain, sugar, cigarettes and cotton thread which are exchanged for Tibetan salt, carpets and wool.Day 18 - Rest Day in Olangchun Gola.

We now begin our exit from the Kanchenjunga loop section of the Nepal GHT. From Olangchun Gola our fellow trekkers linking up to the second stage - Makalu & Everest via Sherpani Col - will continue westward to the Makalu region whilst we head in a southerly direction to Phurumbu and then onto Suketar. We are now feeling fit and acclimatised and our days are relatively long at 6 - 7 hours of walking per day to bring us to Phurumbu.

Today is our final day on trek, and we gradually descend to Suketar passing through familiar surrounds as we approach the village. We trek through Limbu villages to a ridge before a final descent into Suketar. From here we join our vehicle and drive to Phidim where we overnight.

This morning we continue the drive to Bhadrapur where we will connect with our flight to Kathmandu, a thrilling journey over forests, fields and villages, with the Himalaya in the background. On arrival, we transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

After breakfast, arrangements cease unless further ones have been made. Those people travelling by aircraft to other destinations will be transferred to the airport.