Kangchenjunga

Coordinates: 27°42′09″N 88°08′48″E

Kangchenjunga, also spelled Kanchenjunga,

Kanchanjanghā and Khangchendzonga, is the third-
Kangchenjunga
highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at 8,586  m Nepali: कञ्चनजङ् घा,
(28,169  ft) in a section of the Himalayas, the romanized: Kanchanjanghā
Kangchenjunga Himal, which is bounded in the west by
the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and
Jongsang La, and in the east by the Teesta River.[1][3] It
lies in the border region between Nepal and Mangan
district, Sikkim state of India, with three of the five peaks,
namely Main, Central and South, directly on the border,[4]
and the peaks West and Kangbachen in Nepal's Taplejung
District.[5]

Until 1852, Kangchenjunga was assumed to be the highest

mountain in the world, but calculations and measurements Kangchenjunga from Pelling, Sikkim, India
by the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India in 1849
Highest point
showed that Mount Everest, known as Peak XV at the
time, is actually higher. After allowing for further Elevation 8,586 m (28,169 ft)[1]
verification of all calculations, it was officially announced Ranked 3rd
in 1856 that Kangchenjunga was the third-highest
Prominence 3,922 m (12,867 ft)[2]
mountain.[6]
Ranked 29th

The Kangchenjunga is a sacred mountain in Sikkim and Isolation 124 km (77 mi) 

was first climbed on 25 May 1955 by Joe Brown and
Listing Eight-thousander
George Band, who were part of the 1955 British
Kangchenjunga expedition. They stopped just short of the Seven Third Summits
true summit, keeping a promise given to Tashi Namgyal, List of mountains in India
the Chogyal of Sikkim, that the top of the mountain would
List of mountains in Nepal
remain inviolate.[7] The Indian side of the mountain is off-
limits to climbers. In 2016, the adjoining Country high point (India)
Khangchendzonga National Park was declared a Ultra-prominent peak
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Coordinates 27°42′09″N 88°08′48″E[2]
Geography
Etymology
Kangchenjunga is the official spelling adopted by Douglas
Freshfield, Alexander Mitchell Kellas and the Royal
Geographical Society that gives the best indication of the
Tibetan pronunciation. Freshfield referred to the spelling
used by the Indian Government since the late 19th
century.[3] Alternative spellings include Kanchenjunga,
Khangchendzonga and Kangchendzönga.[8][9][10]
The brothers Hermann, Adolf and Robert Schlagintweit
explained the local name 'Kanchinjínga' meaning “The five
treasures of the high snow” as originating from the Tibetan
word "gangs" pronounced  [kaŋ] meaning snow, ice; "chen"
pronounced  [tɕen] meaning great; "mzod" meaning treasure;
"lnga" meaning five.[11] Local Lhopo people believe that
the treasures are hidden but reveal themselves to the devout
Kangchenjunga
when the world is in peril; the treasures comprise salt, gold,
turquoise and precious stones, sacred scriptures, invincible
armor or ammunition, grain and medicine.[12]

Protected areas
The Kangchenjunga landscape is a complex of three
distinct ecoregions: the eastern Himalayan broad-leaved
and coniferous forests, the Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub
and meadows and the Terai-Duar savanna and
grasslands.[13] The Kangchenjunga transboundary Location of Kangchenjunga
landscape is shared by Nepal, India, Bhutan and China,
and comprises 14 protected areas with a total of 6,032 km2
(2,329 sq mi):[14]
Kangchenjunga
Nepal: Kanchenjunga Conservation Area
Sikkim, India: Khangchendzonga National Park,
Varsey Rhododendron Sanctuary, Fambong Lho
Wildlife Sanctuary, Kyongnosla Alpine
Sanctuary, Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary, Shingba
Rhododendron Sanctuary and Pangolakha
Wildlife Sanctuary
Darjeeling, India: Jore Pokhri Wildlife Sanctuary,
Singalila National Park, Senchal Wildlife
Sanctuary, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary and
Neora Valley National Park
Kangchenjunga (Koshi Province)
Bhutan: Torsa Strict Nature Reserve

These protected areas are habitats for many globally

significant plant species such as rhododendrons and
orchids and many endangered flagship species such as Kangchenjunga
snow leopard (Panthera uncia), Asian black bear (Ursus
thibetanus), red panda (Ailurus fulgens), white-bellied

