Top 10 Glaciers in Nepal
Nepal's high country is essentially built from glaciers. The country has around 3,800 individual glaciers and over 2,300 associated lakes. Most trekkers will walk alongside one within their first week in the high mountains, even if they never set foot on the ice itself. These ten cover the trekking classics and a few less-visited corners.
Khumbu
Drains the south side of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse into the Dudh Koshi valley. The Khumbu icefall above base camp is the famous crux of Everest expeditions; the lower tongue is the centerpiece of the Everest Base Camp trek.
Imja
In the Khumbu region, terminating in the rapidly growing Imja Tsho. The lake is a textbook case of a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) risk and has been the subject of major siphoning works.
Ngozumpa
The longest glacier in Nepal, 36 km, in the Gokyo valley alongside Cho Oyu. Famous for the supraglacial lakes that visitors look down into from Gokyo Ri.
Annapurna South Glacier
The big glacier system south of the Annapurna massif feeding the Modi Khola. Visible throughout the Annapurna Sanctuary trek; the final amphitheatre is ringed by calving fronts.
Yala
A small glacier in the Langtang region — relatively gentle terrain and one of the standard "first proper glacier" experiences on Himalayan introductory courses.
Kanchenjunga
Several large glaciers on Kanchenjunga's flanks; the Yalung glacier on the south side is visited on the south side trek and the Kanchenjunga Glacier proper drains the north flank.
Hidden Valley glaciers
A cluster around Dhampus and French Pass in the Dhaulagiri region; the Dhaulagiri Round trek crosses or skirts several.
Rolwaling
The valley west of Khumbu, with the Tsho Rolpa lake at the snout of the eponymous glacier. Famous to climbers as the staging area for Gauri Shankar.
Langtang
Drainage of the Langtang Lirung peaks; visible from the Kyanjin Gompa village and from the day hike to Kyanjin Ri.
Hongu
In the Mera Peak / Mera La region — Mera Peak's standard route involves a glacier crossing that is many trekkers' first crampon experience.
See them all in one view
The interactive map puts the ten glaciers in context with the lodge networks, climbing-permit zones and the marked GLOF-risk lakes downstream.