The most unconquered mountain in the world. Are there any other unconquered mountain peaks anywhere? The Legend of the "Stone Mirrors"

We warn you: the article is full of beauty and aesthetics, which makes the next eight unconquered peaks even more desirable. Especially if you are an extreme sports enthusiast, love heights, and have been looking for thrills for a long time.

Gangkhar Puensum

• Height: 7,570 meters
• Location: China-Bhutan border
• Why not conquered: stupid laws

Gangkhar Puensum lies on the disputed border between China and Bhutan. It is certainly not disputed that Gangkhar Puensum is the highest peak yet unclimbed. Four attempts were made in the 1980s, after which Bhutan passed a law prohibiting mountaineering at altitudes above 6 km.

Source: wikipedia.org

North Face of Masherbrum 4

• Height: 7.821 m
• Location: Pakistan
• Why not conquered: extreme difficulty

Masherbrum was conquered back in 1960 along a fairly simple route. But there is a wall that no one has ever climbed. The reason is still the same - the route is “unrealistically extreme”.

Source: supercoolpics.co

Mount Siple

• Height: 3,110 m
• Location: Siple Island, Antarctica
• Why not conquered: harsh climate

This peak is located in Antarctica, and the main difficulty in conquering it is not the route, but low temperature and distance from the civilized world. It is suspected that Mount Siple is actually an extinct volcano covered by a glacier.

Source: wikipedia.org

Machapuchare

• Height: 6,998 m
• Location: north central Nepal;
• Why it was not conquered: religion and law

The most beautiful mountain peak, thanks to its steep slopes, stands out clearly against the background of the rest of the massif called Annapurna, once almost surrendered to the mercy of the courage of climbers. The 1957 expedition, led by Jimmy Roberts, stopped just fifty meters from the summit. They were prevented from conquering one of the most beautiful mountains of the Himalayas by a promise made to the government of Nepal.

The point is that in Hindu beliefs, 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 its promise, Nepal's top officials immediately closed Machapuchare to any visits.

Source: green-travel.biz

Kailash

• Height: 6.638 m
• Location: Southern Tibetan Plateau in the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China
• Why not conquered: “sacred” status

The Tibetan six-thousander is considered sacred mountain among representatives of four major religions at once - Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and adherents of a 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 yet allowed it to be conquered.

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 abandoned the climb, and the Spanish expedition of 2000, which bought a pass for a significant sum, was stopped by thousands of pilgrims who blocked the route and protests from the UN.

Source: wikipedia.org

Tongshanjiabu

• Height: 7,207 m
• Location: central part Himalayas, 12 km northwest of Kangphu Kang
• Why not conquered: laws

The peak, which reaches 7,207 meters into the sky, is also located on the constantly disputed Tibetan-Bhutanese border. Not a single attempt was made to climb Tongshanjiabu, even before the law “everything above six thousand is prohibited.” After him, of course, and even more so. At the same time, the Korean expedition took neighboring Shimokangri, which was lucky to find itself completely on the Chinese side.

Nothing attracts a person more than the forbidden. Any taboo has always, in all centuries, 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 desire. Tourists and amateurs have a different reaction: curiosity arises, why hasn’t a person set foot on them yet? In this article we will talk in detail and interestingly about this mountain, and you can see it in person in the Annapurna region.

Machapuchare - forbidden peak, sacred abode of Shiva

Mount Machapuchare (or Machapuchre - there are certain “difficulties” in Nepali spelling) is freely located 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 Annapurna group and barely falls short of the seven-thousander class, because its 6 thousand 998 meters is already difficult to classify as a real six-thousander, but, as they say, a fact is a fact.

Why is Machapuchare so famous?

• Incredibly beautiful appearance. Anyone who has seen the mountain at least in photographs, not to mention in person, will agree with this. Its double peak has such a pronounced and steep peak that it seems to pierce the defenseless sky. When you find yourself on the western side of Machapuchare, you will be able to understand why it is called the “Fish Tail” (literal translation). A little imagination - and you will clearly see the shape of the tail of a huge fish, with fins on twin tops. A crystal white, shining haze of a snow shawl envelops the mountain from time to time, further emphasizing the viewer’s attention on the greatness, confident power and even mythical power of the mountain.