Kangchenjunga (India)
musk deer (Moschus leucogaster), blood pheasant
(Ithaginis cruentus) and chestnut-breasted partridge
(Arborophila mandellii).[14]

Geography
Kangchenjunga

Kangchenjunga (Nepal)

Location Taplejung District, Nepal

Panorama of the Kangchenjunga massif from Tiger Hill,
Darjeeling Mangan district, Sikkim,
India[2]
The Kangchenjunga Himal section of the Himalayas lies Parent range Himalayas
both in Nepal and India and encompasses 16 peaks over Climbing
7,000  m (23,000  ft). In the north, it is limited by the
Lhonak Chu, Goma Chu and Jongsang La, and in the east First ascent 25 May 1955 by Joe Brown
by the Teesta River. The western limit runs from the and George Band on British
Jongsang La down the Gingsang and Kangchenjunga Kangchenjunga expedition
glaciers and the rivers of Ghunsa and Tamur.[1] (First winter ascent 11
Kanchenjunga rises about 20  km (12  mi) south of the January 1986 by Jerzy
general alignment of the Great Himalayan range about Kukuczka and Krzysztof
125  km (78  mi) east-southeast of Mount Everest as the Wielicki)
crow flies. South of the southern face of Kanchenjunga
runs the 3,000–3,500-metre-high (9,800–11,500  ft) Easiest route glacier/snow/ice climb
Singalila Ridge that separates Sikkim from Nepal and
northern West Bengal.[15]

Kangchenjunga and its satellite peaks form a huge mountain massif.[16] The massif's five highest peaks are
listed in the following table.
 Nearest
Height Height Prominence Prominence Location
Name of peak Location Higher
(m) (ft) (m) (ft) (political)
Neighbor

Mangan
district,
Sikkim,
Mount
Kangchenjunga 27°42′11″N India /
8,586 28,169 3,922 12,867 Everest –
Main[2] 88°08′52″E
South Summit
Taplejung,
Koshi
Province,
Nepal

Kangchenjunga Taplejung,
West (Yalung 27°42′18″N Koshi
8,505 27,904 135 443 Kangchenjunga
88°08′12″E Province,
Kang)[17] Nepal
Mangan
district,
Sikkim,
Kangchenjunga 27°41′46″N Kangchenjunga India /
8,482 27,828 32 105
Central[18] 88°09′04″E South Taplejung,
Koshi
Province,
Nepal

Mangan
district,
Sikkim,
Kangchenjunga 27°41′30″N India /
8,494 27,867 119 390 Kangchenjunga
South[19] 88°09′15″E Taplejung,
Koshi
Province,
Nepal

Taplejung,
27°42′42″N Kangchenjunga Koshi
Kangbachen[20] 7,903 25,928
88°06′30″E
103 337
West Province,
Nepal

The main ridge of the massif runs from north-northeast to south-

southwest and forms a watershed to several rivers.[16] Together
with ridges running roughly from east to west they form a giant
cross.[3] These ridges contain a host of peaks between 6,000 and
8,586  m (19,685 and 28,169  ft). The northern section includes
Yalung Kang, Kangchenjunga Central and South, Kangbachen,
Kirat Chuli and Gimmigela Chuli, and runs up to the Jongsang La.
The eastern ridge in Sikkim includes Siniolchu. The southern
section runs along the Nepal–Sikkim border and includes Kabru I
to III.[1] This ridge extends southwards to the Singalila Ridge.[21]
The western ridge culminates in the Kumbhakarna, also known as
Jannu.[1] Kangchenjunga map by Garwood,
1903[3]
Four main glaciers radiate from the peak, pointing roughly to the
northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest. The Zemu glacier in
the northeast and the Talung glacier in the southeast drain to the Teesta River; the Yalung glacier in the
southwest and the Kangchen glacier in the northwest drain to the Arun and Kosi rivers.[22] The glaciers
spread over the area above approximately 5,000  m (16,000  ft), and the glacialized area covers about
314  km2 (121  sq  mi) in total.[23] There are 120 glaciers in the
Kanchenjunga Himal, of which 17 are debris-covered. Between
1958 and 1992, more than half of 57 examined glaciers had
retreated, possibly due to rising of air temperature.[24]

