Mountain Significantly Smaller Than Everest Has Never Been Climbed By A Human

It's safe to say that Mount Everest is quite large—its precise height is 8,849 meters. 

Thousands of people nevertheless undertake the tough journey each year through the Himalayan mountain region, which lies between Tibet and Nepal.

But there's one mountain, not much bigger than Everest, that no one has ever scaled.

Where is it, though? 

Mount Kailasa. Getty Images

At 6,714 meters (22028 feet) in elevation, Mount Kailash is located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China's Ngari Prefecture.

This makes it around 2,000 meters lower than Everest. 

The Sanskrit name for the untouched mountain is "kailasa," which approximately translates as "crystal." 

But the translation into Tibetan suggests an entirely different meaning. 

Because of its snow-capped peaks, it signifies "precious jewel of snows."

You may also be asking why no one has attempted the climb given how short the distance to the summit is. 

The explanation is simple: it has deep religious meaning for many different religions. 

For instance, Buddhists consider the mountain to be the center of the universe, while Hindus consider it to be the residence of the god Shiva. 

It is said in Hinduism that Shiva sits in lotus position inside this mountain, deep in meditation. 

The mountain remains untouched. Getty Images

It is home to Demchok, the Buddhist symbol for pure happiness.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Chinese government chose to ban any public climbing on the site. 

Still, there has been a steady stream of pilgrims arriving from Tibet, Nepal, India, and other countries who travel there to honor the mountain. 

However, only a trail around the mountain is used for pilgrimages, and it is closed to the general public. 

Not only does the mountain hold religious importance, but its snow-covered terrain and 'pyramid-like structure' make ascent impossible.

In addition to its harsh weather, the peak features strong wind gusts that can make stability difficult to maintain. 

However, there have been instances when someone have tried to climb it. 

The British Mountaineering Association informed British mountaineer Hugh Ruttledge that the mountain's north face was "utterly unclimbable" when he started researching it.

He believed he had discovered a path to the summit, nevertheless, and was unable to reach it before the arrival of Tibetan winter.

The government authorized mountaineer Reinhold Messner to be the only one who was truly offered an expedition. 

But he turned it down, citing in a letter the mountain's sacred significance and stating, "If we conquer this mountain, then we conquer something in people's souls."

I would advise them to go climb something a bit more difficult.

"Kailash is not so high and not so hard.”