Nepal’s official list of peaks above 8000 meters has been updated, now totaling 14 instead of the previous eight. Among the additions of six peaks are four from the Kanchenjunga range (Yalung Khang, Yalung Khang West, Kanchenjunga Central, and Kanchenjunga South) and two from the Lhotse range (Lhotse Middle and Lhotse Shar). These peaks are pending international recognition approval from the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA).
Nepal’s Department of Tourism, which recently released an updated list of 2023 mountain climbers with permits, calls the new effort an attempt to improve the country’s mountaineering sector. If the new peaks are more widely recognized internationally, it could lure more climbers, generating tourism revenue. The identification of further peaks may also provide new challenges for climbers in search of something tougher than the more commonly known summits.