• The mountain is still considered unconquered. Not only is it really unusually difficult to climb, but in 1957 the Nepalese government made an unequivocal decision to close Mount Machapuchare to mountaineering due to its religious value for local population, which considers the mountain to be the sacred abode of Shiva himself, and the snowy haze on its top to be the aura of his divine essence. By the way, we saw such an aura during the track to base camp Annapurna in October 2014. A very fascinating and unusual sight! See for yourself in the photo.

Making an unauthorized attempt to climb the mountain means not only not giving a damn about the religious feelings of the Nepalese, but also violating a clear administrative norm of the law, which entails strict liability. (For the curious, it should be noted that there is no death penalty - it was abolished 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, the Matterhorn (Alps), so many people want to compare them in person. The mechanism is simple: I saw one mountain -> I was amazed -> I learned that there was another one very similar in appearance in the world -> I decided to check it out personally. See for yourself: is there any similarity or not?

• Additional attention to Machapuchara is drawn to the nearby Annapurna First Base Camp, the so-called Annapurna Sanctuary. This mountain valley amazing beauty is famous place mountain tourism, a source of inspiration, a conqueror of human hearts and souls.

Is it really true that no human has ever 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. Official sources loudly claim that in all history there was only one unsuccessful attempt by a British expedition to climb the mountain. What is noteworthy is that 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 solo 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. Being a secretive person, he took the secret of the reality of his ascent to Machapuchare with him to another world when he was caught in 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 mountain slopes of Machapuchare, who can safely walk along the slopes of the mountain. These are Tibetan long-eared hedgehogs that live here and nowhere else, and seeing them is already a great success.

The attempt to climb Machapuchare in 1957 in detail

Talking about Machapuchara and not telling about the British expedition of 1957 is a crime. Therefore, it is worth telling in a nutshell about 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 most difficult 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 is dated 04/18/1957 from Pokhara and 06/02/1957 the climbers gave up because they had lost the exact coordinates of the desired peak, there was heavy snowfall, and the transition to a steep slope after a crack in the snow-ice slope (bergschrund) was almost insurmountable, and standing behind it the sheer wall was entirely made of ice. A whim of nature drove the climbers from the top, because their further ascent was more than a certain threat to their lives.

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

That’s how it all ended, but believers find sacred meaning in it. They say that unwanted guests in Shiva’s house should be glad that they returned alive! Doesn’t anyone understand that this is a lesson for everyone who follows! Who does not know the truth that lessons should be correctly understood and responded to adequately? As a result, from now on, not a single living soul will climb the mountain!

We don’t offer you to climb to the top of Machapuchare, but you can have a good look at it from all sides and take photographs from different angles in our following programs:

Schedule of upcoming treks in Nepal, join us!

On July 31, 1954, only 52 years after the first ascent attempt, one of the most difficult mountain peaks to climb, K2, finally fell before the climbers. Against this background, we recall other stunning peaks, for various reasons still unconquered.

The most beautiful mountain peak, thanks to its steep slopes, stands out clearly against the background of the rest of the massif called Annapurna, once almost surrendered to the mercy of the courage of climbers. The 1957 expedition, led by Jimmy Roberts, stopped just fifty meters from the summit. They were prevented from conquering one of the most beautiful mountains of the Himalayas by a promise made to the government of Nepal. The point is that in Hindu beliefs, 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 its promise, Nepal's top officials immediately closed Machapuchare to any visits.

The Tibetan six-thousander is considered a sacred mountain by representatives of four major religions - Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and adherents of a 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 yet allowed it to be conquered. 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 abandoned the climb, and the Spanish expedition of 2000, which bought a pass for a significant sum, was stopped by thousands of pilgrims who blocked the route and protests from the UN.

The highest unconquered peak in the world, rising more than seven and a half thousand meters above sea level. Located on disputed territory between Bhutan and China, she could have submitted to the Japanese expedition in 1998 if official Beijing had nevertheless issued permission to climb. The Japanese eventually climbed to nearby 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 had not yet been introduced (again for religious reasons). However, the expeditions of 1985 and 1986 ended unsuccessfully.

