Category: Activities

With 8 highest peaks and many 8000 m and 7000 m peaks Nepal is considered the best destination for mountaineering in the world.

Mountaineering in Nepal is not only challenging but also very rewarding. Part of the Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world lies in Nepal. Eight of the fourteen eight-thousander are located in the country, either in whole or shared across a border with China or India. Nepal has the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest. The ultimate glory of mountaineering is reaching the summit of Mt. Everest, but there are other technical challenges like Lhose beside it or you can take on any of the other 326 climbing peaks that are waiting for you.

The most formidable mountain range in the world with nearly a third of the country lying above the elevation of 3,500 m. Eight of the world’s highest peaks lie within Nepal’s territory:

which are all over 8,000 m above sea level. Everest was first sumitted by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 with a Bristish Expedition led by John Hunt. While the first mountain to be climbed among them was Annapurna in 1950 by a French Expedition with Maurice Herzog as leader.

Besides these eight giant peaks, there are 326 other mountains within Nepal which are open for mountaineering expeditions and out of them, 103 have never been climbed before. Nepal offers mountaineers more opportunities than any other country in the world, and throws endless challenges at them including the less glorified trekking peaks which still require climbing gear and climbing skills if you want to climb them.

Mountain /Peak	Metres	Feet	Section	Notes
Mount Everest	8,848	29,029	Khumbu	Earth’s highest from sea level
Kanchenjunga	8,586	28,169	Northern Kanchenjunga	3rd highest on Earth
Lhotse	8,516	27,940	Everest Group	4th highest
Makalu	8,463	27,766	Makalu Mahalangur	5th highest
Cho Oyu	8,201	26,906	Khumbu Mahalangur	6th highest
Dhaulagiri I	8,167	26,795	Dhaulagiri	7th highest
Manaslu	8,156	26,759	Mansiri	8th highest
Annapurna I	8,091	26,545	Annapurna	10th highest
Gyachung Kang	7,952	26,089	Khumbu Mahalangur	between Everest and Cho Oyu
Annapurna II	7,937	26,040	Annapurna
Himalchuli	7,893	25,896	Mansiri	18th highest
Ngadi Chuli	7,871	25,823	Mansiri	First ascent 1970
Nuptse	7,861	25,791	Everest Group	319 metres prominence from Lhotse
Dhaulagiri II	7,751	25,430	Dhaulagiri
Jannu	7,711	25,299	Kumbhakarna Kangchenjunga
Dhaulagiri IV	7,661	25,135	Dhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri V	7,618	24,993	Dhaulagiri
Annapurna III	7,555	24,787	Annapurna
Jongsong Peak	7,462	24,482	Janak	#57 in the world
Gangapurna	7,455	24,459	Annapurna
Yangra	7,422	24,350	Ganesh
Kabru	7,412	24,318	Singalila Kangchenjunga
Churen Himal	7,385	24,229	Dhaulagiri
Kirat Chuli	7,365	24,163	Kangchenjunga
Nangpai Gosum	7,350	24,114	Khumbu Mahalangur	First ascent October 12, 1986
Gimmigela Chuli	7,350	24,114		First ascent 1995
Chamlang	7,321	24,019	Barun Mahalangur	#79 in the world
Dhaulagiri VI	7,268	23,845	Dhaulagiri
Putha Hiunchuli	7,246	23,773	Dhaulagiri
Langtang Lirung	7,227	23,711	Langtang	#99 in the world
Annapurna Dakshin	7,219	23,684	Annapurna
Langtang Ri	7,205	23,638	Langtang	#106 in the world
Chamar	7,187	23,579	Sringi	First ascent 1953
Melungtse	7,181	23,560	Rolwaling	First ascent 1988
Pumori	7,161	23,494	Khumbu Mahalangur	First ascent 1962
Nemjung Manang	7,140	23,425		First ascent 1983
Gaurishankar	7,134	23,406	Rolwaling	First ascent 1979
Tilicho Peak	7,134	23,406	Annapurna	First ascent 1979
Api	7,132	23,399	Yoka Pahar Gurans	First ascent 1960
Baruntse	7,129	23,389	Barun Mahalangur	First ascent 1954
Nilgiri	7,061	23,166	Nilgiri Annapurna	First ascent 1962
Saipal	7,031	23,068	Saipal Gurans
Machapuchare	6,993	22,943	Annapurna	Sacred mountain, unclimbed
Kang Guru	6,981	22,904	Larkya or Peri	2005 avalanche kills 18
Dorje Lakpa	6,966	22,854	Langtang
Kanjiroba	6,883	22,582	Kanjiroba Himal
Kubi Gangri	6,859	22,503	Himalayas
Jethi Bahurani	6,850	22,474	Himalayas
Ama Dablam	6,812	22,349	Barun Mahalangur	“Mother and her necklace”
Kangtega	6,782	22,251	Barun Mahalangur	First ascent 1963
Cho Polu	6,735	22,096	Barun Mahalangur	First ascent 1999
Changla	6,721	22,051	Himalayas
Lingtren	6,714	22,028	Khumbu Mahalangur	First ascent 1935
Num Ri	6,677	21,906	Barun Mahalangur	First ascent 2002
Khumbutse	6,640	21,785	Khumbu Mahalangur	First mountain west of Everest
Thamserku	6,623	21,729	Barun Mahalangur	First ascent 1964
Pangboche	6,620	21,719	Kutang Himal
Dragmarpo Ri	6,578	21,581	Langtang	Unclimbed
Taboche	6,542	21,463	Khumbu Mahalangur	First ascent 1974
Singu Chuli	6,501	21,329	Annapurna	Trekking peak
Mera Peak	6,476	21,247	Himalayas	Trekking peak
Hiunchuli	6,441	21,132	Annapurna	Trekking peak (difficult)
Cholatse	6,440	21,129	Khumbu Mahalangur	Connected to Taboche
Kusum Kangguru	6,367	20,889	Barun Mahalangur	Trekking peak (difficult)
Ombigaichan	6,340	20,801	Barun Mahalangur
Om Parvat	6,191	20,312	Himalayas	Sacred summit
Kongde Ri	6,187	20,299	Barun Mahalangur	Trekking peak (difficult)
Imja Tse	6,160	20,210	Khumbu Mahalangur	Also known as Island Peak. Popular trekking peak.
Lobuche	6,145	20,161	Khumbu Mahalangur	Trekking peak
Pisang Peak	6,091	19,984	Annapurna	Trekking peak
Nirekha	6,069	19,911	Khumbu Mahalangur	Trekking peak (difficult)
Baden-Powell Peak	5,825	19,111	Jugal	Formerly known as Urkema Peak
Pokalde	5,806	19,049	Khumbu Mahalangur	Trekking peak (moderate)
Mount Khumbila	5,761	18,901	Mahalangur	Unclimbed
Tharpu Chuli	5,663	18,579	Annapurna	Trekking peak
Kala Patthar	5,545	18,192	Khumbu Mah	Popular hiking peak below Pumori
Yala Peak	5,520	18,110	Langtang
Gokyo Ri	5,357	17,575	Khumbu	Popular hiking peak

