In the rugged heart of western Sichuan province, where the Tibetan Plateau meets the Daxue Mountains, rises a majestic pyramid of snow and stone—Mount Gongga, also known as Minya Konka. With its breathtaking beauty, spiritual significance, and a fatality rate that outpaces even the Himalayas, Gongga isn’t just a mountain. It’s a silent, lethal legend.
To climbers, it’s a sacred challenge. To local monks, it’s the embodiment of a god. And to historians, it’s a place where myth, tragedy, and human perseverance converge.
This is the story of China’s highest non-Himalayan peak, a mountain of awe, reverence, and ruthless danger.
The Man Who Described the Mountain’s Wrath
In 1957, Xi Chan Chun, a former railway mechanic and mountaineer-turned-trade unionist, led one of China’s early expeditions to Mount Gongga. A serious, no-nonsense figure, Mr. Xi nonetheless found himself entranced by the mountain’s majesty, writing in his expedition report:
“The pale moonlight shimmering on the distant snow gave the peaks an utterly beautiful and fantastical quality… Its pyramid summit soared to a noble height, embodying majesty as it loomed proudly over its sister peaks.”
But then he added:
“The razor-like snow ridges shone in the darkness.”
The imagery was more than poetic—it was prophetic. That very expedition would cost four lives. The mountain had begun its grim tally.
Geography and Scale: The King of the Daxue
Mount Gongga reaches 7,556 meters (24,790 feet) above sea level, making it the ninth tallest mountain in China. However, outside of the Himalayas, it is China’s second highest, and globally, without the Himalayas, it would be the third highest peak.
Gongga sits at the center of the Daxue Range, a sub-range on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, stretching over 50 kilometers and including more than 25 peaks above 6,000 meters.
Despite its grandeur, it’s not just height that defines Gongga—it’s the terrain’s sheer brutality and beauty.
Nature’s Masterpiece: A Collision of Ice and Forest
The natural beauty of Mount Gongga is overwhelming. Its lower flanks are blanketed in an incredibly diverse ecosystem—home to over 5,000 plant species, including conifers, birches, and oaks. In autumn, the forests explode into fiery reds, yellows, and oranges, offering a striking contrast to the towering glaciers above.
These glaciers—the Gongga, Yang Tokco, and Halugo—carve dramatic patterns across the mountain. The Halugo Glacier, with its eerie orange algae-covered rock formations, is particularly haunting.
This breathtaking scenery has long been a source of spiritual inspiration. A Buddhist monk once wrote:
“There is no more beautiful spot on Earth than Minya. One night spent on the mountain is equivalent to 10 years of private meditation and constant prayer.”
But beauty, here, is laced with peril.
A Sacred Peak: Legend of the Milkmaid Goddess
Mount Gongga isn’t just majestic—it’s sacred.
In 1285, the Buddhist monks of the Gagu sect established Conquer Gomba Monastery on its slopes, declaring Gongga the earthly form of a mountain deity: Georatru.
According to local legend, Georatru’s daughter, the Milkmaid Goddess Itima, allowed her cow to graze on Gongga’s slopes. When a hunter mistook the cow for a deer and killed it, Itima responded with divine fury—slaughtering the hunter’s family and flooding the region with a pale torrent of milk.
To this day, sudden thunderstorms followed by blizzards are said to be the manifestation of her rage. And many climbers can attest: such storms often strike without warning.
First Glimpses: Western Exploration Begins
Though sacred to locals for centuries, Gongga remained largely unknown to the West until the late 19th century:
-
1876: English explorer William John Gill viewed the peak from a distance.
-
1879: Hungarian Count Béla Széchenyi attempted to estimate its height.
-
1903: Australian J.H. Edgar claimed it was the tallest mountain in the world at 9,144 meters—an overestimate.
More accurate assessments came later:
-
1929: Austrian-American explorer Dr. Joseph F. Rock reached the region while working for the National Geographic Society and described Gongga with reverence.
-
He estimated the mountain’s height at 7,782 meters.
-
Later that year, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. and Kermit Roosevelt visited while on a panda-hunting expedition.
The First Ascent: Americans Conquer the Summit
The first confirmed ascent of Mount Gongga occurred in 1932, when Americans Richard Burdsall and Terris Moore reached the summit on October 28.