The peak, which reaches 7,207 meters into the sky, is also located on the constantly disputed Tibetan-Bhutanese border. Not a single attempt was made to climb Tongshanjiabu, even before the law “everything above six thousand is prohibited.” After him, of course, and even more so. At the same time, the Korean expedition took neighboring Shimokangri, which was lucky to find itself completely on the Chinese side.

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

Being in politically disputed territory (Pakistan's Kashmir) poses no particular problems for climbers seeking to storm this unruly peak. But the mountain itself, which is by no means the highest (6979 meters above level) of the Baltoro Muztagh ridge, gives expeditions much more problems than K2, which is the highest high peak this mountain formation. Quite a few experienced climbers have tripped over Gasherbrum 6.

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

We warn you: the article is full of beauty and aesthetics, which makes the next eight unconquered peaks even more desirable. Especially if you are an extreme sports enthusiast, love heights, and have been looking for thrills for a long time.

Gangkhar Puensum

• Height: 7,570 meters
• Location: China-Bhutan border
• Why not conquered: stupid laws

Gangkhar Puensum lies on the disputed border between China and Bhutan. It is certainly not disputed that Gangkhar Puensum is the highest peak yet unclimbed. Four attempts were made in the 1980s, after which Bhutan passed a law prohibiting mountaineering at altitudes above 6 km.

Source: wikipedia.org

North Face of Masherbrum 4

• Height: 7.821 m
• Location: Pakistan
• Why not conquered: extreme difficulty

Masherbrum was conquered back in 1960 along a fairly simple route. But there is a wall that no one has ever climbed. The reason is still the same - the route is “unrealistically extreme”.

Source: supercoolpics.co

Mount Siple

• Height: 3,110 m
• Location: Siple Island, Antarctica
• Why not conquered: harsh climate

This peak is located in Antarctica, and the main difficulty in conquering it is not the route, but the low temperature and distance from the civilized world. It is suspected that Mount Siple is actually an extinct volcano covered by a glacier.

Source: wikipedia.org

Machapuchare

• Height: 6,998 m
• Location: north central Nepal;
• Why it was not conquered: religion and law

The most beautiful mountain peak, thanks to its steep slopes, stands out clearly against the background of the rest of the massif called Annapurna, once almost surrendered to the mercy of the courage of climbers. The 1957 expedition, led by Jimmy Roberts, stopped just fifty meters from the summit. They were prevented from conquering one of the most beautiful mountains of the Himalayas by a promise made to the government of Nepal.

The point is that in Hindu beliefs, 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 its promise, Nepal's top officials immediately closed Machapuchare to any visits.

Source: green-travel.biz

Kailash

• Height: 6.638 m
• Location: Southern Tibetan Plateau in the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China
• Why not conquered: “sacred” status

The Tibetan six-thousander is considered a sacred mountain by representatives of four major religions - Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and adherents of a 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 yet allowed it to be conquered.

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 abandoned the climb, and the Spanish expedition of 2000, which bought a pass for a significant sum, was stopped by thousands of pilgrims who blocked the route and protests from the UN.

Source: wikipedia.org

Tongshanjiabu

• Height: 7,207 m
• Location: Central Himalayas, 12 km northwest of Kangphu Kang
• Why not conquered: laws

The peak, which reaches 7,207 meters into the sky, is also located on the constantly disputed Tibetan-Bhutanese border. Not a single attempt was made to climb Tongshanjiabu, even before the law “everything above six thousand is prohibited.” After him, of course, and even more so. At the same time, the Korean expedition took neighboring Shimokangri, which was lucky to find itself completely on the Chinese side.

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 a far cry from the fast cars we drive today. Legends of mountaineering have paved the way, now the new generation faces a difficult task: to go more difficult routes, or find other vertices.

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

One of those who is interested in this is Simone Moro, by the way. Several years ago, Simone, after a series of explorations, attempted to climb Batura II, a peak that was said to be the highest peak yet to be conquered. Moreau was unable to reach the top - so this mountain still poses a challenge to climbers, as well as a number of other peaks that have not yet been climbed by man.

But what kind of mountains are these, and by what criteria should you choose them? Mountaineer, explorer and ExplorersWeb contributor Janne Corax compiled a list of the six highest untouched peaks, and added other interesting objects to it.

