“Kanchenjunga  (Kanchenjunga) had beaten us… we had examined every portion of the faces above the Kanchenjunga  and Rathong glaciers; nowhere was there a chink in the armor of the giant. Others skeptical as to the truth-may follow… like us they will lie awake at night and tremble, even as the ground trembles at the roar of great ice avalanches that seek their destruction… their hope and optimism… ruthlessly crushed beneath the icy heel of Kanchenjunga .”

In June, 1955 a British expedition under Charles Evans sent a telegram to the ‘Times”, it read:

“Summit of Kanchenjunga  less five vertical feet reached on May 25. All well.” The expedition stopped short of the top-they had agreed to respect the religious feelings of the Sikkimese who regard the mountain as sacred and had undertaken not to desecrate the immediate neighborhood of the summit.

Sir John Hunt, who reached the peak of Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgey, has described it, a mountain more difficult and dangerous to climb, than Everest itself.

Mighty Majesty
The people of Sikkim depend on the good humor of the deity enthroned on a summit - ‘has he not the power to destroy human habitations with devastating floods and avalanches…and ruin crops by sending terrible hailstorms’- he is portrayed as a fiery red counteranced deity with a crown of five skulls, riding the mythical snow lion, and holding aloft the banner to victory. Seasoned mountaineers hold Khang-Chen-Dzod-Nga in awe and credit it with a cordon drawn around the summit beyond which man may bot enter.

There is an annual festival of ritual and dance dedicated to the ‘Worship of the snow range of Khang-Chen-Dzog-Nga, during the early part of Autumn. As in the classical days of Greek Gods who danced atop Mount Olympus, Lamas dressed in the impressive masks and brocades of the God, prance and whirl against the backdrop of the mountain itself.

Kanchenjunga  Trek
Kanchenjunga (Kanchenjunga) is situated on the eastern border of Nepal. Its main peak is the third highest in the world (8,586 m). several other peaks in the Kanchenjunga  range are over 8,000m. This trek to this area is probably the best that trekking has to offer in terms of lush natural beauty. Traveling into the Yalung glacier and over the Lapsang la and down the difficult route back to Taplejung is an unforgettable experience. However, as the trip crosses the 4,000m mark several times, one must take care of high altitude sickness.

Permits and Restrictions
Though foreigners need to obtain a permit to visit Sikkim, getting one is a mere formality. The easiest way is to request one when applying for your Indian visa. They are usually valid for two weeks from entry into the state, which allows enough time to visit the towns and villages at a fairly leisurely pace but places constraints on time if trekking.

The permit covers the main southern belt from Gangtok across to Pemayangtse. Certain area in central Sikkim and the sensitive border regions with Tibet are completely off limits to foreigners. Other parts of Sikkim are open for Tourism but not included in the regions covered by your permit. For those areas you require an endorsement of your permit, a simple quick and free service which is provided at the Tourist Information Office in Gangtok. Visa extensions and trekking permits for certain regions can also be obtained in Gangtok. Certain restricted areas, like Changu Lake, Yumthang and Dzongri, only allow foreigners in groups, accompanied by representatives of approved travel agents.

The five peaks of Kanchenjunga are as follows: