Chase your dream of capturing the ultimate mountain expedition in the Himalayas. Nepal is one of the world’s best destinations for mountaineering and peak climbing. Few places in the world have such captivating high mountains and spectacular peaks to scale amidst astounding natural beauty. The large number of Himalayan Peaks including 8 among the world’s highest over 8000 meter have always been a great attraction to the mountain climbers in Nepal. The 12 ultimate expeditions in the Himalayas are listed here.
1. Mt. Everest Expedition, one of the ultimate mountain expeditions in the Himalayas, takes you to the peak of tallest mountain in the world. No doubt, climbing Mt. Everest leaves the sense of most adventurous person on the planet. The South Col route on the Nepal side of Mt. Everest is the way taken by Sir Edmund Hillary and Late Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, who successfully climbed the top in 29 May 1953 registering their names as a Hero of the adventure world. To scale the tallest peak in the world, one must have extensive mountaineering experience of climbing expedition. While following the footprint of legendary trail to Mount Everest (8848 m), capture the true essence of being one of the most adventurous persons in the world.
2. Annapurna Expedition, one of the ultimate adventures in the world, leads you to the peak of the 10th highest mountain in the world. Annapurna is a series of Mountain peaks with a long massif of about 55 kilometers in length of which Annapurna I is the highest peak with the altitude of 8091 m. The Annapurna Range is located east of a great gorge cut through the Himalaya Mountains by the Kali Gandaki River, which separates it from the Dhaulagiri massif. The main summit stands to the west of the Annapurna Sanctuary. The other major peaks on the Annapurna range are Annapurna II (7937 m), Annapurna III (7555 m), Annapurna IV (7525 m), Gangapurna (7455 m) and Annapurna South (7219 m). The Expedition to Mt. Annapurna is one of the dangerous mountain expeditions in the world. The reason is that all the expedition routes on the Annapurna pose severe difficulties for climbing. The expedition really tastes your adventure passion.
3. Makalu Expedition, another top mountain adventure in the Himalayas, apart from introducing the rich biological and cultural treasures of Makalu-Barun region of Nepal takes you to the zenith of the fifth highest peak in the world. Mt. Makalu (8462 m) is situated in the heart of the eastern Himalayas albeit being located just 14 miles east of Mount Everest it is somewhat isolated. The greatest attraction of this expedition to the massive mountain is you traverse through Barun valley. The Makalu region, in particularly the Barun valley, is the home of pristine forests and alpine meadows of Nepal. Within the wide range of altitudes and climates, the region contains some of the richest and most diverse flora and fauna of Nepal. Although the region is little known to the world, the expedition to Mt. Makalu leaves you an unforgettable adventure experience.
4. Ama Dablam Expedition, popularly known as the ‘Matterhorn of the Himalaya’ leaves you a lasting impression on many as it is perhaps the most stunning mountain along the popular trekking route to Everest Base Camp. Pyramid shaped Mount Amadablam (6812m.), one of the most stunning peaks in the Himalaya, is located to the south of Everest. The peak stands above Thayangboche monastery. The mountain derives its name from the glacier lying on its Southwest face. The glacier looks like a jewel box hanging on the neck of the mountain, hence the name Ama Dablam, literally meaning ‘The Mother’s Jewel Box’. The standard ascent to Ama Dablam is made via the South-Western Ridge, the same route followed by Ward (UK), Bishop (USA) and Gill (NZ) in the first ascent of the mountain in 1961. So make a great walk in the Everest region and capture the lasting adventure experience at reaching to the zenith of Mt. Ama Dablam.
5. Pumori Expedition is a very nice introduction to climbing in Khumbu region and a fun way to do Everest Base Camp trek. The peak was named “Pumori” by George Leigh Mallory, apparently means “Unmarried Daughter” in the Sherpa language. The climb is very popular as introductory qualifying climb for Everest by many adventurers. The pyramid-shaped and gorgeously looking Pumori peak (7161m) dominates the skyline behind Kalapatther, which looks like a cluster of rock on Pumori Southwest ridge. The climbing is rated Class 3 in YDS (Yosemite Decimal System), which defines the climb as a scrambling with increased exposure. Whatever your reason to climb it is a fun and reasonably straightforward and accessible climb with relatively low objective danger. Thus, prepare for this relatively less danger mountain adventure in the Himalayas.
6. Baruntse Expedition, the comparatively low risk adventure expedition in the tallest mountain region of the world, provides an unbeatable mountain adventure experience. Baruntse (7129m) situated in Nepal between Everest and Makalu is another Himalayan peak attractive for climbing due to its location, classical symmetrical beauty and relatively accessible to climbers. Baruntse being located away from standard trek route has been a very quiet peak however it is rapidly gaining popularity due to classics like Pumori or Amadablam being overcrowded by commercial operators. It was first ascended by Colin Todd and Geoff Harrow on 30 May 1954 via Southeast Ridge, which became the normal route. From climbing aspect it is an accessible climb with tremendous views on Everest, Makalu and Khumbu region peaks. So if you want to experience sense of being in a remote area without investing considerable amount of time and effort Baruntse Expedition will be suitable for you.
