Two Japanese climbers missing on unclimbed Gangapurna West in Nepal

Two Japanese climbers have been missing since 15 October on a Himalayan peak in northern Nepal, Manang chief district officer Mukti Ram Khanal said on Thursday (https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/two-japanese-climbers-missing-himalayan-peak-nepal-2026-10-22/).

The pair were attempting Gangapurna West, a 7,140-metre (23,425ft) unclimbed peak in the Annapurna region, also known as Asapurna or Peak Lachenal (https://explorersweb.com/two-climbers-missing-on-gangapurna-west/). Helicopter rescuers have found no sign of the climbers apart from what appeared to be their bag near the summit, Khanal said. Officials last had contact with them at about 7,100 metres (23,293ft) a week ago, and authorities are discussing whether to mount another rescue operation on Friday (https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/two-japanese-climbers-missing-himalayan-peak-nepal-2026-10-22/).

Mountaineering press Gripped Magazine and Explorersweb have identified the climbers as Hidesuke Taneishi and Tetsu Hashimoto, who had travelled to the peak in September (https://gripped.com/news/two-climbers-missing-on-remote-mountain-in-nepal/) (https://explorersweb.com/two-climbers-missing-on-gangapurna-west/). The Japanese Embassy in Kathmandu has not disclosed their identities; it says the two men are aged 40 and 25 (https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2026102200144/). “We are providing as much support as possible to the families of the missing climbers and others concerned while staying in contact with them,” an embassy official said (https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2026102200144/).

A Russian team that attempted the mountain earlier this month bailed at about 6,800 metres because of bad weather and reported no sign of the pair (https://gripped.com/news/two-climbers-missing-on-remote-mountain-in-nepal/).