Where else are there unconquered mountain peaks? Machapuchare is an unconquered peak. The story of the only ascent The Unconquered Mountains of the World

Nothing attracts a person like the forbidden. Any taboo has always, in all ages, acted on daring minds in the same way - as an elementary challenge. How do you think the very existence of "unconquered peaks" affects a professional climber? Answer: Awakens aspiration. Tourists and amateurs have a different reaction: curiosity arises, why has no human foot stepped on them yet? In this article, we will tell you about this mountain in detail and in an interesting way, and you can personally look at it in the Annapurna region.

Machapuchare - the forbidden peak, the sacred abode of Shiva

Mount Machapuchare (or Machapuchre - there are certain "difficulties" of Nepali spelling) freely spreads in the very heart of central Nepal, near the city of Pokhara (distance - about 25 km to the North). The mountain belongs to the southern part mountain range of the Annapurna group and almost reaches the class of a seven-thousander, because its 6 thousand 998 meters is already difficult to attribute to a real six-thousander, but, as they say, a fact is a fact.

What is Machapuchare so famous for?

• Incredibly beautiful appearance. Anyone who has seen the mountain at least in the pictures will agree with this, not to mention the contemplation with their own eyes. Its double summit has such a pronounced and steep peak that it seems to pierce the defenseless sky. When you find yourself on the west side of Machapuchare, you can understand why it is called "Fish Tail" (literal translation). A little imagination - and you will vividly see the shape of the tail of a huge fish, with fins on paired tops. From time to time, the crystal white, shining haze of a snow shawl envelops the mountain, further emphasizing the beholder's attention to the greatness, confident power and even mythical strength of the mountain.

• The mountain is still considered unconquered. Not only is it really unusually difficult to climb, so in 1957 the government of Nepal made an unambiguous decision - to close Mount Machapuchare for mountaineering in view of its religious value for the local population, which considers the mountain to be the sacred dwelling of Shiva himself, and the snow haze on it. the top - the aura of his divine essence. By the way, we saw such an aura during the track to base camp Annapurna in October 2014. A very bewitching and extraordinary sight! See for yourself in the photo.

To make an unauthorized attempt to climb the mountain means not only to give a damn about the religious feelings of the Nepalese, but also to violate a clear administrative rule of the law, which entails tough responsibility. (For the curious, it should be noted that the death penalty does not threaten - it was abolished in 1990, but section XIX of the Nepalese criminal code is devoted to religious crimes, for which you are unlikely to simply be severely reprimanded).

• Machapuchare has a twin brother Matterhorn (Alps), so many people want to compare them live. The mechanism is simple: I saw one mountain -> I was amazed -> I learned that there is another very similar in appearance -> I decided to check it personally. See for yourself: is there a similarity or not?

• Additional attention to Machapuchara is attracted by the nearby Annapurna base camp, the first, the so-called Annapurna Sanctuary. This mountain valley amazing beauty is famous place mountain tourism, a source of inspiration, conqueror of human hearts and souls.

Is it true that no man's foot has set foot on the top of Machapuchare?

The fact that the mountain is closed for climbing does not mean that no one has ever tried to climb this amazing peak. Officials loudly assert that there has been only one unfinished attempt by a British expedition to climb the mountain in history. Remarkably, this was done in the same year when the official ban on climbing was adopted, in the same 1957. However, there are rumors among climbers that a well-known lone adventurer from New Zealand named Bill Denz in the 1980s conquered this mountain at his own peril and risk. Rumor has it that he managed to climb several more mountain peaks prohibited by law for climbing. Being a secretive man, he took the secret about the reality of his ascent to Machapuchara with him to another world when he fell under an avalanche in 1983 during his next adventure. In fairness, I must say that there are still some legal little-known inhabitants of the Machapuchare mountain slopes, who can safely walk along the slopes of the mountain. These are Tibetan eared hedgehogs living here and nowhere else, and it is already a great success to see them.

Attempt to climb Machapuchara in 1957 in detail

To talk about Machapuchara and not to tell about the British expedition of 1957 is a crime. Therefore, it is worth briefly describing their achievement, which is described in detail and artistically in the book "Climbing the Fish" s Tail "(1958) by one of the real participants in that ascent - Wilfrid Noyce.

