Unclimbed Peaks in India: Virgin, Sacred and Closed Summits
The summits nobody has stood on.
India's unclimbed mountains from our dataset of notable peaks: where they are, why they stay untouched, which peaks are closed or sacred instead, and which ones were climbed for the first time only recently.
- 8 unclimbed peaks in our dataset
- 7,780 m Zemu Gap Peak, Sikkim
- 2 closed peaks
- 25 restricted peaks
- 2025 Kangto's first recorded ascent
Mountains of India › Unclimbed Peaks in India
Last verified 25 Oct 2026
Which mountains in India are still unclimbed?
Our dataset of 157 notable Indian peaks has 8 with no documented summit. The highest is Zemu Gap Peak (7,780 m / 25,525 ft) in Sikkim, one of the world’s highest unclimbed named peaks. Most sit in sacred or border zones that are closed to climbers. Two more are closed despite past ascents; see the full list.
India has far more unnamed and minor summits than anyone has counted, and many of them have never been climbed. This page covers the notable ones: the named peaks in our dataset with no documented ascent. That is why we always say “8 in our dataset” and never claim an official total.
In the Indian Himalaya, a peak usually stays unclimbed for one of four reasons: it is sacred (Sikkim’s high peaks, Manimahesh Kailash), it sits in a military zone (Siachen), it lies on a controlled border (Chombu, the Arunachal peaks), or it is simply remote and hard. Only one of the eight, Parvati Parbat in Kullu, is open to foreign teams.
India's unclimbed peaks: all 8 in our dataset
The animation draws six of them at their true heights, from Manimahesh Kailash (5,653 m) to Zemu Gap Peak (7,780 m), and ends with Yunam (6,111 m), a peak you can actually climb.
Nyegyi Kansang (7,047 m) is listed as unclimbed with a note: a 1995 Indian Army team claimed it, but that claim is doubted. Parvati Parbat (6,633 m) has no documented summit; a 2004 attempt stopped in a whiteout.
Showing 8 of 8 peaks
| # | State | Range | Status | Grade | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zemu Gap PeakA subsidiary summit of the Kangchenjunga massif rather than an independent mountain; no known attempts. | 7,780 m25,525 ft | Sikkim | Kangchenjunga Himal | — | Unclimbed | Technical |
| 2 | Apsarasas Kangri II (and III)Among the highest unclimbed summits in the world. Apsarasas III is c.6,882 m. | 7,239 m23,750 ft | Ladakh | Karakoram (Siachen Muztagh) | — | Unclimbed | Technical |
| 3 | Nyegyi KansangPossibly one of India's highest unclimbed 7,000ers (disputed 1995 claim). | 7,047 m23,120 ft | Arunachal Pradesh | Eastern (Assam) Himalaya | — | Unclimbed | Technical |
| 4 | Shudu TsenpaNo recorded attempts. | 7,024 m23,045 ft | Sikkim | Sikkim Himalaya (Pauhunri massif) | — | Unclimbed | Technical |
| 5 | ChiumoNo documented ascent; recent attempts have come from the south. | 6,890 m22,605 ft | Arunachal Pradesh | Eastern Himalaya (Kangto massif) | — | Unclimbed | Technical |
| 6 | Parvati ParbatUltra-prominent peak. | 6,633 m21,762 ft | Himachal Pradesh | Great Himalaya (Parvati valley) | — | Unclimbed | Technical |
| 7 | ChombuNo documented ascent. British attempts in 2019 and 2022 turned back; climbing is tightly controlled near the Tibet border. | 6,362 m20,873 ft | Sikkim | Sikkim Himalaya | — | Unclimbed | Technical |
| 8 | Manimahesh KailashManimahesh Yatra to the lake below attracts large pilgrim crowds each August–September. | 5,653 m18,547 ft | Himachal Pradesh | Dhauladhar/Pir Panjal (Chamba) | — | Unclimbed | Technical |
The highest unclimbed mountain in India, and in the world
India: Zemu Gap Peak, 7,780 m
The highest unclimbed peak in our dataset is Zemu Gap Peak (7,780 m / 25,525 ft) in Sikkim. It is a low-prominence subsidiary summit of the Kangchenjunga massif, east of the south summit, rather than an independent mountain, and it has no known attempts. Wikipedia calls it one of the highest unclimbed named peaks of the world.
