Kangbachen is a subsidiary peak of Kangchenjunga in the Nepalese part of the Himalayas. The Kangchenjunga massif's local name translates to "Five treasures of the high snow"[1] in reference to its five peaks, one being Kangbachen.
Kangbachen lies on the west ridge of the Kangchenjunga range, in Nepal's Lantang Valley. It is the smallest of Kangchenjunga's five peaks and the only one less than eight thousand meters (7,903 m). It is also the only one of Kangchenjunga's peaks entirely in Nepal.[2]
Kangbachen has rarely been climbed compared to other mountains on the range. It has only had ten recorded expeditions since 1930, and only two successful summits, according to the Himalayan Database.[3]
It was first summitted on May 26, 1974, via the southwest ridge by a Polish expedition team, composed of Kazimierz Olech, Wiesław Kłaput, Marek Malatyński, Zbigniew Rubinowski and Wojciech Brański.[4] The second successful summit, by a Yugoslavian team, took place just over four months later, on September 29, 1974.[3]
As of 2024, the East, and South faces of Kangbachen are unclimbed.[5][6]
1930 —Günter Dyhrenfurth / Smythe rope team attempted to reach the summit, but turned back at 6400m[7]
1949 — Alfred Sutter Swiss Expedition hits high point of 5490m, no summit attempt[3]
1965 — Yugoslavian expedition by Mountaineering Club Ljubljana abandoned at 7600m due to frostbite[3]
1973 — Japanese Himalayan Expedition of Rikkio University made four attempts at the summit, but heavy snow impeded their ascents each time. Highest point reached was 6550m[8]
1974 — Successful summit by Polish team led by Kazimierz Olech and Polski Club Gorski[9]
1975 — Yugoslavian expedition from Slovene Alpine Club, Ljubljana, led by Tone Škarja makes second successful summit[10]
1984 — Solo attempt by Italy's Dante Porta, abandoned at 6000m due to altitude sickness[3]
2007 — Slovenian Kangbachen Expedition, led by Tone Škarja, had to abandon attempt due to avalanche risk[3][11]
2019 — Romano Benet and Nives Meroi Kangbachen Expedition, abandoned at 6300 due to large crevasse[3]
^De Schlagintweit, H.; de Schlagintweit, A.; de Schlagintweit, R. (1863). "IV. Names explained". Results of a Scientific Mission to India and High Asia, undertaken between the years MDCCCLIV and MDCCCLVIII by order of the court of Directors of the Honourable East India Company. Volume III. London: Brockhaus, Leipzig and Trübner & Co. p. 207.
