Reo Purgyil (6,816 m): Highest Peak of Himachal Pradesh
The roof of Himachal, on the Tibet border.
About three weeks from Nako on the Hindustan–Tibet road: scree and meadows to a high base camp, then moraine, glacier and a long, loose west ridge with short rock pitches near the top. A remote border expedition for climbers who already have 6,000 m experience.
- 6,816 m summit (22,362 ft)
- About 3 weeks from Nako
- Jun–Sep season
- Grade technical
- Price Get Quote
Mountains of India › Himachal Pradesh › Reo Purgyil
Last verified 19 Oct 2026
Which is the highest peak in Himachal Pradesh, and can you climb it?
Reo Purgyil (6,816 m / 22,362 ft) is the highest peak in Himachal Pradesh. It stands on the India–Tibet border in Kinnaur’s Pooh tehsil, above the village of Nako, and tops our list of Himachal peaks. Climbing it is a technical expedition of about three weeks from Nako, best from June to September, over glacier and a long, loose west ridge.
Reo Purgyil rises at the southern end of the Zanskar range, where the Sutlej cuts through Kinnaur towards Tibet and the Spiti river drains its northern face. It is a massif with two summits: Reo Purgyil itself (6,816 m) and Leo Pargial (6,791 m), about 2 km to the north. The two names are often mixed up, and the 1933 expedition that first climbed Leo Pargial called the higher summit the “South Peak”.
Most people looking it up want one fact: it is the highest peak in Himachal, ahead of Mount Gya (6,794 m) in Spiti. Climbers want more, and that is what this page covers: the route from Nako, the border permits and a climbing history with a puzzle in it. For the wider picture, see our Indian Himalaya guide and the full list of India’s highest peaks.
Route from Nako, camp by camp
The road-head is Nako (3,624 m), a village on NH-505, the Hindustan–Tibet road, reached from Shimla via Reckong Peo and Pooh. Teams spend a day or two there acclimatising, then climb steep scree and grass to a meadow camp at about 4,880 m and on to base camp at about 5,450 m.
Above base camp the line described by a 1991 Indian team goes over moraine to an advanced base beside a glacial pool below the west ridge. Camps on the ridge are placed by load ferries: loose scree, a snow-over-ice traverse and a camp below a rock pinnacle under the headwall. A short rock pitch leads to the top. Camp heights above base camp are not published, so they are left out of the table.
| Camp / point | Altitude | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nako | 3,624 m / 11,890 ft | Road-head village on NH-505; acclimatisation days |
| Meadow camp | 4,880 m / 16,010 ft | About 4,880 m; steep scree and grass above Nako |
| Base camp | 5,450 m / 17,881 ft | About 5,450 m |
| Reo Purgyil summit | 6,816 m / 22,362 ft | After an advanced base on the moraine and camps on the west ridge |
How three weeks on Reo Purgyil usually unfold
- Days 1–2 · NakoArrive at the road-head, 3,624 m, and acclimatise.
- Day 3 · Meadow campClimb steep scree and grass to about 4,880 m.
- Day 4 · Base campMove up to base camp at about 5,450 m.
- Days 5–9 · Advanced baseLoad ferries over the moraine to an advanced base below the west ridge.
- Days 10–16 · Ridge campsFix and occupy camps on the west ridge: loose scree, a snow-over-ice traverse, a camp below the headwall.
- Days 17–19 · Summit windowSummit push over the final rock pitch to 6,816 m when the wind allows.
- Last 2 days · Back to NakoDescend through base camp to the road-head.
Itineraries vary with the outfitter, group and weather; rest days are added when needed.
How hard is Reo Purgyil?
Reo Purgyil is not a trekking peak. The approach is steep scree; above base camp come moraine, glacier and a long, loose west ridge with snow-over-ice traverses and short rock pitches near the top. The 1991 team rated the summit pitch, about 18 m, as mild VS. Very strong winds and rime are reported, and the climb is remote, close to the border, with load ferries between camps.
Expect to need earlier 6,000 m expeditions and rope work on mixed ground. A sensible build-up in Himachal is Friendship Peak, then a first 6,000er such as Yunam or Deo Tibba, then a technical summit like Hanuman Tibba.