7. The Lhotse Expedition, an extremely difficult climb and rarely attempted peak in Nepal, really challenge your adventure passion. Lhotse (8516m) is the fourth highest mountain on Earth but it is best known for its proximity to Mt. Everest. Lhotse is however famous for its tremendous and dramatic south face. The south face of Lhotse raises 3.2km within 2.25km horizontal distance making it the steepest face of this size in the world. Lhotse has 3 summits, main summit at 8,516m, Lhotse Middle (East) at 8,414m and Lhotse Shar at 8,383m. An early attempt on Lhotse was made by the 1955 International Himalayan Expedition and first successful summit was reached on May 18, 1956.
8. Cho Oyu Expedition, another ultimate experience of mountain expedition, takes you to the peak of one of the world’s highest 8000er mountains. Despite being the 6th highest mountain in the world, Cho Oyu (8201 m) has the highest success rate among the world’s fourteen 8,000er Himalayan peaks. The ascent to the summit is short and direct with a few small technical sections which can be climbed safely. Cho Oyu lies about 20 km west of Mt. Everest on the Nepal-Tibet border. An Austrian team first climbed Cho Oyu in 1954 followed by the Indian and German teams in 1958 and 1964 respectively. Cho Oyu consists mainly of five ridges – Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and West with the Jabula Glacier on the north, Lanba Glacier on the south, and Gecongba Glacier. Overall, it will be an excellent opportunity for climbers to extend their experience to extreme altitudes. The expedition is highly recommended for a preparation to an attempt on Mt. Everest (8848m). The comparative ease of access, lack of objective dangers and generally uncomplicated terrain makes Cho Oyu Expedition the most attainable mountain peak of the world.
9. Dhaulagiri Expedition, the formidable mountain adventure, passes through technically challenging routes in the Himalayas. Mount Dhaulagiri massif (White Mountain) is a real giant among 8000m peaks consisting of 5 major peaks. Dhaulagiri I (8,167m) is the 7th highest mountain in the world and one of more formidable peaks to climb with the first successful summit only in 1960. In terms of rise above the terrain Dhaulagiri is unparallel as it rises 7000m over Kali Gandaki valley over horizontal length of 30km, which by any standard is an impressive statistic. Dhaulagiri has 5 ridges and south and west faces, which raise 4000m from their Base Camps, offering opportunities to develop many interesting routes. The majority of ascents to date have been via the first ascent route, which is the “Normal Route” on the mountain. However ascents have been made from almost every direction.
10. Kanchenjunga Expedition, the ultimate walks in the beautiful mountain region of the world, takes you to the summit of the third-highest mountain peak in the world that is Mt. Kanchenjunga (8598 m). Kangchenjunga is located on the border between Nepal and Sikkim and it is very remote attracting relatively few trekkers and therefore it retains much of its pristine beauty, mystery and charm. The summit is visible from many places with a famous view from Tiger Hill in Darjeeling. The peak is an enormous massif consisting of 5 summits with 4 of them over 8000m: Kangchenjunga I (8586m), Kangchenjunga West (8505m), Kangchenjunga South (8494m) and Kangbachen (7903m). Five summits form this massive mountain and hence the name is derived from the Tibetan words, ‘Kanchen’ and ‘Dzonga’ meaning ‘Five Treasuries of the Great Snow’. The mountain massif was first climbed on May 25, 1955 by Joe Brown and George Band, of a British expedition.
11. Nuptse Expedition, the ultimate glorious journey in the high Himalayas, travels through the mostly sought after adventure destination of the world. Mt. Nuptse (7855m), the beautiful mountain peak in Nepal, is situated in the Khumbu Himal just south-west of Mount Everest. Nuptse the neighboring peak of Everest shares the glory of the Everest Massif. From Tengboche it appears as a massive wall guarding the approach to Everest and joined to Lhotse. Its steep west-face drops down more than 2300m to the Khumbu-glacier. One of the interesting features of this mountain is that its south face is 2500 meter high and five kilometers wide. Mount Nuptse was first ascended by British national -Dennis Davis and Nepali national- Sherpa Tashi on the north-ridge on May 16, 1961. The name ‘Nup-tse’ is originated from the Tibetan language meaning ”west-peak”. As other famous mountains have, Mt. Nuptse has different climbing routes as well.
12. Manaslu Expedition, one of the ultimate mountain expeditions in the world, aims to reach to the peak of Mt. Manaslu (8, 156 m). Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain in the world, is a part of the Mansiri Himal in the Nepal Himalayas. The peak is located about 40 miles east of Annapurna. The peak’s long ridges and valley glaciers offer feasible approaches from all directions. The name Manaslu is derived from the Sanskrit word Manasa and can be roughly translated as mountain of the spirit. It is the same root word as that for Manasarover, the holy lake near Mt. Kailash in Tibet. Just as the British considered Everest their mountain, Manaslu has been always regarded as the “Japanese mountain”. The eighth highest mountain was first climbed in 1956 by a Japanese expedition. So prepare to embark on a mountain expedition in the Himalayas that travels through one of the very renowned lovely mountains in the world to which many foreigner enthusiasts desire to climb very curiously.