Kangchenjunga Main is the highest elevation of the Brahmaputra

River basin, which forms part of the southeast Asian monsoon
regime and is among the globally largest river basins.[25] Southwest (Yalung) face of
Kangchenjunga is one of six peaks above 8,000  m (26,000  ft) Kangchenjunga seen from Nepal
located in the basin of the Kosi River, which is among the largest
tributaries of the Ganges.[26] The Kangchenjunga massif forms also
part of the Ganges Basin.[27]

Although it is the third highest peak in the world, Kangchenjunga is only ranked 29th by topographic
prominence, a measure of a mountain's independent stature. The key col for Kangchenjunga lies at a height
of 4,664 metres (15,302  ft), along the watershed boundary between Arun and Brahmaputra rivers in
Tibet.[28] It is, however, the fourth-most-prominent peak in the Himalayas, after Everest, and the western
and eastern anchors of the Himalaya, Nanga Parbat and Namcha Barwa, respectively.[29]

Climbing routes
There are four climbing routes to reach the summit of
Kangchenjunga, three of which are in Nepal from the southwest,
northwest, and northeast, and one from northeastern Sikkim in
India. To date, the northeastern route from Sikkim has been
successfully used only three times. The Indian government has
banned expeditions to Kanchenjunga; therefore, this route has been
closed since 2000.[30]

Climbing history Kanchenjunga-north from base camp

in Nepal

Early reconnaissances and attempts

Between April 1848 and February 1849, Joseph Dalton
Hooker explored parts of northern Sikkim and eastern
Nepal, mainly to collect plants and study the distribution
of Himalayan flora. He was based in Darjeeling, and
made repeated excursions in the river valleys and into
the foothills of Kangchenjunga up to an altitude of
15,620 ft (4,760 m).[33]
In spring 1855, the German explorer Hermann Painting of Kanchinjínga as seen
Schlagintweit travelled to Darjeeling but was not allowed from the Singalila Ridge by Hermann
to proceed further north due to the Third Nepal–Tibet Schlagintweit, 1855[31]
War. In May, he explored the Singalila Ridge up to the
peak of Tonglo for a meteorological survey.[31]
In 1879, Sarat Chandra Das and Lama Ugyen-gyatso crossed into Tibet west of
"Kanchanjinga" via eastern Nepal and the Tashilhunpo Monastery en route to Lhasa. They
returned along the same route in 1881.[34]
In 1883, a party of William Woodman Graham together with two Swiss mountaineers
climbed in the area of Kangchenjunga. They were the first who ascended Kabru within 30–
40 ft (9.1–12.2 m) below the summit. They crossed the
Kang La pass and climbed a peak of nearly 19,000 ft
(5,800 m) from which they examined Jannu. They
concluded it was too late in the year for an attempt and
returned once again to Darjeeling.[35]
Between October 1885 and January 1886, Rinzin
Namgyal surveyed the unexplored north and west sides
of Kangchenjunga. He was the first native surveyor to
map the circuit of Kangchenjunga and provided sketches
of each side of the peak and the adjoining valleys. He
also defined the frontiers of Nepal, Tibet and Sikkim in
this area.[36]
In 1899, British mountaineer Douglas Freshfield set out Sunset on Kangchenjunga, 1905[32]
with his party comprising the Italian photographer Vittorio
Sella. They were the first mountaineers to examine the
lower and upper ramparts, and the great western face of
Kangchenjunga, rising from the Kangchenjunga
Glacier.[3]
