Mountaineering is an adventurous and risky adventure in itself. Risk and struggle are indeed integral parts of our day to day life, thus mountaineering can also be taken as a healthy adventure sport that can buttress a happy life.
How Difficult is it to Climb Kanchenjunga?
We have noticed that prior to the expedition trip confirmation majority of mountaineers seek information on How difficult is it to climb Kanchenjunga? Or the most difficult mountain to climb in the world. It is justifiable to have these questions in your mind before starting to collect the information, and proper preparation for the expedition to Mount Kanchenjunga: physical fitness, financial arrangements, and fixing the holiday, etc. The below text briefly explains the climbing route and difficulty level.
There are four climbing ridge routes in Mount Kanchenjunga that mountaineers have so far climbed/opened to the summit. They are namely: Southeast Ridge route, Southwest Ridge route, Northeast Spur, and the North Face route. The Mt. Kanchenjunga Southeast ridge route is the most common, normal climbing route, and is fully safe to climb comparing other climbing routes that are also called the Yalung face climbing route.
Before you reach to Tso Glacier Camp, you spend two nights at Ramche. From Tso Glacier camp to reach the Advance Base camp you have to climb some 20-25 meters length by using the fixed rope on a vertical stone of some 35 degrees. Kanchenjunga Advance base camp is located at a height of 5,400 m / 17,717 ft which is fixed at the top of the Tso glacier.
After a few days of rest and acclimatization in the Advance Base camp, you begin to climb up to Camp 1 which takes about four and a half hours if you are a mountaineer of average stamina. The climbing from camp I to camp II is the moderate technical section on Mt. Kanchenjunga from the south face of Yalung glacier. After the first-hour climb on rock boulders of varied sizes and a steep path of 20-25 degrees climbing, you reach the bottom of a hanging part. From this point in the Mt., Kanchenjunga Yalung face climbing route, you have to ascend a vertical rocky wall of about 40 m with a 30-35 degrees slope. It is about another 15-20 minutes to cross this section to reach the crampons point. In another three hour’s climb on a snow slope of some 15-20 degrees, you reach Kanchenjunga Camp I – located at the height of 6,200 m/20,341 ft. Typically, this Camp has enough space for camping and almost safe from avalanches or rock-falling.
Between Camp I and Camp II, the climbing route is safe and comfortable above old ice and fresh snow. It takes about four hours to reach Mt. Kanchenjunga Camp II from Camp I for climber of average stamina. The time depends on each climbers’ acclimatization status, weather condition, physical fitness, and climbers’ walking pace. The Kanchenjunga camp II location is at an elevation of 6,400 m/ 20,997ft., which is in a safer location comparing to other camps in the Kanchenjunga expedition.
From Mount Kanchenjunga, Camp II (C2) to Camp III (C3) takes about four and a half hours climbing. Kanchenjunga Camp III is located at the height of 7,100m/23,294ft., which is also a safe location as the campsites. There are usually old and new snows in between those two camps. Satori Kanchenjunga climbing Sherpa guides fix the static rope in this section for safer passage. From Camp II (C2) to Camp 3 (C3) entire section is set in the fixed rope because the climbing slope is about 40-45 degrees vertical Ice wall moving around. For safety reasons, it is highly advisable to wear a helmet as the climbing route is prepared by chasing the wall on the left side of the route and tied up the rope. There can be some chances of rocks and snow stones fall from Yalung Kang’s face.
From Camp III, it takes about three hours ascending to reach Camp IV for average stamina climbers. This duration can fluctuate depending upon how many climbers are there at a time to carry out their climbing. However, Kanchenjunga is not a busy mountain climbing route – there are only 30 to 50 climbers each year for the expedition. For the first two hours climbing route is more vertical snow wall, about 40-45 degrees, and there is another hour descending on some 20-25 degrees to reach Camp IV. Kanchenjunga Camp IV (C4) is located at an altitude of 7,550 m/ 24,770 ft and we pitch in a safe location. This is the final camp from where an attempt to climb Mount Kanchenjunga’s main summit is carried out.
Most Difficult Mountain to Climb
Mt. Kanchenjunga is the most difficult mountain to climb to the top from the final camp than any other 8000ers and takes the longest time as well. Climbers start ascending from Camp IV at about 21.00-22.00 pm for the Mt. Kanchenjunga summit (8,586 m/28,169 ft.) Target and supposed to reach the top by the morning at 08.00-11.00 am. It means that the climbing time is generally 11-13 hrs to reach the summit, and another 7-8 hrs to return back to Camp IV bringing the summit day to a total of 20-22 hrs. The height to climb from Camp IV to the summit is also long in Mt. Kanchenjunga which is measured to 1036m – longer than any other 8000m mountain peak.
As you leave Camp IV for the summit target, the initial 1-hour is just fine and easy, and then you proceed about four hours through the couloir – the most difficult climbing part of the Mt. Kanchenjunga. After this part, you ascend further right side to the central summit of Mount Kanchenjunga from Yalung Kanchenjunga ridge. From this ridge, you are to ascend 5-6 hours in a vertical slope of 20-25 degrees on the false summit. The route from the Couloir splits into two where you take the right side and traverse diagonal to the base of a steep wall around 8,400m, climb the wall which is graded IV, and continue to the rocky tower at 8,450m. Climb a short snowy ridge and then traverse to the right to a Chimney at around 8,500 m, rappel down the Chimney, traverse to the right on mixed terrain to join a snow slope leading to the main summit at 8,586m /28,179ft. This part of the climb passes the false summit and finishes at the exposed ridge of the true summit.
Kanchenjunga Climbing Sherpa Guides
From Camp IV until the Kanchenjunga ridge at 8,200m Satori Adventures’ expert Kanchenjunga climbing Sherpa guides open the route and fix the line few days prior to your summit push. From the point here, our Sherpa guide opens the way ahead by fixing the rope at the same time. The main summit of Kanchenjunga always covered with snow and ice that looks like a cap of snow.
If your stamina is good, the weather is favorable, and other all conditions help you, you can descend the same day all the way down to Camp III which is extremely long and tiring though. Otherwise descend down to Camp IV on the day of the summit, and then climb down to Camp I the next day to the Advance Base camp subsequent day.