SHISHAPANGMA

Shishapangma

Shishapangma also called Gosainthān, is the fourteenth-highest mountain in the world and, at 8,013 m (26,289 ft),

the lowest of the eight-thou sanders. It was the last 8,000 metre peak to be climbed, due to its location entirely within

Tibet and the restrictions on visits by foreigners to the region imposed by national Chinese and regional Tibetan

authorities.

Name

There are several different theories about the meaning of the mountain's name. Geologist Toni Hagen explained the name as

meaning a "grassy plain" or "meadow" (pangma) above a "comb" or a "range" (shisha or chisa) in the local Tibetan dialect,

thereby signifying the "crest above the grassy plains"On the other hand, Tibetologist Guntram Hazod records a

local story that explains the mountain's name in terms of its literal meaning in the Standard Tibetan language: shisha,

which means "meat of an animal that died of natural causes"; and sbangma which means "malt dregs left over from brewing

beer". According to the story, one year a heavy snowfall killed most of the animals at pasture, and all that the people

living near the mountain had to eat was the meat of the dead animals and the malt dregs left over from brewing beer, and

so the mountain was named Shisha Pangma (shisha sbangma), signifiying "meat of dead animals and malty dregs". The

Sanskrit name of the mountain, Gosainthan, means "place of the saint" or "Abode of God".


Geography


Shishapangma is located in south-central Tibet, five kilometres from the border with Nepal. It is the only eight-

thou sander entirely within Chinese territory. It is also the highest peak in the Jugal Himal which is contiguous with and

often considered part of Lang tang HimalThe Jugal/Lang tang Himal straddles the Tibet/Nepal border. Since Shishapangma

is on the dry north side of the Himalayan crest and further from the lower terrain of Nepal, it has less dramatic vertical

relief than most major Himalayan peaks.


Ascents and attempts


Up to 2009, 24 people have died climbing Shishapangma, including Alex Lowe and Dave Bridges (both USA) in 1999, and

veteran Portuguese climber Bruno Carnival. Nevertheless, Shishapangma is one of the easier eight-thou sanders to climb. The

standard route ascends via the northwest face and northeast ridge and face ("Northern Route"), and boasts relatively easy

access, with vehicle travel possible to base camp at 5,000 m (16,400 ft). Routes on the steeper southwest face are more

technically demanding and involve 2,200 metres (7,220 ft) of ascent on a 50-degree slope.


Bibliography


A Photographic record of the Mount Shisha Pangma Scientific Expedition. Science Press Peking 1966.
Scott, Doug; MacIntyre, Alex (2000) [1984]. Shisha Pangma: The Alpine Style First Ascent of the South-West Face. Seattle,

WA, USA: The Mountaineers Books. ISBN 0-89886-723-1.
Venables, Stephen; Fanshawe, Andy (1996). Himalaya Alpine-Style: The Most Challenging Routes on the Highest Peaks.

Seattle, WA, USA: Mountaineers Books. ISBN 0-89886-456-9.
Sale, Richard, Cleare, John: On top of the world (Climbing the world's 14 highest mountains), lists of ascents,

HarperCollins Publ., 2000, ISBN 978-0-00-220176-6.