Best Time for Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trek
The best time to do remote trail trekking in Nepal is during spring and autumn. Spring in the northern hemisphere occurs in March and lasts till May. Similarly, autumn begins around September and ends early December. Recent trends have shown late occurrence of autumn due to late monsoon withdrawal. So you might still get some rainfall up to September. Make sure you look into news and forecasts before planning your trip.
The spring and autumn months are best for the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek due to their stable weather. The temperature is quite moderate, and the chances of rainfall are quite minimal. This makes your trek rather comfortable. You need not carry heavy luggage for winter or extra gear for the monsoon. Similarly, the mountain vistas and other vistas of the trek become clearer due to the lack of obstructing clouds. You will also find that the environment is more luscious during this time of the year. Walking through the trails of rhododendron trees will be quite a beautiful experience.
Moreover, the spring and autumn seasons also prevent road blockages and landslides. Rainfall and snowstorms usually damage pathways, increasing the risk of injuries. The comparatively dry trails of autumn and spring prevent such injuries.
Spring and autumn are also a good time to visit Nepal due to its calendar significance. The Nepali calendar begins in spring, meaning the Nepali New Year is celebrated in spring. Similarly, the autumn months bring popular festivals in Nepal, such as Dashain and Tihar. These times will bring a very enjoyable environment in Nepal. Connecting with locals during such festivities is highly recommended.
Permits Needed For Kanchenjunga South Base Camp trek
The Kanchenjunga South Base Camp trek requires two permits. They are the restricted area permit and the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area entry Permit.
The Restricted Area Permit is imposed within 4 VDCs of the Kanchenjunga region. The cost of this permit is USD 20 per person per week for 4 weeks. If you decide to stay beyond that, it will cost USD 25 per person per week.
The Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Permit, on the other hand, is imposed within the protected area of the Kanchenjunga region. The cost of this permit is approximately USD 20 or NRs 2000.
Difficulty Level
The difficulty level of the Kanchenjunga South Base Camp is based on various elements of the trek. You need to consider factors of the trek like walking hours, altitude, weather temperature, etc. You must also look at the level of fitness and your preparation to determine the difficulty level. However, considering minimum preparation, the Kanchenjunga South Base Camp trek ranges from moderate to strenuous.
The trek requires you to walk for 2 to 6 hours a day in remote mountain foothills. You will need to do this for more than a week. The altitude ranges from 2000 to a maximum altitude of 4610 meters. This brings in risks of altitude-related sicknesses during your trip. You need to make cautionary preparations to ensure this is not a hindering factor in your trek. Make sure you communicate with your guides if you get symptoms like nausea, headache, etc. Also, carry diamox tablets and limit your caffeine intake to minimize such risks.
The weather in the remote foothills of the Himalayas is quite unstable, which is another challenge of the trip. Weather instability might cause the terrain to become very slick and increase the chances of roadblocks and landslides. This increases the chances of injuries and falls. Hence, we highly recommend you plan your trek during dry seasons like spring or autumn. Also, walk to the most remote places by getting the weather forecast first.
We also highly recommend you get in shape before doing this trek. You do not need to enroll in a specific training program or gain specific abilities. But make sure you gain stamina and get stronger. It is always better to do the trek and not exhaust your body. Ensure you prepare yourself with cardio exercise and some strength training.
Amenities Included
Guides and Porters
Guides and porters are two of the most important parts of your trek, guides more so. Nepal does not allow remote trail trekking without a licensed guide in your company. You need to hire a government-approved guide to do the Kanchenjunga South Base Camp trek. Since this is a compulsion, it is included in your amenities. You need not do prior research for it, and it is covered in the package. Guides will be a good company and a great way to connect with the locals. They will also ensure your problems are looked after and make last-minute changes to the itinerary.
Porters on the other hand, are not a compulsion, yet very crucial. Trekking in the remote foothills of the Himalayas takes a lot of energy and strength. Carrying very heavy luggage during such a strenuous journey makes it more difficult. You can solve this issue by hiring a porter to carry it for you. Porters are usually trekkers who are very familiar with the trails of Kanchenjunga. They travel these routes often and can easily help you with your luggage. Usually, a porter will carry around 25kg worth of luggage a day for you.
Transportation
We will cover all the transportation fees during your stay in Nepal. The flight tickets to Nepal and out of Nepal are not in the package. But, the pickup and drop off at the airport during your arrival and farewell are managed by us. Similarly, we will manage to drive you upto the east to Illam, Taplejung, Hapu Khola, and back to Illam and Bhadrapur during your trip. You will also be taking a flight upon your return. This flight will also be included in the package.
Accomodation
You will mostly be staying in local tea houses or hotels based on your overnight stop. Remote high-altitude places only have tea houses run by locals with minimum facilities. However, they will be comfortable to spend the night and very cozy. They mostly come with a shared bedroom with two beds and a washroom. They are not fancy like city hotels but have good amenities like bedsheets, enough blankets for the cold, firewood for the cold, dining area, etc. Tea house stays are a great way to connect with the locals of the place you are traveling. They are run by locals in the area and will definitely help you more about the lifestyle and culture of the region.
The city areas, on the other hand, like Kathmandu and Illam, have better-facilitated hotels and lodges. All these basic amenities regarding accommodation are covered in our package.
Meals
The cost of your meals for the day is also included in this package. You will be fed with local Nepali cuisine during most part of your trip. They include rice, lentils, and vegetable curry. Other Nepail dishes like momo, chowmein, and thukpa might also be available. The tea houses in the remote trail might also serve you unique ethnic dishes. The basic meals of the day, like breakfast, lunch dinner, and snacks will be included in it. However, extravagant spending on food is not included in the package.
Permits
There are two necessary permits needed for the Kanchenjunga South Base Camp trek. These permits are quite easy to obtain. Yet we have separated a day in our itinerary to help you learn the process of it. To obtain the permit, you need to submit specific documents. After we get these documents, we will help you to obtain these permits. The cost of permits will boil down to around USD 40. The cost of this permit is also included in the package. But make sure that you have your on-arrival visa. The cost of this or its extension is not included in this package.