Happiness to be first

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, Herzog and Lachenal climbed Annapurna, the first eight-thousander climbed by humans, thereby opening the hunt for 13 other giants. Shisha Pangma was the last to fall under the feet of the Chinese team, 14 years later.

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

Namche Barwa, 7,782m, a difficult mountain with extreme terrain and persistently bad weather conditions, repelled attempts until a Japanese team succeeded in reaching the summit in 1992. The climbers were also interested in the second peaks of eight-thousanders, and they gave up one after another - the last was Lhotse Middle, 8414 m, which was climbed by a strong Russian team 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 of the still unclimbed peaks are the most promising?

To answer this, you must first determine the selection criteria. Two of them are obvious: the mountain must be very high and unconquered. The third criterion is precisely the problem and causes 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 peak.

For example, many believe that the greatest difference in height is between the peak of Lhotse Middle and the lowest point of the bridge that 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 m limit as a compromise, then the list we need will look like this.

Six highest virgin peaks

Gangkar Punsum, 7570 m - the peak is located in Bhutan, in the list of the highest mountain peaks it appears at number 40, and, without a doubt, this is “number 1” on our list. An educated person will guess that the mountain will remain under this number for now. In the mid-80s they tried to climb it, but all the expeditions returned empty-handed. In 1994, peaks in Bhutan were partially closed to climbing. And in 2003, the government decided to ban all types of climbing altogether. The reason for such actions lies 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 previously been of interest to climbers (at least there have been no expeditions to it). We climbed the third highest peak of the massif twice. It is difficult to obtain a permit to climb in this area, but it is possible. A person set foot on the main peak, 7672 m high, in 1973.

Kabru North, 7394 m - the highest point of the Kabru massif, which is essentially a subgroup of the Kanchenjunga massif - has not yet been conquered. Surprisingly, hers is lower southern peak fell back in 1935. A notable ascent was made by Conrad Cook, who reached the summit solo at 18 years old. This was a record for his age.
A Serbian team tried to climb Kabru North in 2004, but avalanches forced them to retreat.

Labuche Kang is a little-known group of peaks in Tibet. The main peak was conquered in 1987 by a Japanese team. Eastern – Labuche Kang III– approximately 7250 m high and still awaiting its first climbers.

The impressive SE face of Karjiang - whose avalanche-prone slopes and complex faces repel all attempts of climbers. Photo from the archive of the Dutch Karjiang 2001 expedition.

Karjiang, 7221 m – also located in Tibet. They tried to climb it a couple of times, but no one had yet managed to set foot on its inaccessible peak. Extreme avalanche danger and high technical difficulty have so far made climbing attempts fruitless.

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

Statements and rumors

I should note that the six peaks listed above will give a head start to the rest in the debate when it comes to steepness and the first criterion - untouched by climbers. However, there are always rumors and statements on the mountain climbing stage. Wherever you go, locals or climbers will point you to the mountain and say, “Look here! No one has climbed it yet!”

On another level, famous mountaineers sometimes declare the goal of their expedition to be “the highest peaks yet unclimbed.” The last time I heard of something like this was when Moro & Ogwyn, an Italian-American duo, went on Batura II in 2004. The 7,762-meter-high giant in the Pakistani Karakoram was, according to them (and “scientific sources”), the highest peak not climbed by man. If you count a gendarme on a ridge with a 100m difference in height between its "top" and the main mountain, then this statement certainly contains some truth, however: there are others high points on ridges, some of which are higher than Batura II...*

Untouched Celebrities

Pilgrims rush to Mt. Kailash every year. They walk around the mountain with prayers, but never set foot on its slopes. Climbing is strictly prohibited. Photo by Project Himalaya.

The most famous of the unclimbed peaks are lower than those we 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 local residents. They tried to climb some of the peaks of the ridge at a time when climbing permits were issued. On this moment these mountains are closed to climbers.

Mianzimu in the Meili ridge is considered one of the most beautiful peaks 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 no man has climbed, he referred to the data of the Wolfgang Hichel expert and invited those interested in this issue to contact him personally by e-mail [email protected]

Translation by Elena Dmitrenko