Americans claim first ascent of remote Mustang peak
Two climbers summit 6,036-metre Kekyap Ri II in Nepal’s far northwest, in one of the region’s rare recorded exploratory expeditions.
PC: Kedrowski's Instagram
Two American climbers have completed the first recorded ascent of Kekyap Ri II, a 6,036-metre peak in Nepal’s remote Mustang region bordering Tibet, expedition leader Dr. Jon Kedrowski said in a social media post Wednesday.
Kedrowski said the summit was reached on May 15 during a six-day expedition through the far northwestern corner of Mustang, an isolated area that sees little human traffic.
The climbing team included Kedrowski, climber Tiffany “Tiff” Journey, a guide and two porters, with logistical support from Seven Summit Treks.
Only Kedrowski and Journey made the final ascent from base camp, reaching the summit at 11:11 a.m. local time after climbing the mountain’s unclimbed southwest ridge, Kedrowski wrote.
The expedition crossed Kekyap La Pass at 18,361 feet before descending into a remote high valley near the Nepal-China border. The climbers described the terrain as involving boulder fields, glacial troughs and sections of minor Class 3 rock scrambling.
Nepal has seen increasing interest in exploratory climbing and first ascents in remote Himalayan regions beyond the country’s commercial 8,000-metre peaks such as Mount Everest. Encouraged by growing interest, the authorities are mulling to open up hundreds of additional unclimbed peaks for commercial expedition, according to Himal Gautam, spokesman of the Department of Tourism.
The ascent comes during Nepal’s ongoing 2026 spring climbing season, which has drawn hundreds of climbers attempting Himalayan peaks across the country.
