Two professional climbers from Spain have successfully scaled Mount Tenchenkhang (6,010 m) located within the Khangchendzonga Range inside the World Heritage Site, Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP) in West Sikkim.
The Spanish duo — Pablo Gullon (53) and Victor Fernandez (54) — reached the summit on October 23 at 4:40 a.m. (IST), accomplishing the climb using the alpine-style technique. This marks the first recorded alpine-style ascent of Mount Tenchenkhang. The expedition, organized by Adarsh Treks, Tours & Expedition, began from Yuksam on October 14 and concluded successfully on October 28.
The team was supported by Trekking Guide Sunil Kumar Rai, Climbing Guide Tashi Sherpa, Liaison Officer Roshan Bassnet, and other local support staff under the guidance of Gopal Basnett, Managing Director of Adarsh Treks, Tours & Expedition.
Speaking to the media at Yuksam, the climbers expressed joy and satisfaction over their successful expedition. They described Mount Tenchenkhang as an ideal peak for short-duration alpine expeditions and shared their intention to return to Sikkim with family and fellow climbers in the future.
Interestingly, during the expedition, one of the climbers reported a rare sighting of a snow leopard near their base camp above Thangsing — the first such sighting by a visiting climber in the area. According to KNP officials, most previous sightings have only been recorded through camera traps installed by the Forest Department.
KNP authorities further informed that the snow leopard population in the region is showing signs of growth, with recent surveys recording 21 individuals in the Sikkim Himalayas, including nine within the Gyalshing Range of KNP in West Sikkim.
With this successful ascent of Mount Tenchenkhang — following a similar achievement by a German team earlier in May — Sikkim continues to strengthen its position as a premier destination for mountaineering and adventure tourism in the Eastern Himalayas.
