Unconquered mountain peaks. Mount Kailash: the mysterious and unconquered peak of Tibet

Unconquered peaks captivate us ...
We are striving there, knocking our feet into the blood ...

WHEN CLIMBING TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN, CONTINUE CLIMBING FURTHER
(Tibetan lamas)

Machapuchare

The most beautiful mountain peak, thanks to its steep slopes, clearly stands out against the background of the rest of the massif called Annapurna, once almost surrendered to the courage of climbers. The 1957 expedition, organized by Jimmy Roberts, stopped just fifty meters from the summit. Conquer one of beautiful mountains Himalayas they were thwarted by a promise made to the government of Nepal. The bottom line is that in the beliefs of the Hindus, it is at the top of Machapuchare that one of the supreme deities of the religion, Shiva, lives. Despite the fact that Roberts' team kept their promise, the top officials of Nepal immediately closed Machapuchara to any visit.

Kailash


The Tibetan six-thousander is considered sacred mountain among representatives of four major religions at once - Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and adherents of the faith called Bon. Despite the fact that Kailash is under the jurisdiction of the Chinese government, which occupied Tibet, it is the sacred status of the peak that has not allowed to conquer it until now. All known attempts to climb the mountain have failed for one reason or another. For example, the famous climber Reinhold Messner, who received permission from the Chinese authorities to conquer Kailash, subsequently refused to climb, and the Spanish expedition in 2000, which bought a pass for an impressive amount, was stopped by thousands of pilgrims who blocked the route and protests from the UN.

Gangkhar Puensum


The highest unconquered peak world, rising above sea level at more than seven and a half thousand meters. Located in the disputed territory between Bhutan and China, it could have submitted to the Japanese expedition in 1998, if the official Beijing would still issue permission to climb. Ultimately, the Japanese climbed to neighboring Liancang Kangri. Gangkhar Puensum could have fallen earlier, when mountaineering was already allowed in Bhutan, but a ban on visiting peaks above six thousand meters has not yet been introduced (again for religious reasons). However, the 1985 and 1986 expeditions ended in failure.

Tongshanjiabu

The peak, which rises to the sky at 7207 meters, is also located on the constantly contested Tibetan-Bhutanese border. Not a single attempt was made to climb Tongshanjiab even up to the law "everything that is higher than six thousand is not allowed." After him, of course, even more so. At the same time, the Korean expedition took the neighboring Shimokangri, which was lucky to find itself completely on the Chinese side.

Karjiang


This mountain, whose peak is at an altitude of 7221 meters, has not yet succumbed to human perseverance, not only because of certain difficulties with which Western expeditions get permission to climb from China. Karjiang is now considered one of the most difficult and rebellious peaks in the world - the high technical complexity and extremely high danger of avalanches, coupled with constantly unfavorable weather conditions, stopped more than one expedition along the way.

Gasherbrum 6


Being in a territory torn apart by political disputes (Pakistani Kashmir) does not particularly pose problems for climbers seeking to take this recalcitrant peak by storm. But the mountain itself is by no means the highest (6979 meters above the level) mountain of the Baltoro Muztag ridge gives expeditions much more problems than K2, which is the most high peak of this rock formation. Many experienced climbers stumbled over Gasherbrum 6.

Despite its modest height, barely exceeding three thousand meters above sea level, the Antarctic Siple volcano remains on the list of unconquered peaks in the world. Apart from its geographical inaccessibility, which, for example, did not prevent climbers from climbing Erebus, it is not known about any additional difficulties of climbing to the top.

Unconquered peaks are always very attractive. Reaching the highest point that no one has ever been to is a special pleasure for a climber. Go for it !!!

At one time, revered mountain climbers said that they had closed the book of discoveries in mountaineering - there was nothing more to do, they said. But the first car was very far from the fast cars we drive today. Mountaineering legends have paved the way, now a new generation faces a difficult task: to go through more difficult routes, or find other peaks.

Mianzimu (6054 m), Tibet, sacred mountain, there were no ascents. Photo by Janne Corax.

