Snowfall in Kanchenjunga region in September

By Chandra Pandak,Taplejung, Sept. 10: Snowfall has been reported this year in the Kanchenjunga region, the world’s third highest and Nepal’s second-highest mountain, as early as September. 

Local tourism entrepreneurs said heavy snowfall occurred around the Kanchenjunga Base Camp.

According to Tenzing Serap Sherpa, a hotel operator at Lhonak Base Camp (4,780 metres), it started snowing from Monday last week and has continued lightly since then. Sherpa, who also serves as a member of Faktanglung Rural Municipality’s executive board, said snowfall at the start of the autumn tourist season could affect visitors to the region. The weather has remained cloudy, with rain and no sunshine for the past week.

Tashi Tenzing Sherpa, tourism assistant at the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Office, said a few foreign tourists have already arrived in September. Among them are two French climbers attempting Mt. Jannu (Kumbhakarna, 7,710m), along with two other French, two American and two Italian trekkers. 

Domestic tourists have also started visiting, especially for religious purposes such as the pilgrimage to Faktanglung. Although the main season for mountaineering and trekking in Kanchenjunga is October-November, both Nepali and foreign tourists generally start arriving from September.