Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Kangchenjunga’s First Ascent

02 April, KATHMANDU – The Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), in collaboration with various organizations, is all set to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the first ascent of Kangchenjunga.

Kangchenjunga, the third-highest peak in the world at 8,586 meters, was first summited on 25th May 1955 by Joe Brown and George Band as part of a British Expedition. The 25th of May 2025 will mark the 70th anniversary of its first ascent.

A variety of programs have been scheduled as part of the celebration in collaboration with Samriddha Pahad and the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council.

The Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council will organize various activities in Lelep, Taplejung, from 18th to 20th April 2025. A special program will be held in Kathmandu on 24th April 2025. The NMA will be a part of all these events.

The organizers revealed all the details of the event today at a press conference in Kathmandu. The Senior Vice President of the NMA, Mr. Thakur Raj Pandey, urged all stakeholders to come together and use this opportunity to promote Mount Kangchenjunga.

“Mount Kangchenjunga is the third-highest peak in the world, and it was first ascended 70 years ago. However, very few tourists visit this mountain,” Senior VP Pandey said. “Let’s turn this celebration into an opportunity to promote Mount Kangchenjunga.”
The General Secretary of the NMA, Mr. Mohan Lamsal, opined that the government should amend various policies to increase the number of tourists visiting Mount Kangchenjunga. “As expedition operators, we face many challenges in bringing tourists to Mount Kangchenjunga. It’s far from Kathmandu, and the distance makes it an expensive expedition,” he said. “Moreover, the various taxes imposed by the government have made our business even more expensive and unaffordable.”

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Samriddha Pahad, Mr. Sanjib Neupane, a co-partner of this event, urged all stakeholders to support the initiative to make this event a huge success.

“Our mountains represent our prosperity. We should promote them for the overall growth of our nation,” CEO Neupane said. “We expect support from all stakeholders to make this event a success.”