Kanchenjungaकञ्चनजङ्घा
The world's third-highest mountain and the easternmost eight-thousander, shared between Nepal's Taplejung district and Sikkim. Its name is usually rendered 'Five Treasures of the Great Snow' for its five summits.
Height
8,586 m
World rank
#3
among the world's highest mountains
First ascent
1955
25 May 1955
District
Taplejung
Koshi Province
- Border
- Nepal–India (Sikkim) border
- Standard route
- Southwest Face (Yalung side, Nepal)
25 May 1955
Summit party
George Band & Joe Brown (UK); Norman Hardie & Tony Streather the next day
British expedition led by Charles Evans
The climbers stopped a few steps below the summit out of respect for Sikkimese belief that the peak is sacred — a tradition many parties still honour.
What the record shows
Kanchenjunga was considered the world's highest mountain until the Great Trigonometrical Survey computations of 1852 established Everest's primacy.
The main summit (8,586 m) sits on the Nepal–Sikkim border; three of its five summits exceed 8,400 m. In February 2025 Nepal's Department of Tourism began counting Kanchenjunga Central and South as separate 8,000ers — a designation the UIAA has not adopted.
Its remoteness keeps traffic low: the approach through the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area is one of Nepal's longest base-camp treks.
Firsts & records
First winter ascent: 11 January 1986 — Jerzy Kukuczka & Krzysztof Wielicki (Poland)
First woman: Ginette Harrison (UK), 1998
Safety record
Historically among the deadlier 8000ers; Himalayan Database-derived estimates put the fatality rate near 9–12% of summits (compilations ≈2024).
Fatality 'rates' are summits-to-deaths ratios that shift as traffic grows — the year of each figure is stated.
Most visitors experience this region not by climbing but on foot: Nepal's trekking routes reach base camps and viewpoints beneath Kanchenjunga without the technical risks of the summit.
The peak in context
The highlighted marker is this mountain; the others show all eight of Nepal's eight-thousanders.
Kanchenjunga — frequently asked
How tall is Kanchenjunga?+
Kanchenjunga is 8,586 m high, making it the 3rd-highest mountain in the world. It lies in the Kangchenjunga Himal on the Nepal–India (Sikkim) border.
When was Kanchenjunga first climbed, and by whom?+
Kanchenjunga was first summited on 25 May 1955 by George Band & Joe Brown (UK); Norman Hardie & Tony Streather the next day, as part of the British expedition led by Charles Evans.
How dangerous is Kanchenjunga?+
Historically among the deadlier 8000ers; Himalayan Database-derived estimates put the fatality rate near 9–12% of summits (compilations ≈2024).
Where is Kanchenjunga located in Nepal?+
Kanchenjunga sits in Taplejung district of Koshi Province. The standard climbing line is the Southwest Face (Yalung side, Nepal).
Sources & data note
Profile of Kanchenjunga compiled from the listed sources. Heights follow UIAA-accepted surveys; ascent and fatality statistics derive from Himalayan Database compilations and are dated in the text.