Kathmandu- The concerned bodies have commenced a formal effort to grant international recognition to six additional mountains in Nepal that exceed 8,000 meters.

In pursuit of this objective, the Department of Tourism and the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) have initiated the necessary document preparation and procedural steps.

Currently, out of the 14 internationally recognized mountains in the world that surpass 8,000 meters, eight are located in Nepal.

If the additional six mountains receive international recognition, Nepal’s total number of such mountains will reach 14. Stakeholders believe that this achievement will further solidify Nepal’s position as a prominent hub for world mountaineering tourism.

According to the Department of Tourism, preparations are underway to present a proposal to recognize more mountains in Nepal as mountains above 8,000 meters at the General Assembly of the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA).

This event, which is considered an international mountaineering network, will be held in Kathmandu in October.

While the government has already identified these mountains, they have yet to receive international recognition.

The Department of Tourism states that the government has officially recognized only eight mountains as mountains above 8,000 meters, while studies are currently underway on the remaining six.

However, the Nepal Peak Profile, prepared by the government, includes 14 mountains above 8,000 meters in Nepal.

The Nepal Mountaineering Association is diligently working on the detailed process of obtaining international recognition for six additional mountains.

Currently, the UIAA, the global authority responsible for measuring mountain heights, determining mountaineering standards, and establishing equipment and safety regulations, has only acknowledged eight mountains in Nepal that exceed 8,000 meters.

The six mountains that lack international recognition are Yalung Khang, Kanchenjunga Central, Kanchenjunga South, Lhotse Middle, Lhotse Sar, and Yalung Khang West.

Furgelje Sherpa, the president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, has confirmed that the necessary documentation work is underway to identify and certify these mountains.

He mentioned that the Nepalese government has confirmed the existence of 14 mountains above 8,000 meters and has been issuing permits for climbing them. However, the international community recognizes only eight of these mountains in Nepal.

Sherpa predicts that if all 14 mountains receive international recognition, the global count of mountains exceeding 8,000 meters will reach 20, with 14 of them being located in Nepal.

Here are the Nepalese mountains above 8,000 meters:

- Everest: 8,848.86 meters

- Kanchenjunga (Main): 8,586 meters

- Lhotse: 8,516 meters

- Yalung Khang: 8,505 meters

- Kanchenjunga Central: 8,476 meters

- Kanchenjunga South: 8,476 meters

- Makalu (1): 8,463 meters

- Lhotse Middle: 8,413 meters

- Lhotse Sar: 8,400 meters

- Choyu: 8,201 meters

- Dhaulagiri (1): 8,167 meters

- Manaslu: 8,163 meters

- Annapurna (1): 8,091 meters

- Yalung Khang West: 8,077 meters