World: Gangkhar Puensum, about 7,570 m
The world’s highest unclimbed mountain is usually given as Gangkhar Puensum (about 7,570 m) in Bhutan. Bhutan banned climbing on peaks above 6,000 m in 1994 and stopped all mountaineering in 2003, so it is likely to stay that way.
The IMF’s virgin peaks
The Indian Mountaineering Foundation keeps its own list of unclimbed “virgin peaks”, many of them above 7,000 m, and describes Peak 7160 in the Saltoro Muztagh as one of the highest unclimbed peaks of the world. Many of these are unnamed and do not appear in our dataset.
Closed, sacred and restricted peaks: why climbers can't go
Some famous Indian peaks were climbed long ago but are now off limits. Our dataset marks 2 as closed: Nanda Devi (7,816 m), first climbed in 1936 and closed since 1983, and Stok Kangri (6,153 m), closed since 2020, with a Ladakh administration ban in December 2023. Another 25 are restricted: sacred, in a military zone or on a controlled border.
Kangchenjunga is not unclimbed. It was first climbed in 1955 from Nepal. From the Indian side it is closed: Sikkim treats it as sacred and banned climbing in 2001.
| Peak | Height | State | First ascent | Why it is restricted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kangchenjunga | 8,586 m / 28,169 ft | Sikkim | 1955 | Sacred; Sikkim ban since 2001 |
| Saltoro Kangri | 7,742 m / 25,400 ft | Ladakh | 1962 | Siachen military zone |
| Jongsong Peak | 7,462 m / 24,482 ft | Sikkim | 1930 | Sikkim high-peak restrictions |
| Teram Kangri I | 7,462 m / 24,482 ft | Ladakh | 1975 | Siachen military zone |
| K12 | 7,428 m / 24,370 ft | Ladakh | 1974 | Siachen military zone |
| Kabru North | 7,412 m / 24,318 ft | Sikkim | 1994 | Sikkim regards Kabru as sacred |
| Teram Kangri II | 7,407 m / 24,301 ft | Ladakh | 1975 | Siachen military zone |
| Ghent Kangri | 7,401 m / 24,281 ft | Ladakh | 1961 | Siachen military zone |
| Teram Kangri III | 7,382 m / 24,219 ft | Ladakh | 1979 | Siachen military zone |
| Kirat Chuli | 7,362 m / 24,154 ft | Sikkim | 1939 | Sacred in Nepal; Sikkim-side access restricted |
| Gimmigela Chuli | 7,350 m / 24,114 ft | Sikkim | 1994 | Sikkim high-peak restrictions |
| Talung | 7,349 m / 24,111 ft | Sikkim | 1964 | Sikkim high-peak restrictions |
| Apsarasas Kangri I | 7,245 m / 23,770 ft | Ladakh | 1976 | Siachen military zone |
| Singhi Kangri | 7,202 m / 23,629 ft | Ladakh | 1976 | Siachen military zone |
| Pauhunri | 7,128 m / 23,386 ft | Sikkim | 1911 | Sikkim high-peak restrictions |
| Pathibhara (Pyramid Peak) | 7,123 m / 23,369 ft | Sikkim | 1993 | Sikkim high-peak restrictions |
| Padmanabh | 7,030 m / 23,064 ft | Ladakh | 2002 | Siachen area |
| Kangchenjau | 6,889 m / 22,602 ft | Sikkim | 1912 | Sikkim high-peak restrictions |
| Siniolchu | 6,888 m / 22,598 ft | Sikkim | 1936 | Sikkim high-peak restrictions |
| Gurudongmar | 6,715 m / 22,031 ft | Sikkim | 1936 | Border area; sacred lake below |
| Pandim | 6,691 m / 21,952 ft | Sikkim | Not recorded | Sikkim high-peak restrictions (sacred) |
| Adi Kailash | 5,945 m / 19,505 ft | Uttarakhand | 2004 | Sacred; Inner Line border zone |
| Om Parvat | 5,590 m / 18,340 ft | Uttarakhand | Not recorded | Sacred; Inner Line border zone |
| Shrikhand Mahadev | 5,227 m / 17,149 ft | Himachal Pradesh | Not recorded | Pilgrimage peak (Shrikhand yatra) |
| Amarnath Peak | 5,186 m / 17,014 ft | Jammu & Kashmir | Not recorded | Sacred; not traditionally climbed |
Status and first-ascent years come from our peak dataset. Restrictions change; check with the IMF and the state before planning.
