An unclimbed mountain is a mountain peak that has not been climbed to the top. Determining which unclimbed peak is highest is often a matter of controversy. In some parts of the world, surveying and mapping are still unreliable. There are no comprehensive records of the routes of explorers, mountaineers, and local inhabitants. In some cases, even modern ascents by larger parties have been poorly documented and, with no universally recognized listing, the best that can be achieved in determining the world's highest unclimbed peaks is somewhat speculative. Most sources indicate that Gangkhar Puensum () on the Bhutan-Tibet border is the tallest mountain in the world that has not been fully summited. Gangkhar Puensum has been off limits to climbers since 1994 when Bhutan prohibited all mountaineering above , reportedly due to spiritual beliefs.

Unclimbed mountains are sometimes referred to as virgin peaks. Many virgin peaks exist because no one has had access to that mountain due to its geographic isolation or political instability. Some are off limits due to religious beliefs in that country or region which hold that a certain mountain is sacred and should remain inviolate. Of those, Mount Kailash, a mountain in the Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China, with an altitude of , is one of the most prominent. It lies in the Kailash Range (Gangdisê Mountains) of the Transhimalaya, in the western part of the Tibetan Plateau. Mount Kailash is considered sacred in four religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bon. Because of its status as a sacred mountain there are annual pilgrimages to see it, but any climbing activities on it are forbidden.

Additionally, since climbing tall mountains is usually a major undertaking and climbers are attracted to climbing the tallest ones, lower peaks (even if they are very formidable) simply get less attention, and instead the taller peaks are summited again, by parties following a new route, or perhaps during the winter when conditions are generally more treacherous.

Challenges in definition Definition of a mountain

Many mountains, in addition to their highest point or peak, also have subpeaks. There is no universally accepted way of deciding when a subpeak is distinct enough to be classified as a mountain in its own right; therefore, any list of the world's mountains is subject to dispute. The topographic prominence of each apex and the general topography of the area both come into consideration when determining their status. Although objective criteria have been proposed, there is no widely agreed standard. In 1994, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation classified 82 mountain peaks in the Alps whose summits were at least above sea level and with at least of topographic prominence over any adjacent mountain pass or col, as a distinct peak.

Verification of unclimbed status It can be difficult sometimes to determine whether or not a mountain peak has been fully summited. Long before modern mountaineering commenced in the middle of the 19th century, evidence indicates that people did indeed travel up to the summits or near to the summits of major mountain peaks. Archaeological excavations in the Andes have shown that humans traveled up to in prehistoric times. Permanent settlements as high as were established as far back as 12,000 years ago in the Andes. In the Greater Himalaya region, Lhasa, in Tibet, sitting at has been permanently occupied since the 7th century and many smaller settlements across the Greater Himalaya thrive at elevations exceeding . With humans living at high elevations for many millennia, nearby peaks to such settlements may or may not have been summited at some point in the past. However, many regions away from settlements may never have been explored, especially since some high peaks in the Greater Ranges are so remote that they were unknown to local inhabitants until they were sighted by explorers.

The world's third-tallest peak, Kangchenjunga, has been summited a number of times, but on the 1955 expedition the first climbers of the peak agreed to honor the wishes of locals and not set foot on the topmost part of the mountain. Succeeding mountaineering parties may (or may not) have followed this tradition. Machapuchare had only one summit attempt back in 1957 when climbers came within of the summit, but turned back to honour King Mahendra's words, as he had permitted them to climb without stepping foot on the summit itself; Nepal then banned future attempts, but Bill Denz may have climbed the mountain illegally decades later.

Gangkhar Puensum

The mountain most widely claimed to be the highest unclimbed mountain in the world in terms of elevation is Gangkhar Puensum (). It is in Bhutan, on or near the border with China. In Bhutan, the climbing of mountains higher than has been prohibited since 1994. The rationale for this prohibition is based on local customs that consider this and similar peaks to be the sacred homes of protective deities and spirits, and the lack of high-altitude rescue resources from any locale closer than India. The prohibition was further expanded in 2003 when mountaineering of any kind was disallowed entirely within Bhutan. Gangkhar Puensum will likely remain unclimbed so long as the government of Bhutan prohibits it.

Highest unclimbed non-prohibited peak

It is unclear which is the highest unclimbed non-prohibited mountain. While some recognize only peaks with of topographical prominence as individual summits, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation was using a cutoff for determining individual summits (from 1994 to at least 2013). Unclimbed summits includes Summa Ri () with prominence of , and Labuche Kang III/East () with prominence of .

Most prominent unclimbed peak

Unclimbed candidates with high topographic prominence are by definition independent mountains, but some have relatively modest elevations. With such peaks, there is a greater possibility of undocumented ascents, perhaps occurring long ago.

As of November 2025, Sauyr Zhotasy (, prominence of ), the high point in the Saur Range on the border between Kazakhstan and China, and Mount Siple (, prominence of ) on Siple Island off the coast of Antarctica, have no record of successful ascents. The unclimbed status of each of these peaks is difficult to confirm, although Mount Siple in particular is remote, uninhabited (and without any nearby habitation), and seldom visited.

List of highest unclimbed peaks The following peaks, with a minimum prominence of , were thought to be unclimbed . At least 21 peaks of over 7000 m are thought to have been unclimbed.

RankPeakHeight Prominence ParentLocation m ft m ft1Gangkhar Puensum75702483629959826KangchenjungaBhutan/China2Kunyang Chhish West735024114202663Pakistan3Summa Ri730223957246807SkilbrumPakistan4Labuche Kang III7250237865701870Labuche KangChina5Apsarasas Kangri7243237636071991Teram Kangri IIndia6Tongshanjiabu72072364517575764Gangkhar PuensumBhutan/China7Skyang Kangri West717423537194636Skyang KangriPakistan8Chamar South716123494219719ChamarNepal9Namcha Barwa II714623445166545Namcha BarwaChina10Chongtar Kangri NE714523442205673Chongtar KangriChina11Asapurna I714023425262860Annapurna INepal12Urdok Kangri II7137234153211053Sia KangriPakistan/China13Praqpa Kangri I7134234066682192SkilbrumPakistan14Annapurna Dakshin NE712623379151495Annapurna DakshinNepal15Teri Kang7125233764541490TongshanjiabuBhutan/China16Sanglung7095232789953264Namcha BarwaChina17Sia Kangri II7075232123471134Sia KangriPakistan/China18Asapurna II706923192156512Asapurna INepal19Malangutti Sar South706123166157515Malangutti SarPakistan20East Labuche Kang II704023097180591Labuche Kang IIChina21Shudu Tsenpa7024230455471795PauhunriIndia/ChinaMountains with prominence over 300 m have rows in bold. Rows shaded red indicate prohibited peaks.

See also List of mountain peaks by prominence List of highest mountains on Earth

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