Namcha Barwa 南迦巴瓦峰

About Namcha Barwa

The contrast between its snow-covered summit and the much lower forested valley gives the mountain its exceptional visual scale. A sightseeing visit centres on established canyon viewpoints, not the summit coordinate. The north-bank Suosong area is a documented place to watch the peak, although cloud often hides it. Give the mountain time to appear and use the surrounding river landscape as part of the visit.

The peak was located by British surveyors in 1912, but the area remained largely unvisited until Chinese mountaineers began attempts in the 1980s. A joint Chinese-Japanese expedition reconnoitred the mountain in 1990, and another reached 7,460 metres in 1991 before losing a member, Hiroshi Onishi, in an avalanche. A third Chinese-Japanese expedition established six camps on the South Ridge, over the intermediate peak Nai Peng (7,043 metres), and reached the summit on 30 October 1992.

The peak rises to 7,782 metres within the 180-kilometre Namcha Barwa Himal range. According to local tradition, the name recalls a spear piercing the sky, an image in the Tibetan epic of King Gesar (格萨尔王传). The mountain is regarded as a sacred site of the Bon religion (苯教).

What to look for

• Namcha Barwa’s steep snow-covered profile above the Yarlung Tsangpo valley, when visible.
• The river terraces and forested slopes around the north-bank Suosong viewing area.

The surrounding area

Eastern valleys, lakes and canyon scenery around Basum Tso and the Yarlung Zangbo.

Location & getting there

Getting to Namcha Barwa

Use the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon visitor centre to arrange the north-bank route towards Suosong and Dalin.

• The mountain’s summit pin is an orientation marker; remain within the formally open viewing areas along the visitor route.