The Kangshung Glacier ( zh, c=卓穷冰川) is one of the three main glaciers of Mount Everest, and is in the Tibet region Himalayas, within the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The other two are the Khumbu Glacier and Rongbuk Glacier.

Geography

The Kangshung Glacier's accumulation areas lie on the three main faces of Everest. The Kangshung Glacier is located on the eastern side of the world's highest mountain in the government district of Shigatse in the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. The common eastern face of Everest and

Lhotse Lhotse ( ne, ल्होत्से ; , ''lho tse'', ) is the fourth highest mountain in the world at , after Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga. The main summit is on the border between Tibet Autonomous Region of China and the Khumbu ...

is called the

Kangshung Face The Kangshung Face (Chinese: 康雄壁) or East Face is the eastern-facing side of Mount Everest, one of the Tibetan sides of the mountain. It is 3,350 metres (11,000 ft) from its base on the Kangshung Glacier to the summit.''Mount Everest'', ...

. Here, the Kangshung Glacier is fed and then becomes the

Kama Chu KhartaKharta is sometimes romanised as Kharda, Khata or Karta. ( zh, c=卡达) is a region in Tibet lying to the east of Mount Everest and centred on the Kharta valley and Kama valley.Kama is sometimes romanised as Karma. The Kharta valley start ...

river to flow through the Kama valley towards the east. South of the glacier and east of

lie the Pethangtse (6738 m), and the massif of the Makalu (8463 m) with its neighbouring peaks of Makalu II (7678 m − also called Kangshungtse) and

Chomo Lonzo Chomo Lonzo () is a mountain in Tibet, 5 km northeast of Makalu in the Mahalungur (Mohalingor) or Khumbu Himalayas. Alternate spellings of the same name include Chomolonzo, Chomolönzo, Chomo Lönzo, Jomolönzo, and Lhamalangcho. Chomo-Lon ...

(7818 m), whose imposing north face hides the view of the main Makalu summit. The border between Nepal and China runs over this summit.

Access

The east side of Mount Everest is the least accessible and developed side of the mountain. While the base camp on the Rongbuk Glacier can be accessed by jeep and the south side of Everest can be reached after a multi-day hike using fortified lodges for overnight stays, the Kangshung Glacier can only be reached following an approach march of several days from Kharta, including crossing via the Shao La or Langma La passes into the Kama valley.

Melting

Global climate change during the past decades is accelerating the process in which the glaciers in the region are melting.

References

{{Glaciers of China Glaciers of China Glaciers of Tibet Mount Everest Glaciers of the Himalayas

Geography

Access

Melting

See also

References