The hardest and the most dangerous route chosen by the expedition was the most optimal and most acceptable of all the alternatives. The beginning of the attempt to climb is dated 04/18/1957 from Pokhara and 06/02/1957 climbers surrendered, as they lost the exact coordinates of the desired peak, it was snowing heavily, and the transition to a steep slope after a crack in a snow-ice slope (bergschrund) was almost insurmountable, and standing behind it, the sheer wall was completely made of ice. The whim of nature drove the climbers from the top, because their further ascent was more than a sure threat to life.

A real sensation in the climbing environment was the publication in many newspapers in 1957 of texts that Machapuchare had been conquered. However, this is not true, as the British climbers were unable to overcome the last 50 meters to the peak. They could not overcome it, and did not stop proactively, so as not to hurt the religious feelings of the residents. You can imagine how upset it was for the climbers who were one step away from accomplishment, but it would have been counted for them if they climbed to the top without reaching it to a conditional height (for example, the "officially completed" ascent of Kanchenjunga in 1955 was stopped 1.5 meters from the summit as a sign of reverence and respect for the local religion).

This is how it ended, but believers find a sacred meaning in this. Say, unwanted guests in Shiva's house should be so happy that they returned alive! Doesn't someone understand that this is a lesson for everyone who wants to follow! Who does not know the truth that lessons should be correctly understood and adequately responded to? As a result, henceforth - not a single living soul will climb the mountain!

We do not suggest you climb to the top of Machapuchare, but you can see it from all sides and take pictures from different angles in our programs:

Schedule of the nearest tracks in Nepal, join us!

Extremals have tried to climb these peaks more than once. But something always bothers them: now hunger, now the weather, now suddenly adopted laws. Be warned: the article is full of beauty and aesthetics, from which the next eight unconquered peaks becomes even more desirable. Especially if you are extreme, love heights, and have been looking for thrills for a long time.

Gangkhar Puensum
Height: 7,570 meters
Location: border between China and Bhutan
Why not subdued: stupid laws
Gangkhar Puensum is located on the disputed border between China and Bhutan. It is not precisely disputed that Gangkhar Puensum is the highest of the still unconquered peaks. In the 1980s, four ascent attempts were made, after which a law was passed in Bhutan prohibiting mountaineering at an altitude of over 6 km.

The north face of Masherbrum 4 subtly hints: "Don't even try to climb me."

North Face of Masherbrum 4
Height: 7.821 m
Location: Pakistan
Why Not Conquered: Extreme Difficulty
Masherbrum was conquered back in 1960 along a fairly simple route. But there is a wall that no one has ever climbed. The reason is the same - the route is “unrealistically extreme”.

Mount Siple
Height: 3,110 m
Location: Siple Island, Antarctica
Why not conquered: harsh climate
This peak is located in Antarctica, and the main difficulty in conquering it is not the route, but the low temperature and remoteness from the civilized world. There are suspicions that Mount Siple is actually an extinct volcano covered by a glacier.

Machapuchare
Height: 6.998 m
Location: north central Nepal
Why not subdued: religion and law
The most beautiful mountain peak, thanks to its steep slopes, clearly stands out against the background of the rest of the massif called Annapurna, once almost surrendered to the courage of climbers. The 1957 expedition, organized by Jimmy Roberts, stopped just fifty meters from the summit. Conquer one of beautiful mountains Himalayas they were thwarted by a promise made to the government of Nepal. The bottom line is that in the beliefs of the Hindus, it is at the top of Machapuchare that one of the supreme deities of the religion, Shiva, lives. Despite the fact that Roberts' team kept their promise, the top officials of Nepal immediately closed Machapuchara to any visit.

Gangkhar Puensum is the most high mountain in Bhutan with a height of 7,570 meters, as well as the 40th highest peak in the world. Many will be very surprised, but Gangkhar Puensum still remains unconquered when most of the peaks in the Himalayas were conquered decades ago.

The summit of Gangkhar Puensum lies on the border of Bhutan and Tibet, although the exact border is disputed. Chinese maps have placed the peak right at the border, while other sources have placed it entirely in Bhutan. When the mountain was first mapped in 1922, the area maps were horribly inaccurate. Even more recently, area maps have shown the summit at different locations and marked at different heights. One of the first teams that decided to conquer the summit could not find the mountain at all.


