Climbing
Kimshung (or Tsangbu Ri as it’s also locally known) has long stood as one of the last unclimbed Himalayan peaks since modern climbing first arrived in the region. Standing at a massive elevation of 22,247 feet in Nepal near the border with Tibet, Kimshung has seen numerous failed attempts over the years. Due to its remote location and difficulty of climbing, it has long stood unclimbed by anyone. However, history was finally made on October 20, 2025, by an international team consisting of both Italian and Austrian climbers.
Italian Francois Cazzanelli found success after three previous attempts to summit Kimshung over the past 10 years. He was joined by fellow Italian climber Giuseppe Vidonim, whom he had met on a previous unsuccessful 2024 summit push on Kimshung. In order to streamline the team, the duo was joined by Austrian climbers Benjamin Zoerer and Lukas Waldner, as well as photographer Damiano Levati. The group was stacked with a diverse set of skills and experience and armed with the culmination of months already spent on the mountain by several expedition members of the group.
The group started their climb at the base of the peak on the Kimshung Glacier after arriving on October 19, at an elevation of 17,880 feet. They started out early on October 20, climbing the Northeast face of the mountain in alpine style. Alpine style climbing is a fast paced, self-sufficient mountaineering style that involves a single push to the summit. It avoids the use of fixed ropes, fixed camps, or supplemental oxygen. It requires a lightweight and “light and fast” philosophy, where climbers carry all necessary gear, food, and shelter for the entire trip from the start in order to reduce exposure to dangers such as altitude and avalanches.
The climbers maintained a certain level of secrecy over the climb until after the conclusion of the project. While the start time is not clear, the group summited at 12:30 p.m. in a single push. They named the route they used “Destiny,” a fitting name for such a climb. The climbers were noted as returning to the base of the valley by 7:30 p.m. that same day. The 4,265-foot route averages 60º in steepness, with the climbing team rating it technical grades of M5 for mixed climbing and AI4 for ice. These statistics stand to prove that Kimshung is as challenging as many previous failures over the years have suggested.
While the first ascent is a monumental feat, this may be just the beginning for climbing on Kimshung. Once thought to be unclimbable, the success of the international team has proven yet again the amazing things humans are capable of.
