On 29 May 1953 Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary arrived at the top of the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest (8848m). Since then, Nepal has become an attractive destination for the mountaineers and trekkers of this world. Indeed, among the 14 summits above 8000m, eight of them lie within Nepal. In addition to these imposing mountains, Nepal has hundreds of other magnificent summits.
Adventurers and nature lovers all over the world like to come to Nepal each year to discover new horizons and lay eyes on different mythical mountains. However, there are always some risks when one ventures into virgin territory. For trekkers looking for new itineraries, the Lumbasumba Circuit is perfect. At 5177m, the Lumbasumba pass is located in the Kanchenjunga-Taplejung Conservation Area. Currently this route is virtually untrodden.
We fly from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur in the Jhapa district and then take a bus or 4X4 up to Taplejung, which takes about seven hours. As we climb from the plains, the landscape becomes more and more hilly and we can observe tea plantations on both sides of the road. The trekking route leads into the Kanchenjunga region and afterwards into the Makalu region via the Lumbasumba pass. This wild and remote forested region is home to the elusive red panda, a shy and quite small creature. Higher up snow leopards are known to hide out, but seeing one is a rare and privileged bonus. The journey ends at Hedanga Gadi, from where we can get to Tumlingtar via 4X4 before flying to Kathmandu.