Everest and K2 are world-famous for their height and difficulty of reaching the summit. Nevertheless, both of these famous mountains have been reached numerous times already. Touristic activities, including expeditions to the summit, are being developed for them and many other of the world’s highest summits.
However, there are probably over a thousand peaks on the globe that have yet to be conquered. They’re not the highest known ones, but they remain inaccessible to climbers for a variety of reasons. At least, that’s what the official records say. In a nutshell, the reasons for a mountain remaining untouched by man are as follows:
- Unfriendly landscape. Despite their moderate height, several summits are inaccessible due to their remote position, steep slopes, high winds, and the threat of avalanches. Mountains Karjiang I and Muchu Chhish in Asia are two examples of such non-climber-friendly summits.
- Religious and/or political restrictions. There are peaks situated on the border of two countries or on territories under dispute. For instance, the peak called Gangkhar Puensum has its faces in Bhutan and Tibet. If any of these territories prohibit the ascent by legislation or proclaim a religious ban on climbing (like Bhutan did in 2003), the mountain may remain unconquered for several years.
- Absence of readily accessible databases. While some climbers claim to have reached a summit, their accomplishment may be unbeknownst to others. The language barrier, absence of sufficient proof, and other technical issues can result in the records being not ample or inaccurate.
- Summit is reached from only one face. In Pakistan, this is the case with Masherbrum. This 25,659-foot (7,821 m) summit has never been reached from its north face and is considered unclimbed by numerous climbers because of that. The same is true for Nepal’s Annapurna III. So yet, the south face of the 24,787-foot (7,555 m) peak has not been conquered.
Let’s have a look at which high mountains are still unconquered or at least considered as such.
1. Gangkhar Puensum
The name of this 24,836-foot (7,570 m) mountain can be translated in different ways. Some linguists refer to it as a ″White Summit″ that belongs to ″Three Brothers in Spirit″. The alternative translation of the name is ″The Summit that belongs to Three Brothers and Sisters″. It’s the highest summit within Bhutan and the 40th largest on the globe. The mountain has its north face in China (Tibet), though there’s a dispute regarding the border between these countries in this spot. The Bhutanese authorities map the mountain as fully belonging to Bhutanese territory, while Chinese authorities mark the border as running along the summit of Gangkar Puensum.
In 1985 and 1986, four expeditions tried to get to the top but were forced to return. In 1994, Bhutan limited climbing activities for peaks that reach over 6,000 m (about 19,500 feet). However, in 1998, the Japanese expedition managed to reach the nearby peak, which is considered subsidiary to Gangkhar Puensum. The climbers have mountaineered from Chinese territory.
2. Muchu Chhish
Located in a remote place and featuring a complex landscape, this Pakistan summit is 24,449 feet (7,452 m) high. Several expeditions tried to conquer it. None of them was successful, though. The mountain belongs to the Western Karakoram region and is considered the 25th highest in the country. Climbers should expect a lot of snow, strong winds, and steep icy slopes as they approach the top. The last expedition, initiated by Czech climbers in 2021, failed to reach the top of the mountain. After the 5-hour ascent towards the top, the climbers decided to retreat and leave the peak unconquered.
The previous expeditions were even less lucky. In 2014, the British team organized the mountaineer expedition to Muchu Chhish but returned from the position of 19,685 feet (6,000 m) height. They were aware of the dangers posed by avalanches, which made both ascent and descent extremely dangerous.
3. Kabru
The name of this peak is often translated as ″The Summit of God″. It consists of several summits forming a ridge. The latter is spread across two countries, India and Nepal, and its highest peak is 24,318 feet (7,412 m). The ridge’s topology is confusing, as different names for its peaks have been documented in various sources. The highest of them is also under dispute. Some topographical experts believe it is a separate mountain, while others believe it is a part of the ridge.
There’s a record of an Indian expedition climbing Kabru in 1994. The mountaineers have reached several summits. Nonetheless, the record falls short of the tallest, which is located in the north. The avalanche activity on Kabru is fairly intense, and the landscape of the mountain gives little opportunity for shelter and camping.
4. Labuche Kang III
This Tibetan mountain is 23,790 feet (7,250 m) high and is part of the Himalayas near the Indian border. It’s a part of the little-explored ridge forming a Pamari Himal section, and is close to the bed of the river Tamakoshi. And only a few attempts have been made to conquer it, all unsuccessful. Only three expeditions have been officially recorded, and the most recent of which dates back to 2018. The American mountaineers almost got to the summit but were forced to turn back just 1,300 ft from it.
Heavy snowing, avalanches are frequent on all faces of Labuche Kang III. Besides, its constant threat of crevices let the mountain keep the status of unconquered one up to now.
5. Karjiang I
Another peak in Tibet, which still officially remains untouched nowadays, is Karjiang I. It features 23,691 feet (7,221 m) and is located near Bhutan, like many other hard-to-reach Tibetan mountains. It’s not a separate peak but a part of the larger Karjiang South summit.
A small mountaineer team from the Netherlands ventured to conquer this summit in 2001. The climbers reached the neighboring peak Karjiang III, which reaches 22,375 feet (6,820 m). But bad weather prevented them from climbing higher, to the top of Karjiang I.
Another attempt to reach it was made in 2010 but failed to even start. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China didn’t grant permission to an American expedition to explore the summit.