Nepal's Lesser-Known Peaks Draw Adventurers Seeking Solitude

Nepal’s mountains, including Everest, have long attracted climbers from around the world. Yet a growing community of mountaineers is turning to hidden summits, promising solitude and the thrill of being first to the top.

The Himalayan nation is home to eight of the world’s ten highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of climbers annually, making mountaineering a lucrative industry.

While commercial expeditions dominate Everest and other 8,000-metre giants, a new generation of adventurers is exploring the country’s numerous 6,000- and 7,000-metre peaks.

Nepal has 462 peaks open to climbing, and roughly a hundred have never been summited.

“If you focus only on the highest peaks, your options are limited,” said French alpinist and veteran expedition leader Paulo Grobel. “But if you look at peaks around 7,900 metres, there’s a lot of potential. At 6,900 metres, there are even more waiting.”

This autumn, Nepal issued 1,323 climbing permits. While most climbers join large commercial expeditions, small independent teams are tackling remote and lesser-known mountains. Many of these climbers, including French, Japanese, and Swiss teams, follow alpine style: minimal support, no supplementary oxygen, no fixed ropes, and carrying all their own gear.

“It’s a huge challenge,” said French mountaineer Benjamin Vedrines, 33, after the first ascent of the 7,468m Jannu East with fellow climber Nicolas Jean. “Alpine style requires more skill and passion. The adventure is way bigger.”

Vedrines believes Nepal’s mid-range mountains offer immense opportunities. “They’re just lower than 8,000 metres,” he said. “Maybe society values them less, but they’re underrated. There’s so much left to explore.”

The shift comes amid growing concerns over sustainability, overcrowding, and commercialisation in mountaineering. Billi Bierling, who runs the Himalayan Database, said: “With more climbers on the 8,000-metre peaks, it’s encouraging that young, technically skilled alpinists are exploring more challenging and interesting peaks. Hopefully, it will also be safer.”

Many of Nepal’s mid-range peaks remain difficult to access, not because they are technically too hard, but due to their remoteness.

“In Nepal, access is the real challenge,” said Nepali climber and guide Vinayak Malla, whose team received a Piolets d’Or nomination for the first ascent of the 6,450m Patrasi Peak last year. “It’s expensive to travel, you often have to trek to areas with few facilities, and rescue is difficult.”

Smaller expeditions also help spread tourism income across remote valleys. In August, Nepal waived climbing fees for 97 mountains to encourage exploration of lesser-known peaks.

“We are seeing growing interest in mountains below 8,000 metres,” said Himal Gautam, chief of the mountaineering section at Nepal’s tourism department. “Gradually, we’re promoting new regions so that as interest grows, infrastructure and support can develop.”

Grobel added, “If you’re interested in the climbing experience itself, you need to explore the other peaks. The possibilities are endless.”