Starting from Boston in 1931, the team navigated war-torn Shanghai, trekked by yak, and scouted their route via the northwest ridge. Armed with hemp ropes, cotton gear, and wooden ice axes, they faced harsh terrain with primitive tools.
They made it, measuring the height at 7,587 meters (later revised to 7,556). Their success was extraordinary—especially given the era’s limited technology.
Xi Chan Chun and the 1957 Tragedy
A second ascent came 25 years later, led by Xi Chan Chun. The 1957 Chinese team faced immediate hardship.
-
Their meteorologist, Ting Hing Yo, was killed in a training avalanche.
-
Xi led two reconnaissance missions before attempting the summit with 16 climbers.
-
On June 13, Xi and five teammates reached the summit.
But disaster struck during the descent. One roped team slipped on an exposed, icy slope and fell into an abyss, killing three. Only Xi’s grip on a rock saved his own party from the same fate.
The Mountain Opens—And Claims More Lives
After decades of closed access due to the Cold War, foreign climbers returned in 1980. But Gongga remained as treacherous as ever.
1980:
-
American team led by Andy Harvard tried the southern face but retreated due to monsoons.
-
A second team including Yvon Chouinard, Rick Ridgeway, Kim Schmitz, and cameraman Jonathan Wright attempted the northwest ridge.
-
A sudden avalanche swept them down 460 meters. Wright died; the others were injured.
1981:
-
A 25-member Japanese team tried the northeast ridge.
-
Eight climbers died when one slipped, pulling the others down.
-
Photographer Mikio Arabe survived only because he was momentarily unclipped from their rope.
1982:
-
Multiple teams reached the summit, but deaths continued:
-
A Swiss climber slipped to his death on the ridge.
-
Japanese climbers Hinari Matsuda and Makoto Sugawara became lost after failing to summit.
-
Matsuda survived frostbite and starvation; Sugawara was never found.
-
Gongga’s Deadly Numbers
From 1932 to 2018, Mount Gongga was attempted by 20 known expeditions. Of these:
-
10 succeeded in summiting.
-
Only 25–32 climbers have stood at the top.
-
20 climbers died, giving it a mortality rate of 62–80%.
For comparison, Annapurna in Nepal, widely regarded as the world’s deadliest, has a fatality rate of 18% (73 deaths out of 395 summits). In relative terms, Mount Gongga is deadlier.
Climate Change: The New Killer on the Slopes
As the climate warms, Gongga grows even more unstable.
Research from Lu Chao at the Chinese Academy of Sciences confirms the mountain’s glaciers are retreating by over 50 meters per year. As ice vanishes, loose rock is exposed, raising the risk of rockfalls and landslides—a new hazard for future climbers.
More Modern Attempts and Ongoing Risks
Even in recent decades, Gongga has maintained its reputation:
-
1998: Three Korean climbers reached the summit; one died descending.
-
2009: Americans Wade Johnson, Jonathan Copp, and Micah Dash died in an avalanche.
-
2017: Czech climber Pavel Korin reached the summit solo.
-
2018: Chinese climbers Li Zongyi and Xiao Hai successfully summited after a failed attempt two years prior.
Though some succeed, Gongga’s appetite for tragedy remains intact.
Final Thoughts: The Razor’s Edge of Majesty
Mount Gongga is more than a mountain. It’s a paradox—a sacred peak that grants transcendence or takes lives with indifference.
It invites only the most prepared, the most respectful, and sometimes the most fortunate. For everyone else, perhaps the best way to honor its magnificence is from a distance.
“There is no more beautiful spot on Earth than Minya,” a monk once said. But he never suggested climbing it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Where is Mount Gongga?
It is located in western Sichuan province, China, in the Daxue mountain range on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.
Q2: How tall is it?
Mount Gongga stands at 7,556 meters (24,790 feet).
Q3: Why is it considered deadly?
Its steep, icy ridges, avalanche-prone terrain, unpredictable weather, and limited climbing success give it a 62–80% fatality rate.
Q4: Who first climbed it?
Americans Richard Burdsall and Terris Moore first summited it on October 28, 1932.
Q5: Is it sacred?
Yes. Local monks believe it is the incarnation of the mountain god Georatru, and associate storms with the rage of the Milkmaid Goddess Itima.