- ExperienceEarlier 6,000 m expeditions; expect to need them.
- TechniqueCrampons, ice axe, fixed-rope work and short pitches on loose mixed ground.
- FitnessAbout three weeks of load carrying and long days above 5,000 m.
- Self-relianceA remote border massif with strong winds and few other teams.
- TrainingA Basic Mountaineering Course at least; Indian teams also follow IMF rules on leader qualifications.
Best time to climb Reo Purgyil
June to September. Kinnaur lies in the rain shadow of the main Himalaya, so the monsoon is far weaker here than in Kullu. Recorded summits fall across the season: Leo Pargial in late June 1974, Reo Purgyil in July 1991 and in September 1971 and 2026.
Rain shadow does not mean calm: the 1991 team climbed through persistent cloud and strong wind in July. Build weather days into the plan.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
BestPossibleClosed / not advised
Permits for Reo Purgyil
Indian climbers need no border permit for Nako. In Himachal, climbs go through an HP Tourism-registered outfitter with registered guides, and every participant needs life and rescue insurance under the state’s adventure rules. The expedition also needs permission from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF).
Foreign nationals need two things. First, IMF permission, applied for at least 90 days ahead: for peaks of 6,501–7,000 m the base fee is US$700 for a team of two, plus per-member charges and US$500 for liaison-officer equipment (IMF peak-fee page, checked Oct 2026). Ask the IMF to confirm the peak is open to foreign teams when you apply. Second, a Protected Area Permit for the Kinnaur border belt beyond Jangi, issued at Reckong Peo, Shimla or Kaza; officially it needs two or more foreigners. More in our IMF permit and peak fee guide and our guide to mountaineering in India for foreign climbers.
Reo Purgyil is in Kinnaur, so the 2026 Kangra trekker registration, which covers ten Dhauladhar routes, does not apply.
What a guided Reo Purgyil expedition includes
The price depends on your dates, group size, nationality and experience, so we quote each expedition. Tell us your dates and climbing record on WhatsApp and you get one plan and one quote. Foreign nationals also pay the IMF fee and liaison-officer charges, shown separately.
- Certified mountaineering guides and support staff
- Tents, camps and all meals on the mountain
- Group climbing equipment (ropes, fixed lines and anchors)
- Help with IMF and Protected Area Permit paperwork
- Transfers from Shimla to Nako and back
- Acclimatisation and weather days in the plan
What to pack
- Insulated mountaineering boots that take crampons
- Crampons, ice axe and a jumar (ascender)
- Climbing harness, helmet, carabiners and slings
- Expedition down jacket and a warm sleeping bag
- Windproof and waterproof shell jacket and trousers
- Summit mitts plus liner gloves
- Glacier sunglasses (UV400), goggles and sunscreen
- Headlamp with spare batteries
- Trekking poles
- Two water bottles and a personal first-aid kit
Climbing history of Reo Purgyil
The story starts on the twin. In 1933 Marco Pallis’s British expedition made the first documented ascent of Leo Pargial (6,791 m). An Indian party tried Leo Pargial via the Lamkhaga Pass in 1967 and was stopped by snow, and an Indian Military Academy team reached its summit on 27 June 1974.
Reo Purgyil itself was first climbed by an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) team in 1971. There is a puzzle in the record: ITBP lists its 20 and 24 September 1971 climb as Leo Pargial, yet in 1991 an Indian team found a cairn marked “ITBP EXP 1971” on the 6,816 m summit. That 1991 team, led by Yousuf Zaheer, reached the top via the west ridge on 26 July 1991, described as the second ascent.
ITBP returned in 2020, when a 12-member team climbed the peak during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its “Parvat Sankalp-2026” expedition was flagged off from Shimla on 31 August 2026 and reached the summit on 16 September 2026; reports of that climb give the height as 6,759 m, while the survey figure used here is 6,816 m.
Reo Purgyil and Leo Pargial: one massif, two summits
Maps, news reports and even official records swap these names. They are two separate summits of the same massif on the Tibet border, both reached from Nako.
Reo Purgyil
- Height: 6,816 m (22,362 ft), the highest point of Himachal Pradesh.
- Position: the southern summit; the 1933 expedition called it the “South Peak”.
