Nepal's varied topography, despite its small area, has made it an explorer's paradise. The Himalayan country surprisingly bears eight of the world's highest mountains. Among the 14 peaks over 8,000m worldwide, Nepal's convenient location boasts eight, including Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Cho Oyu, and Annapurna. Daring adventurers glorify the peaks in the Himalayan range each year by visiting the site of these mountains and even scaling them.
Here are the 8 Highest Peaks in Nepal
Mount Everest (8,848.86 m)
The earth's highest mountain, Everest, is also known as Chomolungma in the local Tibetan dialect, which means Mother of the World, and Sagarmatha in Nepali, meaning "Forehead in the Sky." Everest has become one of the most sought-after destinations for adventurers since its discovery as the highest mountain during the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India in 1856.
Everest was successfully scaled on May 29, 1953, by the team of Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal. The legend of George H. L. Mallory, who died in the 1924 expedition, and debates surrounding whether he could have reached the top remain unresolved. More than 7,000 summits have been made, including 193 without supplementary oxygen.
Kanchenjunga (8,586 m)
Kanchenjunga, the third-highest mountain in the world, was once believed to be the highest mountain. This enormous mass lies between the border of Nepal and Sikkim. Attempts to scale Kanchenjunga went as far back as 1905. However, the first successful ascent was made only in 1955. As the mountain is considered holy by the people of Sikkim, it has been a standard to stop a few feet below the actual summit to honor the local belief.
Lhotse (8,516 m)
Lhotse lies immediately to the south of Everest, connected by the vertical ridge of South Col, which has an elevation of over 8,000m. The attention to climbing Lhotse was established only after the successful scaling of Everest. It was first summited in 1956 by Fritz Luchsinger and Ernest Reiss from Switzerland. The two subsidiary peaks of Lhotse - Lhotse Shar and Nuptse are equally famous.
Makalu (8,463 m)
Makalu is located 14 miles east of Everest as an isolated peak and is the fifth-highest mountain in the world. Its impressive size and pyramid shape with four sharp ridges make it a unique formation. A French group successfully scaled the peak in 1955 after the first sixteen failed attempts.
Cho Oyu (8,201m)
Cho Oyu is on the Tibetan border with Nepal just west of Everest and Lhotse. The mountain is a landmark for expeditions from the north, facing the scale of Everest, a prominent structure. Cho Oyu is considered one of the most accessible mountains, with over 8,000m to climb, and was first gloriously risen by two Austrians.
Dhaulagiri (8,167 m)
Located north of central Nepal, Dhaulagiri translates to White Mountain in the local dialect and is the seventh-highest mountain in the world. The mountain was considered the highest in the world after its discovery in 1808, and the legacy continued for 30 years until Kanchanjunga was discovered. Dhaulagiri is best known for its enormous size and several pyramid-shaped peak formations beside the beautiful glaciers and icefalls.
Manaslu (8,163 m)
Manaslu's eighth-highest mountain lies east of the Annapurna massif and is the first mountain over 8,000m to be climbed by an all-female expedition team from Japan. Manaslu means the Mountain of the Spirit in Sanskrit and is a steep mountain visible from a great distance in the surrounding region.
Annapurna (8,091m)
Among the most favored destinations for trekkers, Annapurna, the tenth-highest mountain in the world, was first summited in 1950 and is the first mountain over 8,000m to be climbed successfully. The Annapurna massif lies east of the gorge made by the Kali Gandaki River and is also known as the Goddess of the Harvest as it provides water and fertile soil for the valleys below.
