Labuche Kang III (Labuche Kang East)
Standing as one of earth’s last unclimbed mountains that’s legally accessible, Labuche Kang III is situated in the Labuche Kang mountain massif of Tibet.
The closest neighboring peaks to Labuche Kang III are Cho Oyu and Lunag Ri I to the southeast, Tengi Ragi Tau to the south-southeast, Phurbi Chyachu and Lönpo Gang to the southwest, and Shishapangma to the west. The beautiful Himalayan Langtang National Park is located to the west of the peak and the stunning Sagarmatha National Park is just to the southeast of the mountain.
Country: China
State/Province: Tibet
Mountain Range: Labuche Himalaya
Parents: Himalaya
Elevation: 23,790 feet / 7,250 meters
Prominence: 1,870 feet / 570 meters
First Ascent: unclimbed
Fun Fact: Labuche Kang III is the 93rd highest peak in the world. It is also the second highest unclimbed peak in the world, behind Gangkhar Puensum in Bhutan, where climbing is prohibited.
Plant Life: With two gorgeous parks just a few miles away, Labuche Kang III is the perfect area to take in some amazing sights of the Himalayas. The Sagarmatha National Park area boasts of lush evergreen forests of pine and hemlock, juniper, birch, and white fir, as well as rhododendron plants, scrub, and alpine plant communities. Langtang National Park to the west offers diverse vegetation in 18 different types of ecosystems, ranging from upper tropical forests below the 1,000 meter mark to hill forests of chirpine (Pinus roxburghii), rhododendrons and Nepalese alder (Alnus nepalensis) at 2,000-2,600 meters to oak, silver fir, and hemlock forests at the temperate zone of 2,600-3,000 meters to larch in the 3,000–3,600 meter lower sub–alpine zone to grassy meadows with juniper and rhododendron shrubs (R. anthopogon) at the 4,000 meter elevation graduating to alpine scrub and perennial ice in higher elevations. Sal (Shorea robusta) forests can be found in south Langtang National Park.
Animal Life: Local animals found near Sagarmatha National Park include the snow leopard, red panda, yak, musk deer, Himalayan tahr (or tehr, related to goats and sheep), marten, and Himalayan mouse hare (pika). Since the two parks are so close to each other, it’s not unusual that they share many common animal species. Animal life common in Langtang National Park includes the snow leopard, red panda, musk deer, Himalayan tahr, Himalayan black bear, wild dog, ghoral, and serow.
Bird Life: Bird species of the Sagarmatha National Park area include the snow cock, Impeyan pheasant and blood pheasant, and the red billed cough. Over 250 species of birds live in nearby Langtang National Park.
Sources:
- Wikipedia: Labuche Kang III/East, Langtang National Park
- Government of Nepal Ministry of Forests and Environment: Sagarmatha National Park
- Government of Nepal Ministry of Forests and Environment: Welcome To Lamgtang National Park
- Government of Nepal Ministry of Forests and Environment: Langtang National Park
- Google Maps
Links:
- Explorer’s Web: Luke Smithwick Thwarted on Labuche Kang III
