Machhapuchhare (Fishtail Mountain)

There are certainly higher peaks in the Himalayas — at 6,997 meters, Machhapuchhare is far from reaching the heights of the "eight-thousanders" club, but what sets this mountain apart from its taller neighbors is the fact that it has never been officially climbed. Its English name, “Fishtail Mountain,” comes from the shape of its twin summits when seen from the west. Climbing Machhapuchhare is explicitly banned, which is unusual for Nepal. The peak is considered sacred, said to be the one of the homes of the Hindu god Shiva, and climbing it is deemed disrespectful to the god that is also the protector of the region.

Another reason for the ban is due to British climber Jimmy Roberts, who attempted to summit the peak in 1957, along with climbers David Cox and Wilfrid Noyce. The climb proved extremely difficult and had to be abandoned just 50 meters below the summit. It is said that Roberts himself asked the King of Nepal to issue a ban on climbing the mountain - whether out of pride or concern is hard to say. However, around 1983, there may have been an ascent by the daring solo climber Bill Denz from New Zealand, who paid little heed to conventions or bans in other expeditions. Since Denz was killed in 1983 in an avalanche on Makalu — the world’s fifth-highest mountain — there is no conclusive proof that the Fishtail Mountain was ever climbed.

The ban, along with the mountain's particularly steep vertical ascent, has so far discouraged any further attempts to climb it. Officially, Machhapuchhare remains a virgin peak.