In 1905, a party headed by Aleister Crowley made the
first attempt at climbing the mountain. Aleister Crowley
had been part of the team attempting the 1902 ascent of
K2. The team reached an estimated altitude of 6,500 m
(21,300 ft) on the southwest side of the mountain before
turning back. The exact height reached is somewhat
unclear; Crowley stated that on 31 August, "We were
South face of Kangchenjunga seen
certainly over 21,000 ft (6,400 m) and possibly over
from Goecha La, Sikkim at 4,940 m
22,000 ft (6,700 m)", when the team was forced to retreat
(16,210 ft)
to Camp 5 by the risk of avalanche. On 1 September,
they evidently went further; some members of the team,
Reymond, Pache and Salama, "got over the bad patch"
that had forced them to return to Camp 5 the day before,
and progressed "out of sight and hearing" before
returning to Crowley and the men with packs, who could
not cross the dangerous section unassisted with their
burdens. It is not clear how far Reymond, Pache and
Salama had ascended—but in summarizing, Crowley
ventured "We had reached a height of approximately
25,000 ft (7,600 m)." Attempting a "mutinous" late-in-the-
day descent from Camp 5 to Camp 3, climber Alexis Kangchenjunga seen from Darjeeling
Pache (who earlier that day had been one of three to War Memorial
ascend possibly higher than any before), and three local
porters, were killed in an avalanche.[37] Despite the
insistence of one of the men that "the demon of
Kangchenjunga was propitiated with the sacrifice",
Crowley decided the accident and its ramifications made
it impossible to continue the expedition.[32]
In 1907, two Norwegians set about climbing Jongri via
the Kabru glacier to the south, an approach apparently
rejected by Graham's party. Progress was very slow,
partly because of problems with supplies and porters,
and presumably also lack of fitness and acclimatisation. Kangchenjunga and surrounding
However, from a high camp at about 22,600 ft (6,900 m) peaks at sunset from ISS,
they were eventually able to reach a point 50 or 60 ft (15 December 2019
 or 18 m) below the summit before they were turned back by strong winds.[35]
In 1929, the German Paul Bauer led an expedition team that reached 7,400 m (24,300 ft) on
the northeast spur before being turned back by a five-day storm.[38]
In May 1929, the American E. F. Farmer left Darjeeling with native porters, crossed the Kang
La into Nepal and climbed up towards the Talung Saddle. When his porters refused to go
any further, he climbed alone further upwards through drifting mists but did not return.[16]
In 1930, Günter Dyhrenfurth led an international expedition comprising the German Uli
Wieland, Austrian Erwin Schneider and Englishman Frank Smythe who attempted to climb
Kangchenjunga. They failed because of poor weather and snow conditions.[16]
In 1931, Paul Bauer led a second German expedition team who attempted the northeast
spur before being turned back by bad weather, illnesses and deaths. The team, including
Peter Aufschnaiter, retreated after climbing 300 m higher than the 1929 attempt.[38]
In 1954, John Kempe led a party comprising J. W. Tucker, S. R. Jackson, G. C. Lewis, T. H.
Braham and medical officer D. S. Mathews. They explored the upper Yalung glacier with the
intention to discover a practicable route to the great ice-shelf that runs across the southwest
face of Kangchenjunga.[39] This reconnaissance led to the route used by the successful
1955 expedition.[40]