One of those who are interested in this is Simone Moro, by the way, he is. Several years ago, Simone, after a series of surveys, tried to climb Batura II, a peak that was said to be the highest peaks not yet conquered. Moreau could not reach the top - so this mountain still challenges climbers, as well as a number of other peaks that have not yet been stepped by a human foot.

But what kind of mountains are these, what criteria should be used to choose them? Climber, explorer and ExplorersWeb employee Janne Corax has compiled a list of the six highest unspoiled peaks, and added other interesting sites to it.

Happiness to be the first

Janne Corax for ExplorersWeb

Unconquered peaks are always very attractive. Reaching the highest point that no one has ever been to is a special pleasure for a climber. In 1950, Erzog and Lachenal ascended Annapurna - the first eight-thousander, which people climbed - thereby opening a "hunt" for 13 other giants. The last to fall was Shisha Pangma under the feet of the Chinese team, 14 years later.

Now the high-altitude climbers have turned their thoughts towards slightly lower goals.

Namche Barwa, 7782 m, a challenging mountain with extreme topography and perpetually bad weather conditions, reflected attempts until the Japanese team reached the summit in 1992. The climbers were also interested in the second peaks of the eight-thousanders, and they surrendered one after the other - the last was Lhotse Sredny, 8414 m, which a strong Russian team climbed in 2001.

Meili ridge, view from the Tibetan temple. Mianzimu is on the left, Meili Feng is the highest peak on the right. Photo by Janne Corax.

What's next?

Now the question is, which peaks are the most promising out of so far not covered?

To answer it, you must first define the selection criteria. Two of them are obvious: the mountain must be very high and unconquered. The third criterion is precisely the problem and is causing a lot of debate:

Real mountains / gendarmes on the ridge

Sometimes it is really a problem to distinguish between the big gendarme on the ridge and the real summit.

For example, many believe that the greatest difference in height is between the peak of Lhotse, the Middle and the lowest point of the jumper, which connects it to more high peak Is actually a very small value.

Unfortunately, there is no absolute standard, and some use a relative difference of 7% as a measure, while others use 400 m. If we take into account the 500-meter limit as a compromise, then the list we need will look like this.

Six highest virgin peaks

Gangkar Punsum, 7570 m - the peak, located in Bhutan, in the list of the highest mountain peaks listed at number 40, and without a doubt it is "number 1" on our list. An educated person will guess that the mountain will remain under this number for the time being. In the mid-80s, they tried to climb it, but all the expeditions returned not salty. In 1994, in Bhutan, the summits were partially closed for climbing. And in 2003, the government decided to ban all types of lasagna altogether. The reason for this is in the area of ​​understanding local beliefs and traditions.

"Number 2" on our list - Saser Kangri II East, 7518 m. The mountain is located in Indian Kashmir and has never before been of interest to climbers (at least there were no expeditions to it). The third highest peak of the array was ascended twice. It is difficult to get a permit for climbing in this area, but it is possible. On main peak, 7672 m high, a man's foot stepped in 1973.

Kabru north, 7394 m - the highest point of the Kabru massif, which in fact is a subgroup of the Kanchenjunga massif - has not yet been conquered. Surprisingly, its lower south peak fell back in 1935. A notable climb was made by Konrad Cook, who climbed to the top solo at the age of 18. This was a record for his age.
A Serb team tried to climb Kabru North in 2004, but avalanches forced them to retreat.

Labuche Kang is a little-known mountain group in Tibet. The main peak was conquered in 1987 by a Japanese team. Eastern - Labuche kang iii- about 7250 m high and still waiting for its first climbers.

The impressive southeast face of Karjiang - whose avalanche slopes and challenging edges reflect all climbers' efforts. Photo from the Dutch Karjiang 2001 expedition archive.

Karjiang, 7221 m - also located in Tibet. A couple of times they tried to climb it, but no one has yet managed to step on its hard-to-reach summit. Extreme avalanche danger and high technical complexity have made attempts to climb fruitless so far.

"Number 6" on our list - Tongshanjiabu, 7207 m. Rises on the Tibetan / Bhutan border. Koreans who climbed neighboring Shimokangri (7204 m) mentioned this peak in the expedition report and published a photo in the Japanese Alpine News - so far this is the only information available about this mountain.

