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 In 1899 Douglas Freshfield was to be the first mountaineer who
set out with his party along the Dzongri trek route to examine
the great western face of Kanchenjunga (Khangchendzonga), rising
from the Kanchenjunga Glacier. Though vast environmental changes
have taken place since then, nevertheless we have chocked out an
itinerary for you to relive those moments.
ABOUT DOUGLAS W. FRESHFIELD
Douglas W. Freshfield (1845-1934), a British barrister,
mountaineer, writer, poet and geographer, was one of the
greatest mountain explorer of any age. A prominent figure in the
Royal Geographical Society. Following the footsteps of the 1883
mountaineering party of W Graham, which after climbing an 18000
ft peak, was forced to return to Darjeeling after only a week,
Douglas Freshfield set out with his party in 1899. He was to be
the first mountaineer to trek in a circle around
Khangchendzonga, from the North. When he finally arrived safely
in 1899,at Dzongri, he lit a big bonfire, which was visible as
far as Darjeeling.
The Governor of Bengal ordered Gun Salute to be fired in his
honour.
He was also the first mountaineer to examine the great western
face of Khangchendzonga, rising from the Khangchendzonga
Glacier. Douglas Freshfield had traveled to Green Lakes along
with the famous Italian photographer Vittorio Sella’ who had
photographed Siniolchu from Zemu Valley. Freshfield has
described Siniolchu as “The Most Superb Triumph of Mountain
Architecture and The Most Beautiful Snow Mountain in the World”.
About Dzongri by Freshfield himself
“Suddenly you are in the presence of the Snow mountain
unless they are indeed as they seem, in the first awestruck
moment of beholding, embodied spirits of overwhelming power and
malignity. Below you is the Prague Chu Valley; before you on the
other side, long line of mountains-a succession of terrible
granite spires, running down, one and all so steep and jagged
that it seems as if no snow could ever cling to their sides.
They have been fearfully searched by winds that mark the course
in sweep of the wrinkled drifts and all the scars and lines run
downwards giving the mountains an infinitely cheerless and
depreciating expression like a sad, worn face.”
“The most valuable mountain exploration ever carried out in the
Sikkim Himalayas was that of Mr. Freshfield’s party in 1899…It
(the book) is indeed an extraordinarily accurate work.”— F S
Smythe, The Khangchendzonga Adventure.
“This dangerous and exciting circuit of Khangchendzonga is a
classic of mountain exploration.” — W R Neate, Mountaineering and
its Literature.
“A distant view of a snowy range… has a strange power of moving
all poets and persons of imagination.” - Douglas.W.Freshfield.
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DOUGLAS FRESH FIELD & KANCHENDZONGA
14 Days 13 Nights |
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Day 01 |
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Arrive at Bagdogra. Leave
for Yuksam. |
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Day 02 |
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Yuksam to Bakhim. |
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Day 03 |
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Bakhim to Phedang |
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Day 04 |
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Phedang to Dzongri. |
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Day 05 |
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Dzongri to Bikbari. |
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Day 06 |
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Bikbari to Base camp. Sight
seeing and back. |
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Day 07 |
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Bikbari to Dzongri. |
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Day 08 |
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Dzongri to Thangsing |
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Day 09 |
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Thangsing to Samiti Lake. |
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Day 10 |
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Samiti Lake to Goechala to
Cockchurung. |
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Day 11 |
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Cockchurung to Tshoka |
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Day 12 |
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Tshoka to Yuksam |
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Day 13 |
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Yuksam to Khechupalri Lake
to Pelling. |
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Day 14 |
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Pelling to Bagdogra
(Farewell) |
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