Nepal Himalayas: Nepal and the Himalayas

Explore the Nepal Himalayas, home to Mount Everest and 8 of the world’s 14 highest peaks. Learn about mountaineering permits, Sherpa guides, and Himalayan geology.

Introduction

With eight of the fourteen highest peaks in the World, Nepal has been the site of some of the most outstanding achievements in mountain climbing. From the beginning, the dauntless peaks of ice and snow have challenged those who dare. Nepal has about 1400 mountain peaks, of which 414 are open to mountaineering with a permit.

The Mountaineering Department of the Ministry of Tourism issues permission to climb a Himalayan peak in Nepal during the climbing season. For mountains in Tibet, the China Tibet Mountaineering Association or the Tibet Mountaineering Association issues a mountaineering permit. In either case, you need several documents. Mountaineering fees depend on the mountain’s height, the season, and the group size. The mountaineering expedition team must choose an agency with a proven record of providing experienced Sherpa guides and porters; safety is essential to achieving the goal. No mountaineering group can carry out any mountaineering activities without a local agency registered in Nepal.

The Nepal Himalayas, the highest mountains in the world, are often called the Roof of the World. These majestic mountains, shrouded in mystery, continue to inspire awe. The broad Himalayan zone remains intact, adding to their allure. With their snow-capped peaks, the Himalayas fascinate and inspire people from all walks of life. The Himalayas are home to the snow and the gods, a fact reflected in their name, which has roots in Sanskrit: him = snow, alaya = home of snow. The Himalayas extend about 2,500 kilometers, twice as long as the Alps in Europe, and are about 300 km wide, rising to 9 km above sea level. The Brahmaputra (Assam) in the east and the Indus in the west mark the endpoints of the Himalayas.

The Himalayas of Nepal lie in the center of the Himalayan range. Eight peaks of over 8,000 meters, including the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, are the most prominent members of this part of the range. In addition, some 1,400 magnificent summits above 6,000 meters have put Nepal on the map. The country is also renowned for its friendly people and traditional villages.

There once was a sea (the Tethys Sea) within the ancient continent of Gondwana (joining the Indian subcontinent and southern landmasses). The Himalayas began to exist about 70 to 80 million years ago. The final uplift of the peaks started approximately 10 million years ago. Therefore, the Himalayas are still very young and geologically active. Geologists say the Himalayas are growing at about 15 centimeters per year as the Indian plate moves north beneath the Eurasian plate. This continual process of shifting tectonic plates causes earthquakes in this region. In addition, continental plate collisions reactivate sedimentary rocks and bring what was once below the sea to the surface. The granite formations of Mount Makalu and the metamorphic rocks in the lower layer of Mount Everest once lay under the Tethys Sea. A geologist in the 1965 Indian expedition found a deposit of seashell fossils in limestone about 100 feet above the South Summit, 8,749 meters above sea level.