Statements and misinterpretations

I should note that the six above-mentioned peaks will give a head start to the rest of the dispute when it comes to steepness and the first criterion - untouched by climbers. However, there are always rumors and statements on the mountaineering scene. Wherever you go, locals or climbers will show you up the mountain and say, “Look here! Nobody has climbed it yet! "

On another level, famous climbers sometimes claim the goal of their expedition to be "the highest peaks not yet conquered." The last time I heard of such a thing, in 2004, Moro & Ogwyn - the Italian-American deuce went to Batura II. The 7,762-meter-high giant in Pakistani Karakorum was, in their words (and "scientific sources"), the highest of the peaks that man did not climb. If you count the gendarme on the ridge with a difference of 100 m in height between its "peak" and the main mountain, then this statement, of course, contains a grain of truth, however: there are other high points on the ridge, some of which are higher than Batura II ... *

Untouched celebrities

Pilgrims aspire to Mt. Kailash every year. They go around the mountain with prayers, but never step on its slopes. Climbing is strictly prohibited. Photo by Project Himalaya.

The most famous of the unconquered peaks are lower than those we have named. Kailash in Western Tibet, the mountain is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and followers of the Bön religion. No one has ever climbed to its top, and permits are not issued, since this place is a shrine.

Whole Meili ridge known as Kawa Korpo, in the far northeast of Yunnan province in China, is also considered sacred to the locals. They tried to ascend some of the ridge peaks at the time when permits for ascents were issued. On this moment these mountains are closed for climbers.

Mianzimu in the Meili ridge is considered one of the most beautiful peaks in the world, as well as Kailash.

* In one of the interviews, when Simone was asked why he called Batura II the highest of the peaks that a person did not climb, he referred to the data of the expert Wolfgang Hichel and invited those interested in this issue to contact him personally by e-mail [email protected]

Translation by Elena Dmitrenko

Gangkhar Puensum is the most high mountain in Bhutan with a height of 7,570 meters, as well as the 40th highest peak in the world. Many will be very surprised, but Gangkhar Puensum still remains unconquered when most of the peaks in the Himalayas were conquered decades ago.

The summit of Gangkhar Puensum lies on the border of Bhutan and Tibet, although the exact border is disputed. Chinese maps have placed the peak right at the border, while other sources have placed it entirely in Bhutan. When the mountain was first mapped in 1922, the area maps were horribly inaccurate. Even more recently, area maps have shown the summit at different locations and marked at different heights. One of the first teams that decided to conquer the summit could not find the mountain at all.


Bhutan only discovered itself for mountaineering in 1983, as the mountains were considered the abode of sacred spirits. When the country finally opened its doors to climbers, a series of expeditions were organized. Between 1985 and 1986, four attempts were made that ended in failure. The decision to go mountaineering did not last long. In 1994, the government banned mountain climbing above 6,000 meters, and since 2004, mountaineering in the country has been completely banned, out of respect for local signs.


In 1998, a Japanese expedition obtained permission from the Chinese Mountaineering Association to climb Gangkhar Puensum north of Bhutan on the Tibetan side. But a long-standing border dispute with Bhutan never allowed it to happen. Instead, the expedition traveled to the 7,535-meter nearby Gangkhar Puensum North peak, which had not previously been conquered. The climbers concluded that the expedition to the main summit would be successful if allowed to organize.


Bhutan itself has not explored the peak either, and the country has no interest in conquering it anytime soon. With the difficulty of obtaining permits from the government, as well as the lack of rescue support, the mountain will likely remain unconquered for the near future.

Nothing attracts a person like the forbidden. Any taboo has always, in all ages, acted on daring minds in the same way - as an elementary challenge. How do you think the very existence of "unconquered peaks" affects a professional climber? Answer: Awakens aspiration. Tourists and amateurs have a different reaction: curiosity arises, why has no human foot stepped on them yet? In this article, we will tell you about this mountain in detail and in an interesting way, and you can personally look at it in the Annapurna region.