First ascent

In 1955, Joe Brown and George Band made the first ascent on 25
May, followed by Norman Hardie and Tony Streather on 26 May.
The full team also included John Clegg (team doctor), Charles
Evans (team leader), John Angelo Jackson, Neil Mather and Tom
Mackinnon.[8] The ascent proved that Aleister Crowley's 1905
route (also investigated by the 1954 reconnaissance) was viable.
The route starts on the Yalung Glacier to the southwest of the peak,
and climbs the Yalung Face, which is 3,000 metres (10,000 ft) high.
A sign board on the last traversable
The main feature of this face is the "Great Shelf", a large sloping
road to Kangchenjunga
plateau at around 7,500 metres (24,600  ft), covered by a hanging
glacier. The route is almost entirely on snow, glacier and one icefall;
the summit ridge itself can involve a small amount of travel on rock.
The first ascent expedition made six camps above their base camp,
two below the Shelf, two on it, and two above it. They started on
18 April, and everyone was back to base camp by 28 May.[41]
Other members of this expedition included John Angelo Jackson
and Tom Mackinnon.[42]

Other notable ascents

First ascent reunion of 1990– front
1973 Yutaka Ageta and Takeo Matsuda of the Japanese
(left to right): Neil Mather, John
expedition summited Kangchenjunga West, also called
Angelo Jackson, Charles Evans and
Yalung Kang, by climbing the southwestern ridge.
Matsuda never returned to camp and his body was never Joe Brown, and rear (left to right):
found. The expedition concluded that he had fallen Tony Streather, Norman Hardie,
George Band and Professor John
during descent when he was separated from Ageta.[43]
Clegg
1977 The second ascent of Kangchenjunga, by an
Indian Army team led by Colonel Narendra Kumar. They
 completed the northeast spur, the difficult ridge that
defeated German expeditions in 1929 and 1931.[44]
1978 Polish teams made the first successful ascents of
the summits Kangchenjunga South (Wojciech Wróż and
Eugeniusz Chrobak, 19 May) and Kangchenjunga
Central (Wojciech Brański, Zygmunt Andrzej Heinrich,
Kazimierz Olech, 22 May).[45] Kangchenjunga 3D animation
1979 The third ascent, on 16 May, and the first without
oxygen, by Doug Scott, Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker,
establishing a new route on the North Ridge.[46]
1992 Carlos Carsolio made the only summit that year. It was in a solo climb without
supplementary oxygen.[47]
1995 Benoît Chamoux, Pierre Royer and their Sherpa guide Riku disappeared on 6 October
near the summit.[48]
1998 Ginette Harrison was the first woman to climb Kangchenjunga's North Face.[49]
2009 Edurne Pasaban, a Spanish mountaineer, reached the summit, becoming the first
woman to summit twelve eight-thousanders.[50]
In May 2009, Kinga Baranowska was the first Polish woman to reach the summit of
Kangchenjunga.[51]
In 2011, Tunç Fındık became the first Turkish man to reach the peak of Kangchenjunga, his
seventh eight thousander, with Swiss partner Guntis Brandts via the British 1955 SW Face
route.[52][53]
In May 2011, Indian mountaineers Basanta Singha Roy and Debasish Biswas successfully
scaled Kangchenjunga Main.[54]
In May 2013, five climbers including Hungarian Zsolt Erőss and Péter Kiss reached the
summit, but disappeared during the descent.[55]
In May 2014, Bulgarian Boyan Petrov reached the peak without the use of supplemental
oxygen.[56]
In May 2014, Chhanda Gayen was the first Indian woman to summit. She was killed by an
avalanche on the descent.[57]
In May 2022, Indian Narayanan Iyer died during a summit push on the mountain.[58]

Despite improved climbing gear the fatality rate of climbers attempting to summit Kanchenjunga is high.
Since the 1990s, more than 20% of people died while climbing Kanchenjunga's main peak.[59]

Tourism
Because of its remote location in Nepal and the difficulty involved
in accessing it from India, the Kangchenjunga region is not much
explored by trekkers. It has, therefore, retained much of its pristine
beauty. In Sikkim too, trekking into the Kangchenjunga region has
just recently been permitted. The Goecha La trek is gaining
popularity amongst tourists. It goes to the Goecha La Pass, located
right in front of the huge southeast face of Kangchenjunga. Another
trek to Green Lake Basin has recently been opened for trekking.
Kanchenjunga from Tiger Hill at
dawn
This trek goes to the Northeast side of Kangchenjunga along the
famous Zemu Glacier. The film Singalila in the Himalaya is a
journey around Kangchenjunga.

In myth
The area around Kangchenjunga is said to be home to a mountain
deity, called Dzö-nga[60] or "Kangchenjunga Demon", a type of
yeti or rakshasa. A British geological expedition in 1925 spotted a
Kanchenjunga as seen from
bipedal creature which they asked the locals about, who referred to
Gangtok, Sikkim
it as the "Kangchenjunga Demon".[61]

For generations, there have been legends recounted by the

inhabitants of the areas surrounding Kanchenjunga, both in Sikkim
and in Nepal, that there is a valley of immortality hidden on its
slopes. These stories are well known to both the original inhabitants
of the area, the Lepcha people and Limbu people, and those of the
Tibetan Buddhist cultural tradition. In Tibetan, this valley is known
as Beyul Demoshong. In 1962, a Tibetan Lama by the name of Kangchenjunga sunrise from
Tulshuk Lingpa led over 300 followers into the high snow slopes of Jalpaiguri
Kanchenjunga, to ‘open the way’ to Beyul Demoshong. The story
of this expedition is recounted in the 2011 book A Step Away from
Paradise.[62]

