According to Nepali mountaineers and geographers, there are actually 20 eight-thousanders in the world. Recently, Nepali experts led by Buddhi Narayan Shrestha, a boundary expert and former director general of the Survey Department, Nepal’s national mapping organisation have claimed that there are other new Six above 8000m peaks in Nepal . This tallys Nepal itself have 14, above 8000m peaks .
The world record book have noted down that there are 14 highest mountains in the world above 8,000m -and eight of which are in Nepal viz: Everest (8,848.86m), Kanchenjunga (8,586m), Lhotse (8,516m), Makalu (8,463m), Cho Oyu (8,201m), Dhaulagiri (8,167m), Manaslu (8,163m) and Annapurna I (8,091m) . Five are in Pakistan—K2 (8,611m), Nanga Parbat (8,125m), Gasherbrum I (8,080m), Broad Peak (8,051m) and Gasherbrum II (8,034m) and one in Tibet (China) Shishapangma (8,027m).
But that’s not all, Nepali experts and research team claimed of new Six peaks above 8000m are – Yalung Khang (8,505m), Kanchenjunga South (8,476m) on the Nepal-India border, Kanchenjunga Central (8,473m) on the Nepal-India border, Kanchanjunga West (8,077m), Lhotse Middle (8,413m) on the Nepal-China border and Lhotse Shar (8,400m) on the Nepal-China border.
They have also produced a map showing these mountains, but the Nepal Government is hesitant to claim them. The team have researched and had studied these mountains. The government needs value and speak on this. In November 2013, a 10-member committee led by then joint secretary at the Tourism Ministry Purna Chandra Bhattarai submitted a report to the ministry recommending official reorganisation of these six eight-thousanders. In May 2014, then government gave official recognition to Kanchanjunga West in Taplejung as an eight-thousander. The peak was also opened for commercial expeditions along with 104 new peaks.
But the international mountain fraternity has been halted this endorsing Kanchanjunga West as an eight-thousander. Former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association ,Mr. Ang Tshiring Sherpa said ,Nepal should raise a strong voice at the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA), a governing body recognised by the International Olympic Committee about this new Six peaks to give reconization soon. Its already been a decade ofresearch and submitted the report . The proposal was scheduled to be presented at the UIAA general assembly in October 2013, in Switzerland, but it did not happen. Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck complained to the general assembly that he and his friends were attacked by a group of sherpas when they were acclimatising on Everest in April 2013,” said Sherpa, who was then chief of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.
There were over 800 representatives at the general assembly, and a debate ensued. The meeting was adjourned. We were never allowed to speak,” said Sherpa.
Then in 2014, there was a deadly avalanche on Everest which was followed by the 2015 earthquake, and there was no one to raise the issue. But we have been consistently lobbying with the government for international recognition of these six mountains that will boost Nepal mountaineering and tourism.