Peaks climbed for the first time only recently
Unclimbed lists change. The most recent big first ascent in India is Kangto, Arunachal Pradesh’s highest peak, whose first recorded ascent came on 26 November 2025. We found no first ascents in India so far in 2026.
| Peak | Height | State | First ascent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kangto | 7,090 m / 23,261 ft | Arunachal Pradesh | 26 Nov 2025: first recorded ascent, by an 18-member Indian Army team (Arunachal Governor’s press release, 8 Dec 2025) |
| Tsangyang Gyatso | 6,383 m / 20,942 ft | Arunachal Pradesh | 2024 |
| Shahi Kangri | 6,934 m / 22,749 ft | Ladakh | 2022 |
| Janhukut | 6,805 m / 22,326 ft | Uttarakhand | 2018 |
For records and Indian climbing firsts, see our guide to mountaineering in India; for the other 7,000 m summits, the 7000m peaks list.
Can you climb an unclimbed peak in India?
- IMF permission comes first.Virgin peaks need Indian Mountaineering Foundation permission like any other peak. Foreign teams apply at least 90 days ahead and climb with a liaison officer; see our IMF permit and fees guide.
- Most are in restricted zones.Peaks near the Siachen, Tibet and Arunachal borders also need defence and Home Ministry clearance, and are generally not available.
- Sacred peaks stay sacred.Sikkim’s 2001 notification and the pilgrim mountains such as Manimahesh Kailash are not climbing objectives.
- Parvati Parbat is the exception.It is open to foreign teams, but it is a serious technical objective with no documented summit, not a first expedition.
Want a Himalayan summit you can actually stand on? Climbed, open Himachal peaks such as Yunam Peak (6,111 m), Deo Tibba (6,001 m) and Chau Chau Kang Nilda (6,303 m) are where most climbers start.
Unclimbed mountains: your questions
Which is the highest unclimbed mountain in India?
Zemu Gap Peak (7,780 m / 25,525 ft) in Sikkim is the highest unclimbed peak in our dataset. It is a subsidiary summit of the Kangchenjunga massif with no known attempts.
What is the highest unclimbed mountain in the world?
Gangkhar Puensum (about 7,570 m) in Bhutan. Bhutan has banned all mountaineering since 2003.
How many unclimbed peaks are there in India?
There is no official total. Our dataset of 157 notable peaks has 8 with no documented ascent, and the IMF keeps a longer list of virgin peaks, many of them unnamed.
Is Kangchenjunga unclimbed?
No. It was first climbed in 1955 from Nepal. It is closed from the Indian side, because Sikkim treats it as sacred and banned climbing in 2001.
Is Nanda Devi unclimbed?
No. Nanda Devi (7,816 m) was first climbed in 1936, but it has been closed to climbers since 1983.
Are there unclimbed peaks in Himachal Pradesh?
Yes, two in our dataset: Parvati Parbat (6,633 m) in Kullu has no documented summit, and Manimahesh Kailash (5,653 m) in Chamba is a sacred peak that has never been summited.
Can I climb an unclimbed peak in India?
Only with IMF permission, and many virgin peaks lie in restricted border or military zones that are generally closed. Parvati Parbat is the only one in our dataset open to foreign teams.
Which Indian peak was climbed for the first time most recently?
Kangto (7,090 m), Arunachal Pradesh’s highest peak. Its first recorded ascent was on 26 November 2025, by an Indian Army team.
Want a summit you can actually climb?
Start in Himachal with Yunam, Deo Tibba or Chau Chau Kang Nilda. We pair you with a registered Himachal outfitter and certified guides, and add permits, hotels and transfers: one plan, one quote.
Keep exploring
Sources
- Wikipedia — Zemu Gap Peak
- Wikipedia — Gangkhar Puensum
- Indian Mountaineering Foundation — Apex newsletter vol. 10 (via UIAA): virgin peaks
- Raj Bhavan Arunachal Pradesh — Governor congratulates the Mount Kangto expedition team (8 Dec 2025)
- Wikipedia — Kangto
- The Statesman — Ladakh administration bans expeditions to Stok Kangri
- Explorersweb — first ascents
