The Nepali Newsroom gives facts and figures about the eight mountains in Nepal that top 8,000 metres
Manaslu, Nepalese Himalayas, 8,163 metres.
March 28, 2025
A guide to the ‘eight-thousanders’ in Nepal
Nepal is famous throughout the world as a mountainous country. It has hundreds and thousands of big and small mountains, including the tallest mountain of them all, Mount Everest – known as Sagarmatha (‘goddess of the sky’) in Nepali – at 8,848 metres.
In total, there are 14 mountains above 8,000 metres in the world, all in Asia. These eight-thousanders, as they are known, are very popular with climbers but are very dangerous, partly there is not enough oxygen above 8,000 metres for humans to survive for any length of time. This is why mountaineers call it the death zone.
Eight of these eight-thousanders are in Nepal. From highest to lowest, they are as follows:
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Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world, at 8,848 metres. It is situated on the border of Nepal (in Solukhumbu district) and Tibet, an autonomous region within China. In Tibet it is called Chomolungma (‘mother goddess of the world’).
Edmund Hillary from New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa from Tibet were the first climbers to conquer Mount Everest, in 1953.
Mount Everest is still very popular for climbing, and the best time to climb it is in spring. People also climb Mount Everest to make world records on their names.
Kanchenjungha
At 8,568 metres, Kanchenjunga is the third-highest peak in the world (after Everest and K2, which is in Pakistan). It lies on the border of Nepal and India. The Limbu people (an indigenous group who live in the area) call it Sanjelungma. Spring and autumn are the popular seasons to climb Kanchenjunga.
Lhotse
Lhotseis the fourth-highest mountain in the world, at 8,516 metres. It is known as the ‘South Peak’ of Mount Everest, because it lies just to the south of it. The summits of the two mountains are connected by the vertical ridge known as the South Col.
Makalu
At 8,463 metres, Makaluis the fifth-highest mountain in the world. Makalu is located in Nepal’s Sankhuwasabha district, on the border with China.It is known as the Great Black mountain, because it is so windy that it is not always covered in snow. The best times to climb Mount Makalu are spring and autumn.
Cho Oyu
Cho Oyu is the sixth-highest mountain in the world with its highest point reaching 8,201 metres. It is located between the Nepal and China borders, 30 km northwest of Mount Everest, and is usually climbed from the Chinese side. It is also considered a dangerous mountain to climb.
Dhaulagiri
At a height of 8,167 metres, Dhaulagiri is the seventh-highest mountain in the world. It is located in Myagdi district in Nepal’s Gandaki province. It is also a dangerous mountain due to many avalanches. Its name comes from two Sanskrit words meaning ‘white mountain’.
Manaslu
Manaslu is the eighth-highest mountain in the world, at 8,163 metres. Located between Gorkha and Manang districts in Nepal, it is also known as Kampunge. Toshio Imanishi (from Japan) and Gyaltsen Norbu Sherpa were the first climbers to reach the summit of Manaslu, in 1956. It is considered one of the easier mountains to climb among the eight-thousanders.
Annapurna
Annapurna is the tenth-highest mountain in the world. It has four main summits, I, II, III and IV, of which I is the highest, standing at 8,091 metres. It is located on the border of Myagdi and Kaski districts in the Gandaki province of Nepal. Annapurna is also known as a very dangerous mountain because it is very difficult to climb and has many avalanches. More than 70 people have died while trying to climb it.
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