 

Nepal’s climbing history goes back a long way starting with the early explorers from British India who were lured by lofty peaks and the challenges of climbing virgin peaks where no human had set foot before. By the 1960s Nepal’s trekking and mountaineering industry was well establishhed with private companies providing all logistics including porters and guides for a full expedition that would spend months in the mountains.

Since ancient times, people have viewed mountain peaks as towering objects of myth, spiritual inspiration, and romantic beauty. Early people made ascents only to hunt game, to rescue lost or strayed animals, or to gain a military advantage over an enemy. Eventually, the unknown and inaccessible ceased to be something to be feared and avoided, and the conquest of the major mountain peaks and ranges of the world began. Mountaineering as a sport was born on 8th Aug 1786, with the first ascent of Mont Du Blanc (4807 m / 15,771 ft), one of Europe ‘s tallest peaks. Since that ascent, mountain climbing has evolved into three related sports: alpine climbing, ice climbing, and rock climbing. These sports require the same fundamental techniques.

Today there are many companies that will take care of every aspect of mountain climbing and all the mountaineer has to do is arrive in good shape physically and mentally, prepared to take on the challenge and not worry about equipment and supplies. Most of the Everest expeditions are handled by well-known and trusted private companies.

The reputation of the Sherpas is built on mountaineering with many of these mountain people achieving glorified status with their multiplt climbs of Everest and other 8000 m peaks. Most expeditions wouldn’t go up without the loyal, hardy and extremely reliable sherpas. They risk theiir lives for their clients and are often called upon to rescue a climber in trouble. Although today there are many other ethnic groups involved in the service, they are generally referred to as Sherpas.

Despite all the attention being grabbed by mountains like Everest and Annapurna, the latter more for trekking than climbing, there are other peaks being climbed on a regular basis but don’t make headline news. Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Manaslu are also climbed often besides trekking peaks like Mera, Island and Yala peaks which are quite popular. Ther are also climbers looking to climb virgin peaks as Nepal from time to time, opens up new, unheard of peaks for climbing and who wouldn’t want to be the first to climb!

Nepal has designated the Annapurna, Manaslu and Kanchenjunga regions as Conservation Areas while Sagarmatha (Everest), Langtang and Shey-Phoksundo (Dolpo) are national parks while other mountain areas might not fall into these categories but are designated as ‘Restricted Areas’ as they are close to Nepal’s northern border. While the infrastructure of, and accessibility to Sagarmatha, Annapurna, Manaslu and Langtang are well developed and easily accessible enabling mountaineers and expeditions to make quick progress to their base camps the remaining areas, including the restricted areas are still very remote, where rescue or help from external sources will be difficult or unlikely and access to these areas is complex and at times difficult. Expeditions into those areas require a completely different approach, level of commitment and organizational ability to succeed on their chosen summit.