Himals, Mustanghs and Shans of South Central Asia

High magazine has made its second attempt (the first being in 1993) to make one comprehensive list of all the mountain ranges of the world and their more prominent peaks. Introducing "High Mountain Ranges 1995" in the July issue, Editor Geoff Birtles says, even this new inventory is not necessarily complete or final.

This seems indeed to be the case, as the High list has 11 himals in Nepal, while Nepali geographers agree that the country's mountains can be divided into at least 23 distinct himals. This could be, of course, nothing more than different readings of what constitute a mountain range (himal in the Nepal Himalaya, mustagh in the Karakoram, and shan in Tibet and bordering areas). Similarly, the Western Ghats is included, but its eastern counterpart, having a lower elevation no doubt, is ignored.

On the whole, however, High has made a worthwhile contribution to the greater understanding of the world's mountains and, as part of this last Know Your Himal column, we have decided to print a somewhat lengthy extract of the High compilation, including the highest peak in each himal. It is limited to the mountains of Central-South Asia, with the final section referring to himals of other continents for the sake of comparison.

Altun Shan

Tibet, 39°18N/93°40E

Altun Shan 6,025m

Burhan Budai Shan

Tibet, 35°50N/96°00E

Kekesaijimen 6,224m

Gangdise Shan

Tibet, 31°00N/81°20E

Loinbo Kangri 7,093m

Ghats (Western) India,

11°20N/76°30E

Dodabetta 2,633m

Himalaya-Annapurna Himal

Nepal, 28°53N/83°49E

Annapurna-I 8,078m

Himalaya-Assam

Assam, 29°38N/95°03E

Namche Barwa 7,756m

Himalaya-Bhutan

Bhutan, 28°06N/90°25E

Gangar Punsum 7,541m

Himalaya-Dhaula Himal

West Nepal, 28°45N/83°45E

Dhaulagiri 18,167m

Himalaya-Ganesh Himal

Nepal, 28°23N/85°07E

Ganesh-I (Yangra) 7,406m

Himalaya-Garhwal-East

India, 30°22N/79°58E

Nandi Devi 7,817m

Himalaya-Garhwal-West (Gangotri)

India, 30°46N/79°58E

Chaukhamba 7,138m

Himalaya-Garhwal-Central

India, 30°55N/79°35E

Kamet 7,756m

Himalaya-Gurkha Himal

Nepal, 28°33N/84°33E

Manaslu 8,156m

Himalaya-Gurla Mandhata

Tibet, 30°26N/81°18E

Gurla Mandhata 7,728m

Himalaya-Jugal Himal

Nepal, 28°12N/85°48E

Lonpo Gang 7,083

Himalaya-Kanjiroba Himal

West Nepal, 29°24N/82°42E

Kanjiroba-I 6,882m

Himalaya-Kashmir/Zanskar

India, 34°00N/76°02E

Nun 7,135m

Himalaya-Kinnaur-Spiti

India, 32°30N/78°20E

Gya 6,794m

Himalaya-Kulu-Lahul

India, 77°45N/32°05E

Parbati Peak 6,633m

Himalaya-Langtang Himal

Nepal/Tibet, 28°21N/85°47E

Shisha Pangma 8,046m

Himalaya-Mahalangur Himal

Nepal, 27°59N/86º55E

Everest (Chomolungma) 8,846m

Himalaya-Nanga Parbat

Pakistan, 34°14N/74°35E

Nanga Parbat 8,125m

Himalaya- Rolwaling Himal

Nepal, 27°58N/86º26E

Menlungtse 7,181m

Himalaya-Sikkim

Nepal/Sikkim, 27°42N/88°09E

Kangchenjunga-I 8,595m

Himalaya-Yokapahar Himal

West Nepal, 30°00N/80°56E

Api 7,132m

Hindu Kush

Afghanistan-Pakistan

36º15N/71°51E

Tirich Mir 7,706m

Hindu Raj

Pakistan, 36°45N/73°10E

Koyo Zom 6,889m

Hohxil Shan

Tibet, 35°30N/89°30E

Kangzhag Ri 6,415m

Jurhen Ul Shan

Tibet, 33°30N/91°00E

Geladaingong 6,525m

Karakoram-Baltoro Mustagh

Pakistan/China/India

35°53N/76°31E

K2 8,611m

Karakoram-Batura

Pakistan, 36°31N/74°31E

Batura-I 7,785m

Karakoram-Haramosh

Pakistan, 35°50N/74°54E

Haramosh 7,409m

Karakoram-Hispar Mustagh

Pakistan, 36°20N/75°11E

Distaghil Sar 7,884m

Karakoram-Kishtwar-Padar

India, 33°30N/76°00E

Sickle Moon 6,575m

Karakoram-Panmah Mustagh

Pakistan, 35°57N/75°45E

Baintha Brakk (Ogre) 7,285m

Karakoram-Rakaposhi

Pakistan, 36°09N/74°30E

Rakaposhi 7,788m

Karakoram-Saltoro and Masherbrum

India/Pakistan, 35°38N/76°19E

Masherbrum 7,821m

Karakoram-Saser Mustagh

India, 34°52N/77°45E

Saser Kangri-I 7,692m

Karakoram-Saichen and Rimo Mustagh

India, 35°09N/77°35E

Mamostong Kangri 7,525m

Kashgar Range (Kun Lun)

Sinkiang, 38°36N/75°18E

Kongur 7,719m

Koh-I-Baba

Afghanistan, 34°30N/67°00E

Shah Fuladi 5,134m

Kun Lun Shan

Tibet, 35°22N/81°10E

Peak 7,120m

Nganglong Kangri

Tibet, 38º48N/81°00E

Nganglong Kangri 6,450m

Nyainqentanglha Shan

Tibet, 30°24N/90°36E

Peak 7,353m

Pamirs

Tadijikistan, 38°56N/72°00E

Pik Kommunizma 7,483m

Tien Shan

Kyrghyzstan-Sinkiang

42°02N/80°08E

Pik Pobeda 7,439m

Other Continents

AFRICA

Mount Kilimanjaro

Tanzania

Kibo 5,895m

ANTARCTICA

Mt. Vinson 4,897m

AUSTRALIA

Southern Alps

New Zealand

Mt. Cook 3,755m

EUROPE

Caucasus

Georgia-Azerbaijan

Elbrus 5,633m

NORTH AMERICA

Alaska Range

USA

Mt. McKinley 6,195m

SOUTH AMERICA

Cordillera Aconcagua

Argentina

Aconcagua 6,960m