KATHMANDU: A joint Nepali and American climbing team has made the first successful and recorded ascent of Lumbo Himal (6,250m) in the remote hills of Gorkha district, opening a new chapter in Nepal's mountaineering history.

The expedition, organised and managed by Himalaya Summit Club, reached the summit via the South-West face on June 22, 2026, after several days of route exploration, technical climbing and demanding reconnaissance on previously uncharted terrain.

The summit team comprised IFMGA-certified guide Tul Singh Gurung, Sujal Gurung and Aash Bahadur Gurung — all from Laprak, a village in Gorkha widely recognised as a hub of Nepali climbers — alongside American mountaineer Eric Mathew Soo.

Located within Dharche Rural Municipality in Gorkha, on the northern boundary of the Manaslu Conservation Area and on the southern flank of the Ganesh Himal range, Lumbo Himal had never previously been officially climbed or recorded. According to the expedition organisers, this ascent marks the peak's first documented summit in mountaineering records.

The achievement is being seen not only as a landmark for Nepali mountaineering but also as a potential catalyst for tourism, exploration and international climbing interest in one of the country's most remote and least visited Himalayan areas. Organisers said the successful first ascent is expected to draw attention to the broader Ganesh Himal and Manaslu corridor as a destination for adventure and expedition tourism in the seasons ahead.