Kangchenjunga (Kanchenjunga) has remained virgin and unconquered, inspite of the several attempts furnished with the most modern equipments till 1975. Within 7,000-sq-kms area is contained the world’s third highest 8,586m, but the most romantic mountain.

Kangchenjunga (Kanchenjunga) is located on the Nepal-Sikkim (India) border as part of the Himalayan mountain range. Kangchenjunga has 5 peaks, of which the true Summit is 28,169 feet or 8,586 meters. The name Kangchenjunga (Kanchenjunga) means "The Five Treasures of the Snow" in the local dialect, referring to its five summits all over 8,000 meters.

Climbing Attempts At Kangchenjunga
In 1930, a European expedition consisting of German, Austrian, Swiss and British mountaineers made an attempt to scale Kangchenjunga, it failed. Years later a writer came across an extract from the diary of one of the climbers, who wrote:

“Kangchenjunga (Kanchenjunga) had beaten us… we had examined every portion of the faces above the Kangchenjunga and Rathong glaciers; nowhere was there a chink in the armour of the giant. Others sceptical 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 Kangchenjunga.”

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

“Summit of Kangchenjunga 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 neighbourhood of the summit.

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

Mighty Majesty
The people of Sikkim depend on the good humour 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 broacades of the God, prance and whirl against the backdrop of the mountain itself.

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.