Bhutan only discovered itself for mountaineering in 1983, as the mountains were considered the abode of sacred spirits. When the country finally opened its doors to climbers, a series of expeditions were organized. Between 1985 and 1986, four attempts were made that ended in failure. The decision to go mountaineering did not last long. In 1994, the government banned mountain climbing above 6,000 meters, and since 2004, mountaineering in the country has been completely banned, out of respect for local omens.


In 1998, a Japanese expedition obtained permission from the Chinese Mountaineering Association to climb Gangkhar Puensum north of Bhutan on the Tibetan side. But a long-standing border dispute with Bhutan never allowed it to happen. Instead, the expedition traveled to the 7,535-meter nearby Gangkhar Puensum North peak, which had not previously been conquered. The climbers concluded that the expedition to the main summit would be successful if allowed to organize.


Bhutan itself has not explored the peak either, and the country has no interest in conquering it anytime soon. With the difficulty of obtaining permits from the government, as well as the lack of rescue support, the mountain will likely remain unconquered for the near future.

On July 31, 1954, only 52 years after the first ascent attempt, one of the most difficult mountain peaks - K2 - finally fell before the climbers. Against this background, we recall other stunning peaks, still unconquered for various reasons.

The most beautiful mountain peak, thanks to its steep slopes, clearly stands out against the background of the rest of the massif called Annapurna, once almost surrendered to the courage of climbers. The 1957 expedition, organized by Jimmy Roberts, stopped just fifty meters from the summit. To conquer one of the most beautiful mountains of the Himalayas, they were prevented by a promise given to the government of Nepal. The bottom line is that in the beliefs of the Hindus, it is at the top of Machapuchare that one of the supreme deities of the religion, Shiva, dwells. Despite the fact that Roberts' team kept their promise, the top officials of Nepal immediately closed Machapuchara to any visit.

The Tibetan six-thousander is considered sacred mountain among representatives of four major religions at once - Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and adherents of the faith called Bon. Despite the fact that Kailash is under the jurisdiction of the Chinese government, which occupied Tibet, it is the sacred status of the peak that has not allowed to conquer it until now. All known attempts to climb the mountain have failed for one reason or another. For example, the famous climber Reinhold Messner, who received permission from the Chinese authorities to conquer Kailash, subsequently refused to climb, and the Spanish expedition in 2000, which bought a pass for an impressive amount, was stopped by thousands of pilgrims who blocked the route and protests from the UN.

The highest unconquered peak in the world, rising above sea level by more than seven and a half thousand meters. Located on disputed territory between Bhutan and China, she could submit to the Japanese expedition of 1998, if the official Beijing would still issue permission to climb. Eventually, the Japanese ascended to neighboring Liankang Kangri. Gangkhar Puensum could have fallen earlier, when mountaineering was already allowed in Bhutan, but a ban on visiting peaks above six thousand meters has not yet been introduced (again for religious reasons). However, the 1985 and 1986 expeditions ended in failure.

The peak, which rises to the sky at 7207 meters, is also located on the constantly contested Tibetan-Bhutanese border. Not a single attempt was made to climb Tongshanjiab even up to the law "everything that is higher than six thousand is not allowed." After him, of course, even more so. At the same time, the Korean expedition took the neighboring Shimokangri, which was lucky to find itself completely on the Chinese side.

This mountain, whose peak is at an altitude of 7221 meters, has not yet succumbed to human perseverance, not only because of certain difficulties with which Western expeditions receive permission from China to climb. Karjiang is now considered one of the most difficult and recalcitrant peaks in the world - high technical complexity and extremely high danger avalanches, coupled with constantly unfavorable weather conditions stopped more than one expedition on the way.

Being in a territory torn apart by political disputes (Pakistani Kashmir) does not particularly pose problems for climbers seeking to take this recalcitrant peak by storm. But the mountain itself is by no means the highest (6979 meters above the level) mountain of the Baltoro Muztag ridge gives expeditions much more problems than K2, which is the most high peak of this rock formation. Many experienced climbers stumbled over Gasherbrum 6.

Despite its modest height, barely exceeding three thousand meters above sea level, the Antarctic Siple volcano remains on the list of unconquered peaks in the world. Apart from its geographical inaccessibility, which, for example, did not prevent climbers from climbing Erebus, it is not known about any additional difficulties of climbing to the top.