Where Is The Highest Unclimbed Mountain Peak In The World?

Have Humans Conquered It All?

There are very few places on Earth left unexplored by humans. Human adventurers and explorers have ventured deep into the forests of the Amazon, set their flags on the top of the Mount Everest and also delved into the mighty depths of the Pacific Ocean. The quest for achieving the impossible, exploring the unexplored, and discovering new facts have encouraged mountaineers to climb to the top of nearly every mountain on Earth with the exception of a very few.

Unclimbed Mountains Of The World: An Unsolved Question

Thus, the question arises as to why only a very few peaks remain unconquered by humans? What features did these unclimbed mountains have that they were left untouched by humans?

First of all, many of these virgin mountains have not been climbed due to the geographical isolation or remote location of the peaks. Second, political instability in a region also discourages mountaineers from visiting the mountains of a place. Also, in some areas, rules or norms exist that prohibit mountaineers from climbing certain mountains.

Highest Unclimbed Prohibited Peak

Gangkhar Puensum is Bhutan’s highest mountain and could be considered as the highest unclimbed peak in the world. The mountain has an elevation of 24,836 ft and a topological prominence of 9,826 ft. Gangkhar Puensum is located on Bhutan’s border with China. Attempts were made to climb the mountain in both 1985 and 1986 and after the failure of four expeditions, a subsidiary peak was successfully climbed in 1998. Currently, Bhutan has prohibited the climbing of all mountains in the country which fades out any chances of a successful ascent to the main peak of the Gangkhar Puensum. The prohibition by Bhutan is based out of respect for local spiritual beliefs.

Unclimbed Non-Prohibited Peaks

The fact that whether a mountain is climbed or unclimbed is a matter of controversy. Mountains which have not been ascended by modern-day mountaineers might have been ascended by Indigenous inhabitants of the region but never recorded. There is evidence to indicate that humans in pre-historic times have traveled as far as 22,110 ft on the mountains. Hence, it is difficult to ascertain with complete certainty whether any peak is actually unclimbed. However, one can only make a good guess since some of the mountain ranges are so remote that it is quite possible that these mountains have never been climbed.