Nuptse
The peak forming Everest's southwestern wall, seen constantly from the Base Camp trail.
Nuptse stands at 7,861m about 2km southwest of Mount Everest, in Solukhumbu district. Together with Everest and Lhotse, it encloses the Khumbu Glacier and forms much of the skyline seen from the Everest Base Camp trail.
Despite its height, Nuptse has a topographic prominence of only around 319m, meaning it is considered a subsidiary peak of the Everest massif rather than an independently ranked mountain.
Nuptse was first climbed on 16 May 1961 by Dennis Davis and Tashi Sherpa on a British expedition, by the steep face and ridge on its south side. The name means west peak in Tibetan, describing where it sits in relation to Everest rather than anything about the mountain itself. From Everest Base Camp it is Nuptse, not Everest, that fills most of the sky.
Highlights
7,861m, immediately southwest of Everest
Forms part of the visual wall enclosing the Khumbu Glacier
Low topographic prominence means it is not ranked among the world's independent high peaks
Trips in Nepal
Practical Info
Address
Solukhumbu District, Nepal
In This Destination
Solukhumbu
In the shadow of Everest, where dreams touch the sky
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