Machapuchare - the forbidden peak, the sacred abode of Shiva

Mount Machapuchare (or Machapuchre - there are certain "difficulties" of Nepali spelling) freely spreads in the very heart of central Nepal, near the city of Pokhara (distance - about 25 km to the North). The mountain belongs to the southern part mountain range of the Annapurna group and almost reaches the class of a seven-thousander, because its 6 thousand 998 meters is already difficult to attribute to a real six-thousander, but, as they say, a fact is a fact.

What is Machapuchare so famous for?

• Incredibly beautiful appearance. Anyone who has seen the mountain at least in the pictures will agree with this, not to mention the contemplation with their own eyes. Its double summit has such a pronounced and steep peak that it seems to pierce the defenseless sky. When you find yourself on the west side of Machapuchare, you can understand why it is called "Fish Tail" (literal translation). A little imagination - and you will vividly see the shape of the tail of a huge fish, with fins on paired tops. From time to time, the crystal white, shining haze of a snow shawl envelops the mountain, further emphasizing the beholder's attention to the greatness, confident power and even mythical strength of the mountain.

• The mountain is still considered unconquered. Not only is it really unusually difficult to climb, but also in 1957 the government of Nepal made an unambiguous decision - to close Mount Machapuchare for mountaineering due to its religious value for local population, who considers the mountain to be the sacred dwelling of Shiva himself, and the snow haze on its top - the aura of his divine essence. By the way, we saw such an aura during the trek to Annapurna Base Camp in October 2014. A very bewitching and extraordinary sight! See for yourself in the photo.

To make an unauthorized attempt to climb the mountain means not only to give a damn about the religious feelings of the Nepalese, but also to violate a clear administrative rule of the law, which entails tough responsibility. (For the curious, it should be noted that the death penalty still does not threaten - canceled in 1990, but section XIX of the Nepalese criminal code is devoted to religious crimes, for which you are unlikely to simply be severely reprimanded).

• Machapuchare has a twin brother Matterhorn (Alps), so many people want to compare them live. The mechanism is simple: I saw one mountain -> I was amazed -> I learned that there is another very similar in appearance -> I decided to check it personally. See for yourself: is there a similarity or not?

• Additional attention to Machapuchara is attracted by the nearby Annapurna base camp, the first, the so-called Annapurna Sanctuary. This mountain valley amazing beauty is an famous place mountain tourism, a source of inspiration, a conqueror of human hearts and souls.

Is it true that no man's foot has set foot on the top of Machapuchare?

The fact that the mountain is closed for climbing does not mean that no one has ever tried to climb this amazing peak. Officials loudly assert that there has been only one unfinished attempt by a British expedition to climb the mountain in history. Remarkably, this was done in the same year when the official ban on climbing was adopted, in the same 1957. However, there are rumors among climbers that a well-known lone adventurer from New Zealand named Bill Denz in the 1980s conquered this mountain at his own peril and risk. Rumor has it that he managed to climb several more mountain peaks prohibited by law for climbing. Being a secretive man, he took the secret about the reality of his ascent to Machapuchara with him to another world when he fell under an avalanche in 1983 during his next adventure. In fairness, it must be said that there are still some legal little-known inhabitants of the Machapuchare mountain slopes, who can safely walk along the slopes of the mountain. These are Tibetan eared hedgehogs living here and nowhere else, and it is already a great success to see them.

Attempt to climb Machapuchara in 1957 in detail

To talk about Machapuchara and not to tell about the British expedition of 1957 is a crime. Therefore, it is worth briefly describing their achievement, which is described in detail and artistically in the book "Climbing the Fish" s Tail "(1958) by one of the real participants in that ascent - Wilfrid Noyce.

The hardest and the most dangerous route chosen by the expedition was the most optimal and most acceptable of all the alternatives. The beginning of the ascent attempt was dated 04/18/1957 from Pokhara and 06/02/1957 climbers surrendered, as they lost the exact coordinates of the desired peak, it was snowing heavily, and the transition to a steep slope after a crack in a snow-ice slope (bergschrund) was almost insurmountable, and standing behind it, the sheer wall was completely made of ice. The whim of nature drove the climbers from the top, because their further ascent was more than a sure threat to life.

