The 8,000-Metre Peaks of Nepal: All Eight Giants

Only fourteen mountains on Earth rise above 8,000 m, and eight of them stand in Nepal or on its borders with China and India. Seeing them, whether from a trekking trail, a viewpoint or a mountain flight, is one of the great experiences of a trip to Nepal.

The eight giants

Annapurna I was the first 8,000 m peak ever climbed, by a French team in 1950. Everest was first climbed by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953.

Seeing several at once

From Gokyo Ri you can see four 8,000 m peaks: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu. From Poon Hill, Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I dominate the skyline. An Everest mountain flight passes several giants in an hour.

Climbing them

All eight are climbed on full expeditions lasting six to nine weeks. See our expeditions. For a first taste of Himalayan climbing, try a trekking peak such as Island Peak.

The first ascents

The first ascent of Annapurna in 1950 was the first time anyone had climbed a mountain over 8,000 m. On Kangchenjunga in 1955, Brown and Band stopped a few metres short of the true summit, respecting a promise to the Maharaja of Sikkim that the sacred top would remain untouched, a tradition many climbers still follow.

Each peak in brief

Everest (8,848.86 m)

The highest mountain on Earth, on the border with Tibet. Known in Nepal as Sagarmatha and in Tibet as Chomolungma. See Everest facts.

Kangchenjunga (8,586 m)

The third-highest mountain in the world, on Nepal's eastern border with Sikkim, India. Its name means "five treasures of the snow", after its five summits. The remote Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek visits both its northern base camp at Pangpema and the southern base camp at Oktang.

Lhotse (8,516 m)

Everest's neighbour, joined to it by the South Col. Its huge south face is one of the great walls of the Himalaya, seen clearly from Chhukung and Dingboche. Climbers share the Everest route as far as the Lhotse Face.

Makalu (8,485 m)

A striking four-sided pyramid, east of Everest, in the wild Makalu Barun National Park. The Makalu Base Camp trek leads to its foot at about 4,870 m.

Cho Oyu (8,188 m)

On the border with Tibet, west of Everest. Often called the most accessible 8,000 m peak to climb, usually from the Tibetan side. From Gokyo Ri, its great south face rises at the head of the Ngozumpa Glacier.

Dhaulagiri I (8,167 m)

The "white mountain", wholly in Nepal, rising directly above the Kali Gandaki gorge. It is seen at its best from Poon Hill and Khopra Danda, and the demanding Dhaulagiri Circuit goes right round it via Dhaulagiri Base Camp.

Manaslu (8,163 m)

The "mountain of the spirit", wholly in Nepal, above the village of Samagaun. Seen at close range on the Manaslu Circuit, it has become one of the most popular 8,000 m peaks for autumn expeditions.

Annapurna I (8,091 m)

The tenth-highest mountain, wholly in Nepal, and historically one of the most dangerous to climb. Trekkers reach its south face at Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 m. See ABC trek.

Base camp treks to the 8,000 m peaks

Seeing all eight would take several trips. In one longer journey, the Everest Three Passes trek shows you Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu. See Three Passes.

Climbing records on the 8,000 m peaks

• Reinhold Messner became the first person to climb all fourteen 8,000 m peaks, in 1986.
• Nirmal "Nims" Purja, a former Gurkha, climbed all fourteen in about six months and six days in 2019.
• In 2023, Kristin Harila and Tenjen (Lama) Sherpa climbed all fourteen in 92 days.
• In 2024, Nima Rinji Sherpa became the youngest person to climb all fourteen, at 18.
• Sherpa climbers hold many records, including the most summits of Everest.

Rules for climbing in Nepal

All 8,000 m peaks in Nepal require an expedition permit from the Department of Tourism, arranged by a registered expedition company, along with a liaison officer and a garbage deposit. The Everest royalty is US$15,000 per climber in spring and US$7,500 in autumn; royalties for the other 8,000 m peaks are lower. Since September 2025, solo expeditions above 8,000 m are not allowed: every climber must be accompanied by a guide. Most climbers use supplementary oxygen above about 7,000–7,500 m, and expeditions last from about five weeks for Cho Oyu or Manaslu to eight or nine weeks for Everest. See cost of climbing Everest.

Preparing for an 8,000 m peak

An 8,000 m expedition is a serious undertaking. Most climbers build experience over several years: trekking peaks such as Island Peak or Mera Peak, then a 6,000–7,000 m peak such as Ama Dablam or Himlung, before attempting Manaslu or Cho Oyu as a first 8,000 m peak. Good expedition companies ask for a climbing CV and may refuse climbers without enough experience. Expect a long period of physical training, careful acclimatisation on the mountain, and real risks from avalanches, crevasses, weather and altitude.

The world's other 8,000 m peaks

The six 8,000 m peaks that are not in Nepal lie in the Karakoram of Pakistan and in Tibet. They are K2 (8,611 m), the second-highest mountain on Earth, and Nanga Parbat (8,126 m), Gasherbrum I (8,080 m), Broad Peak (8,051 m) and Gasherbrum II (8,035 m), all in Pakistan, and Shishapangma (8,027 m), wholly in Tibet. Shishapangma is the lowest of the fourteen. Nepal's share, eight of fourteen, is the largest of any country, which is why so many mountaineers come here. See Everest vs K2.

Seeing the giants from the air

If you want to see as many 8,000 m peaks as possible in a short time, fly. The Everest mountain flight from Kathmandu shows Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu, and on clear days Kangchenjunga far to the east. Flights between Pokhara and Jomsom pass between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna, two 8,000 m peaks only about 35 km apart, through the deep Kali Gandaki gorge. And on a clear day, passengers on flights between Kathmandu and Delhi, or Kathmandu and Pokhara, can see the whole range from the window. Sit on the right-hand side flying west and the left-hand side flying east.

Names and meanings