Kanchenjunga dawn from Lepchajagat

At 2,120 m, Lepchajagat sits above much of the surrounding country, and from open ground near the village the view runs north across ridge after ridge to the Kanchenjunga massif. At dawn on a clear day the summits catch the light first, turning pink, then gold, then white, while the valleys below are still dark and full of mist. Kanchenjunga, at 8,586 m the third-highest mountain on Earth, is the guardian of Lepcha tradition, which gives watching it from a village named for the Lepchas its own small weight.

Ask your host the evening before for the way and the walking time; from most stays it is only a few minutes. Aim to arrive 20 minutes before sunrise: about 5.10 am in October, 5.30 am in November and close to 6 am in December and January. It will be cold, often near freezing in mid-winter, so wear everything warm you have and take a flask. There is no fee, no tower and usually only a handful of people, many of them villagers out for a morning walk.

Clear mornings are most likely from October to early December and in March and April. From late April haze builds, and in the monsoon the peaks are hidden most days. If the first morning fails, try again the next; that is the argument for two nights. Afterwards, walk slowly back along the road as the birds start up at the forest edge and the village lights its kitchen fires. Breakfast will taste better for the cold.

Cost: Free