Liankang Kangri Explained

Liankang Kangri
Other Name:Gangkhar Puensum North
Elevation M:7534
Elevation Ref:[1]
Prominence M:234
Range:Himalayas
Listing:Mountains of Bhutan
Location:Bhutan–China border
Map:China Tibet topography#China#Bhutan
Mapframe:no
Coordinates:28.0639°N 90.4431°W
First Ascent:5 May 1999

Liangkang Kangri (also known as Gangkhar Puensum North and Liankang Kangri) is a mountain peak in the Himalayas on the border between Bhutan and China, as well as at the southeastern end of territory claimed by both countries. Liangkang Kangri is high.[1] To the south, a ridge leads to the 7570m (24,840feet) Gangkhar Puensum to the south-southeast.[1] Due to the low saddle height of,[1] Liangkang Kangri is not regarded as an independent mountain. There is westward a ridge that extends to several peaks that are around high.[1] The Liangkanggletscher on the northwest flank and the Namsanggletscher on the eastern flank of Liangkang Kangri form the headwaters of the Lhobrak Chhu, a source river of Kuri Chhu. The glacier on the southwest flank belongs to the catchment area of Angde Chhu.

The first ascent of Liankang Kangri was by a 5-member party led by the Japanese mountaineer Kiyohiko Suzuki on 9 May 1999.[2] According to them, Liankang Kangri was the second highest unclimbed mountain in the world, after Gangkhar Puensum.[3] Team member Tamotsu Nakamura commented to the BBC after the party's success, “As I cannot disclose an inside story behind the sudden cancellation, I write only the reason why the permit was withdrawn because of a political issue with [the] Bhutan government. (...) I regret that Liangkang Kangri is not an outstanding summit."[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Liangkang Kangri, China/Bhutan. 2024-10-30. Peakbagger.com.
  2. Web site: Gankarpunzum, Reconnaissance, and Liankang Kangri, First Ascent Asia, China, Gongka Mountains. 2000. Tsuguyasu. Itami. American Alpine Club.
  3. Tsuguyasu Itami . Gankarpunzum & First Ascent Of Liankang Kangri . Japanese Alpine News . October 2001 . 1 . 7 November 2015 .
  4. Web site: The mountains we have never climbed. Nuwer. Rachel. Rachel Nuwer . 4 July 2014. www.bbc.com. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20180914115940/http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140703-the-last-mountains-to-climb. 14 September 2018. 2019-02-18. Rather than go home empty-handed, Nakamura and his climbing partners turned to Liangkang Kangri (also known as Gangkhar Puensum North), a 7,441m (24,555ft) unclimbed peak that is firmly planted in Tibet. Although that effort was a success, it was a disappointing end to the trip. As Nakamura later wrote, “I regret that Liangkang Kangri is not an outstanding summit.”.