Why Nepal’s Holy Mountain Remains Untouched
Machhapuchhre or the Fishtail is also known as the virgin peak because no human has ever conquered its summit. There are many stories and folklore in Nepal dedicated to the mountain, however, very few of them clarify why the peak has never been climbed.
Climbing history:
It is believed that Machapuchare has never been climbed to the summit. The only confirmed attempt was in 1957 by a British team led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Roberts. Climbers Wilfrid Noyce and A. D. M. Cox climbed to within 150 m (492 ft) of the summit via the north ridge, to an approximate altitude of 22,793 ft (6,947 m). Adhering to the word of honor given to the then King Mahendra, Noyce and his team descended without stepping on to the summit, and published the only climbing record of the mountain a year later. No permits to climb the mountain have been issued since then.
There are reports of a New Zealand climber, Bill Denz, making a successful yet illegal attempt to reach the summit in the early 1980s.
Sources :
Fanshawe, Andy; Venables, Stephen (1995). Himalaya Alpine Style. Hodder and Stoughton.
Ohmori, Koichiro (1994). Over The Himalaya. Cloudcap Press/The Mountaineers.
Climbing history:
It is believed that Machapuchare has never been climbed to the summit. The only confirmed attempt was in 1957 by a British team led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Roberts. Climbers Wilfrid Noyce and A. D. M. Cox climbed to within 150 m (492 ft) of the summit via the north ridge, to an approximate altitude of 22,793 ft (6,947 m). Adhering to the word of honor given to the then King Mahendra, Noyce and his team descended without stepping on to the summit, and published the only climbing record of the mountain a year later. No permits to climb the mountain have been issued since then.
There are reports of a New Zealand climber, Bill Denz, making a successful yet illegal attempt to reach the summit in the early 1980s.
Sources :
Fanshawe, Andy; Venables, Stephen (1995). Himalaya Alpine Style. Hodder and Stoughton.
Ohmori, Koichiro (1994). Over The Himalaya. Cloudcap Press/The Mountaineers.
machupucchare
6,993 m