In literature
In the Swallows and Amazons series of books by Arthur
Ransome, a high mountain (unnamed in the books) is
given the name "Kanchenjunga" by the children when Five Treasures of Snow
they climb it in 1931.
In The Epic of Mount Everest, first published in 1926, Sir
Francis Younghusband: " For natural beauty Darjiling
(Darjeeling) is surely unsurpassed in the world. From all
countries travellers come there to see the famous view of
Kangchenjunga, 28,150 feet (8,580 m) in height, and
only 40 miles (64 km) distant. Darjiling (Darjeeling) itself
is 7,000 feet (2,100 m) above sea-level and is set in a
forest of oaks, magnolia, rhododendrons, laurels and
sycamores. And through these forests, the observer looks
down the steep mountain-sides to the Rangeet River
only 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea-level, and then up and Kangchenjunga seen from Tetulia,
up through tier after tier of forest-clad ranges, each Panchagarh, Northern Bangladesh
bathed in a haze of deeper and deeper purple, till the line
of snow is reached; and then still up to the summit of
Kangchenjunga, now so pure and ethereal we can scarcely believe it is part of the solid
earth on which we stand; and so high it seems part of the very sky itself."
In 1999, official James Bond author Raymond Benson published High Time to Kill. In this
story, a microdot containing a secret formula for aviation technology is stolen by a society
called the Union. During their escape, their plane crashes on the slopes of Kangchenjunga.
James Bond becomes part of a climbing expedition in order to retrieve the formula.
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai, which won the 2006 Man Booker Prize, is set partly
 in Kalimpong, a hill station situated near
Kangchenjunga.
In Legend of the Galactic Heroes by Yoshiki Tanaka,
which won the Seiun Award for "Best Novel of the Year"
in 1988 and was adapted into an anime series by Kitty
Films, the capital and holiest temple of the Terraist Cult is
on Earth beneath the rubble of Kangchenjunga.
Michelle Paver's 2016 ghost story Thin Air concerns a
fictional expedition to climb Kangchenjunga in 1935, and East face of Kangchenjunga, from
an earlier (also fictional) expedition in 1906.
near the Zemu Glacier, Sikkim
The book Round Kangchenjunga – A Narrative of
Mountain Travel and Exploration by Douglas Freshfield
gives a complete account of his travel around Kangchenjunga.
Susan Jagannath's book Chasing Himalayan Dreams: A trek in the shadow of
Kanchenjunga and Everest details her 61km, 6-day trek up and around Kangchenjunga.

Further reading
Joseph Dalton Hooker 1855. Himalayan Journals.
Assistant-director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Laurence Waddell 1899. Among The Himalayas. Travels
in Sikkim. Book includes the exploration of the south of
Kangchenjunga.
Paul Bauer 1937. Himalayan Campaign. Blackwell is the
story of Bauer's two attempts in 1929 and 1931,
republished as Kangchenjunga Challenge (William
Kimber, 1955). View of Kangchenjunga as seen
Paul Bauer "The German Attack on Kangchenjunga", from Darjeeling
The Himalayan Journal, 1930 Vol. II.
Lieut. Col. H.W. Tobin "Exploration and Climbing in The
Sikkim Himalaya", The Himalayan Journal, April 1930
Vol. II. Provides the early exploration and climbing
attempts on Kangchenjunga.
Prof. G. O. Dyhrenfurth "The International Himalayan
Expedition, 1930", The Himalayan Journal, April 1931,
Vol. III. Details their attempt on Kangchenjunga.
H.W. Tilman The ascent of Nanda Devi, 7 June 1937,
North face of Kangchenjunga from
Cambridge University Press. Relates the story of their
intention to climb Kangchenjunga. Pang Pema, Nepal

Irving, R. L. G. 1940. Ten Great Mountains. London, J. M.

Dent & Sons
John Angelo Jackson 1955. More than Mountains Book containing data on the 1954
Kangchenjunga reconnaissance. Jackson was also a team member of the first ascent of
Kangchenjunga in 1955, also relates the Daily Mail "Abominable Snowman" or Yeti
Expedition, when the first trek from Everest to Kangchenjunga was accomplished * [1] (http
s://web.archive.org/web/20070921031150/http://www.cabernet.demon.co.uk/JAJ/). Relevant
pages 97 onwards with two detailed maps.
Charles Evans Kangchenjunga The Untrodden Peak, Hodder & Stoughton, Leader of the
1955 expedition. Principal of the University College of North Wales, Bangor. Foreword by
His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, K.G.
Joe Brown, The Hard Years, tells his version of the first ascent of Kangchenjunga in 1955.
 Colonel Narinder Kumar 1978. Kangchenjunga: First ascent from the north-east spur. Vision
books. Includes the second ever ascent of Kangchenjunga and the first from the northeast
spur on the Indian side of the mountain. See also Himalayan Journal Vol. 36 and 50th
Anniversary Edition
Peter Boardman 1982. Sacred Summits: A Climber's Year. Includes the 1979 ascent of
Kangchenjunga with Joe Tasker and Doug Scott. Also in The Himalayan Journal Vol 36.
John Angelo Jackson 2005. Adventure Travels in the Himalaya. Indus Publishing. Recounts
in more detail the first ascent of Kangchenjunga.
Simon Pierse 2005. Kangchenjunga: Imaging a Himalayan Mountain. University of Wales,
School of Art Press, ISBN 978-1-899095-22-3. An anthology of word and image published to
coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first ascents of Kangchenjunga. Well illustrated
with reproductions of paintings, prints and photographs describing the climbing history and
cultural significance of the mountain. Preface by George Band.

