Gangkhar Puensum

The Gangkhar seen Puensum of La Ura from

The Gangkhar Puensum (also Kangkar Pünzum, Kankar Punsum ) is before the Kula Kangri the highest mountain in Bhutan and also the highest unclimbed mountain in the world of people.

Different sources give sometimes considerably divergent information about the exact height of the mountain. The above 7570 meters were calculated by a British expedition in 1986 failed to climb the Gangkhar Puensum.

Unclear is whether the whole mountain is part of the Bhutanese territory, on the one hand, since maps of the region are generally quite inaccurate, partly because between Bhutan and the People's Republic of China, there is a conflict over the course of the common border.

1983 Mountaineering in Bhutan was temporarily allowed. 1985/86 a total of four expeditions failed in the attempt to climb the Gangkhar Puensum. In 1994, the mountaineering above 6000 m was prohibited by law from the Bhutanese government since the local population views the mountain peaks as the abode of spirits and gods. However, in 1998 secured a Japanese expedition of climbers association of PRC license to climb the mountain. The expedition dared the ascent of the north, but was only a northern side peak, the Liankang Kangri ( 7535 m) conquer.