Elevation
8,586 m (28,169 feet)
Country
India
Mountain Range
Himalayas
Prominence
3,922 m
Coordinates
27.7000, 88.1333
Isolation
0.1 km
Kanchenjunga, at 8,586 meters, is the third-highest mountain in the world and India's highest peak. Straddling Nepal and Sikkim, its Tibetan name means Five Treasures of the Great Snow, referring to its five peaks. Until 1852, it was believed to be the world's highest. First climbed in 1955 by Joe Brown and George Band, who stopped short of the true summit out of respect for local beliefs that the peak is sacred — a tradition many climbers still follow. The surrounding national park shelters snow leopards, red pandas, and over 500 bird species.