- First ascent: an ITBP team in 1971.
Leo Pargial
- Height: 6,791 m (22,280 ft).
- Position: about 2 km north of Reo Purgyil.
- First ascent: Marco Pallis’s expedition in 1933.
Planning a climb? Say which summit you mean. We pair you with a registered Himachal outfitter and certified guides, and arrange the permits, transfers and a weather-aware plan for the peak you choose.
Himachal's five highest peaks, side by side
Reo Purgyil is the state high point at 6,816 m. Close behind come Mount Gya (6,794 m) on the Spiti–Ladakh–Tibet tri-junction, restricted for foreign climbers, and its own twin Leo Pargial (6,791 m). Parvati Parbat (6,633 m) has no documented summit ascent, and Manirang (6,593 m) rises on the Kinnaur–Spiti border.
No peak in Himachal reaches 7,000 m. See all of them, with grade, season and status, in our guide to the highest peaks in Himachal Pradesh.
Other Himachal Pradesh peaks of a similar height
-
Himachal Pradesh6,794 m22,290 ft
Mount Gya
-
Himachal Pradesh6,791 m22,280 ft
Leo Pargial
-
Himachal Pradesh6,633 m21,762 ft
Parvati Parbat
-
Himachal Pradesh6,593 m21,631 ft
Manirang
Reo Purgyil: questions people ask
Which is the highest peak in Himachal Pradesh?
Reo Purgyil, at 6,816 m (22,362 ft), in Kinnaur district on the India–Tibet border. Mount Gya in Spiti (6,794 m) is second.
How high is Reo Purgyil?
6,816 m (22,362 ft) by the survey figure used by Wikipedia and the Himalayan Journal. Some 2026 news reports of an ITBP climb give 6,759 m.
Where is Reo Purgyil?
In Pooh tehsil of Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, at the southern end of the Zanskar range, above Nako village on the Hindustan–Tibet road (NH-505).
Is Reo Purgyil the same as Leo Pargial?
No. They are twin summits of one massif: Reo Purgyil (6,816 m) is the southern and higher one, Leo Pargial (6,791 m) lies about 2 km north. The names are often mixed up.
Who first climbed Reo Purgyil?
An Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) team in 1971. ITBP’s records call that climb Leo Pargial, but a 1991 team found an ITBP 1971 cairn on Reo Purgyil’s summit.
Can you climb Reo Purgyil?
Yes, as a full expedition for experienced climbers: about three weeks from Nako, June to September, with IMF permission and, for foreigners, a Protected Area Permit. Ask the IMF to confirm it is open to foreign teams when you apply.
Do I need a permit to visit Nako?
Indians do not. Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit for the Kinnaur border belt beyond Jangi, issued at Reckong Peo, Shimla or Kaza.
Is there a 7,000 m peak in Himachal Pradesh?
No. Reo Purgyil, at 6,816 m, is the highest; the nearest 7,000 m peaks are in Uttarakhand, Ladakh and Sikkim.
Can Suzu Travels arrange a Reo Purgyil expedition?
Yes, for climbers with the right experience. We pair you with a registered Himachal outfitter and certified guides and help with the permits and transfers — one plan and one quote on WhatsApp at +91 70874 88961.
Plan this climb with Suzu
We pair you with a registered Himachal outfitter and certified guides, sort the permits and add hotel and transfers — one plan, one quote.
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Sources
- Wikipedia — Reo Purgyil
- Wikipedia — List of Indian states and territories by highest point
- Wikipedia — List of mountain peaks of Himachal Pradesh
- Himalayan Journal 48 — Reo Purgyil: beneath the shroud (1991)
- Himalayan Journal 34 — The I.M.A. expedition to Gang Chua and Leo Pargial, 1974
- Himalayan Journal 28 — The Lamkhaga Pass and Leo Pargial
- The News Mill (Aug 2026) — ITBP Parvat Sankalp-2026 expedition to Reo Pargil
- IANS via Social News XYZ (Sep 2026) — ITBP team summits Mt Reo Pargil
- Indian Mountaineering Foundation — peak fees for foreign expeditions
- HP Miscellaneous Adventure Activities (Amendment) Rules 2021
