elevation:	8,586 metres (28,169 feet)
location:	Nepal - India
range:	Himalaya
coordinates:	27°42' N 88°08' E
first ascent:	1955 by George Band and Joe Brown

The rough translation of Kanchenjunga is "Five Treasures of the Snow". It contains five peaks over 8,000 metres. Until 1852, Kanchenjunga was assumed to be the highest mountain in the world, but calculations made by the British 1849 Great Trigonometric Survey showed Mount Everest to be the highest and Kanchenjunga the third-highest.

Kanchenjunga was first climbed on May 25, 1955 by George Band and Joe Brown of a British expedition. The British expedition honored the beliefs of the Sikkimese, who hold the summit sacred, by stopping a few feet short of the actual summit. Most successful summit parties since then have followed this tradition. After the alteration of the Nepalese/Indian frontier in 1975, Kanchenjunga became the tallest mountain in India.