A real sensation in the mountaineering environment was the publication in many newspapers in 1957 of texts that Machapuchare had been conquered. However, this is not true, as the British climbers were unable to overcome the last 50 meters to the peak. They could not overcome it, and did not stop proactively, so as not to hurt the religious feelings of the residents. You can imagine how upset it was for the climbers who were one step away from accomplishment, but it would have been counted for them if they climbed to the top without reaching it to a conditional height (for example, the "officially completed" ascent of Kanchenjunga in 1955 was stopped 1.5 meters from the summit as a sign of reverence and respect for the local religion).

This is how it ended, but believers find a sacred meaning in this. Say, unwanted guests in the house of Shiva should be so happy that they returned alive! Doesn't someone understand that this is a lesson for everyone who wants to follow! Who does not know the truth that lessons should be correctly understood and adequately responded to? As a result, henceforth - not a single living soul will climb the mountain!

We do not suggest you climb to the top of Machapuchare, but you can see it from all sides and take pictures from different angles in our programs:

Schedule of the nearest tracks in Nepal, join us!

Start	The finish	Route	Price	Days
09.03.2020	20.03.2020	Trekking to Annapurna base camp - trek to Annapurna	750 $	12 days
10.03.2020	27.03.2020		880 $	18 days
22.03.2020	05.04.2020	Trekking to Everest Base Camp	770 $	15 days
07.04.2020	24.04.2020		880 $	18 days
09.04.2020	31.05.2020	Climbing Mount Everest 2020	21500 $	53 days
09.04.2020	31.05.2020	Climbing Lhotse 2020	16500 $	53 days
11.04.2020	25.04.2020

Near Mount Kailash, travelers experience completely new sensations that they did not know before. One becomes good and it seems as if everything is around beautiful place on earth, they are no longer afraid of anything, the surrounding place begins to scare others and seem to push away from themselves, many are speechless. Someone says that if you ask a question that worries you not far from this mountain, then you can solve it easily and outside the box.

Mythic frontier

For the representatives of Buddhism and Hinduism, for several centuries there is a sacred mountain in Tibet - Kailash. At night, when clouds envelop the summit, you can see how a light white light pours from the very high point way down. Some tourists describe the glowing figures on the slopes of the mountain, similar to the swastika symbol. Sometimes at dusk over the mountain, strange glowing balls are noticed, which vaguely resemble ball lightning. But these balloons paint whimsical signs in the air.

Recently, in addition to pilgrims, dozens of expeditions have been flocking to the mountain, people who dream of conquering the snowy peak. However, something special happens to each of them: a mythical boundary rises in front of someone, which he cannot cross, no matter how much he wants to. For others, as soon as they touch the mountain, their palms become blistered.

Amazing and geographical position Mount Kailash: it is 6666 km away from the North Pole, the distance from the South Pole to the foot of the mountain is twice as large, but Stonehenge is also 6666 km away.

However, physically, the mountain is rarely opposed to climbers, avalanches and rockfalls are rare here. Nevertheless, all tourists willingly refuse to go upstairs literally after 300-400 meters. Only the most rejected people can be close to the sacred mountain.

The Legend of the "Stone Mirrors"

Even in the planes flying over Kailash, the equipment stops working, the compass arrows turn in different directions. On the diagram of the mountain, so-called stone mirrors are often painted on each side, which change the course of time, concentrating energy differently than on the ground.

However, there is a sacred road up the mountain that can be reached. There is a legend about two travelers who turned off the sacred road when they climbed Mount Kailash, after returning to their village in just a few months young people aged 60 years and died. Doctors then could not find any apparent reason for such a wilting.

Recently, thanks to the experiments carried out, it was revealed that in 12 hours at Mount Kailash, people's nails and hair grow as much as they would normally grow for two to three weeks.

Near the foot of the mountain there is a "Cemetery" where the bodies of Tibetans are taken out to be eaten by vultures. Such a funeral is considered auspicious for the soul of the deceased.