Mountains More Imposing Than Everest

Mount Everest is a common household name these days. Everyone knows the tallest mountain in the world, and the adventurous climbers that manage to reach the summit are regarded as legendary in the mountaineering world.

However, most people don’t realize there are more unclimbed peaks in the world than there are mountains that have been summited. For mountaineers, attaining a new peak is a goal nearly all aspire to. Here are some of the most imposing mountains that remain to be summited.

Gangkhar Puensum, Bhutan

At 7,570 meters, Gangkhar Puensum is the 40th tallest mountain in the world and generally considered the tallest unsummited peak left in the world. A part of the Himalayan Mountains, a number of mountaineering teams have tried and failed to reach the highest peak, although one team managed to reach a subsidiary peak. However, in 1994, Bhutan made it illegal to climb beyond 6,000 meters out of respect for the spiritual beliefs of locals. As such, it remains to be seen whether anyone will actually summit the mountain.

Muchu Chhish, Pakistan

Muchu Chhish is regarded as the second highest unclimbed peak in the world at 7,452 meters. There have only ever been two publicized attempts at summiting the mountain—the first of which failed, and the second of which had to turn around due to weather conditions and sheets of ice. When ascending untouched peaks, many teams are highly cautious, because lack of information can leave parties susceptible to hazards and unknown dangers. 

Karjiang, Tibet

Though its subsidiary peaks have been climbed, Karjiang 1, the tallest peak, has yet to be summited due to its technical nature and proneness to extreme weather. At 7,221 meters, the last attempt was made unsuccessfully in 2001. A team in 2010 wanted to attempt the summit, but did not receive permission from the government in time.