The above Himalayan Journal references were all also reproduced in the "50th Anniversary of the First
Ascent of Kangchenjunga" The Himalayan Club, Kolkata Section 2005.

Pema Wangchuk and Mita Zulca Khangchendzonga: Sacred Summit. The book details the
stories and legends celebrated by the communities living in the Kangchenjunga's shadow,
goes over the exploits of the early explorers and mountaineers. Chapters cover what
Khangchendzonga means to Buddhism, mapping, early explorers, Alexander Kellas, early
expeditions, the first ascent in 1955, the Indian Army ascent (1977), the second British
ascent (1979), women climbers, the Tiger climbers, the yeti and more. Profusely illustrated
with many period photos.
The Geographer at High Altitudes, Climbing on the Himalaya and other Mountain Ranges,
By J. Norman Collie, F.R.S. Edinburgh: David Douglas. 1902.
The Glaciers of Kangchenjunga Douglas Freshfield The Geographical Journal, Vol. 19, No.
4 Apr 1902, pp. 453–472
C. K. Howard-Bury. 1922. "The Mount Everest Expedition". The Geographical Journal 59
(2): 81–99.
"General Bruce's Illness a Serious handicap" The Times, (British) World Copyright, Lt.
R.F.Norton, 19 April 1924. Expedition in the Kangchenjunga area.
Account of a Photographic Expedition to the Southern Glaciers of Kangchenjunga in the
Sikkim Himalaya, N. A. Tombazi, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 67, No. 1 Jan 1926,
pp. 74–76
An Adventure to Kangchenjunga, Hugh Boustead, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 69, No. 4
(Apr. 1927), pp. 344–350
The Times Literary Supplement, Thursday, 11 December 1930. "The Kangchenjunga
Adventure", F.S. Smythe.
Im Kampf um den Himalaja, Paul Bauer. The Kangchenjunga Adventure, F. S. Smythe,
Himalaya: Unsere Expedition, G. O. Dyhrenfurth. 1930
The Times Literary Supplement, Thursday, 9 April 1931. "Kangchenjunga", Paul Bauer.
The Imperial Gazetteer of India. Vol. XXVI, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 79, No. 1 Jan
1932, pp. 53–56
Recent Heroes of Modern Adventure, T. C. Bridges; H. Hessell Tiltman, The Geographical
Journal, Vol. 81, No. 6 Jun 1933, p. 568
Paul Bauer 1931. Um Den Kantsch: der zweite deutsche Angriff auf den Kangchendzönga,
The Geographical Journal, Vol. 81, No. 4 Apr 1933, pp. 362–363
Paul Bauer; Sumner Austin 1938. Himalayan Campaign: The German Attack on
Kangchenjunga, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 91, No. 5: 478
 Charles Evans 1956. "Kangchenjunga: The Untrodden Peak". The Times Literary
Supplement.
Lou Whittaker, Memoirs of a Mountain guide, 1994

See also
Sacred mountains of India
List of elevation extremes by country

References
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External links
Kangchenjunga page on Himalaya-Info.org (German) (http://www.himalaya-info.org/Map%2
 0kangchenjunga.htm)
Kangchenjunga page on Summitpost.org (http://www.summitpost.org/kangchenjunga/15028
3)
Kangchenjunga History (http://www.k2news.com/kanghistory.htm) for a more detailed up to
date account of the mountain's history and ascents.
"Kāngchenjunga, India/Nepal" on Peakbagger (http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=
10653)
"Kangchenjunga" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160304122101/http://www.peakware.com/
peaks.html?pk=132). Peakware.com. Archived from the original (http://www.peakware.com/p
eaks.html?pk=132) on 4 March 2016. – photos
Glacier Research Image Project (http://www.asiasociety.org/onthinnerice) presents photos
tracking 24 years of changes in glaciers at Kangchenjunga.
Mtxplore Mountain Statistics (http://mtxplore.com/8000-meters) Statistics of Kangchenjunga.

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