Zemu Gap Peak

Zemu Gap Peak or  Zemu  Peak (7780 m) is a peak on a high ridge running east of the south summit of Kangchenjunga in the Himalayas. It is located in Sikkim, India and until its successful summit it was known as one of the highest unclimbed named peaks of the world.

A number of expeditions in the 1920s and 1930s investigated the peak and made early, ascent attempts. In 1925, N. Tombazi, a Greek photographer, claimed to have reached the summit via the South, but as no photographs were taken at the summit, the attempt was disputed. At the same time, Tombazi also claimed to have made some early sightings of the Yeti while climbing in the region. British explorer Bill Tilman made a traverse of the Zemu Gap in 1938.

Mountaineering in Sikkim was abundant during the time of British India, with most climbing activity in the region taking place between 1929-1939. In the years since, Zemu Gap has been rarely attempted by climbers, partly due to its remoteness and difficult approach, with wide crevasses preventing passage.

In 2008, a British team consisting of Adrian O’Connor, Colin Knowles and Jerzy Wieczorek from attempting to reach Zemu Gap from the south was prevented by icefall and poor weather.

In December 2011, an Indian expedition consisting of Thendup Sherpa, Anindya Mukherjee, Pemba Sherpa, Phurtemba Sherpa and Gyalzen Sherpa made the first documented successful ascent of Zemu Gap over the course of a 16-day expedition. On 15 December, Thendup Sherpa, Anindya Mukherjee and Pemba Sherpa summitted Zemu Gap after a six hour climb from camp 3.

In 2012, The Himalayan Club awarded the inaugural Jagdish Nanavati Award for Excellence in Mountaineering for the achievement.