Melungtse, Mountain summit in Shigatse, China

Melungtse is a mountain summit in the Rolwaling Himalaya, located in the Shigatse region of China, reaching about 7,181 meters (23,560 feet) in height. It has two distinct summits, an eastern and a western one, linked by a long ridge with steep rock faces on all sides.

Melungtse was first climbed in 1992 by a Slovenian team that reached the main eastern summit. In the years that followed, expeditions from several countries explored different routes on the mountain.

Melungtse is also called Jobo Garu in Tibetan and Menlungtse in other English spellings; its Chinese name is 门隆则峰, rendered Qiáogérú Fēng. The peak stands in Tingri County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet, just north of the Nepal border and about 40 km west of Mount Everest. Across the Menlung Chu to the southwest rises Gauri Sankar (7,134 m), lower but far more visible from Nepal and therefore better known there.

The mountain is only accessible to experienced high-altitude climbers, and working with a local guide or expedition operator is strongly recommended. The window of good conditions is short, so planning well in advance is important.

Melungtse II, the 7,023 m west summit, was climbed on 25 May 1988 by Andy Fanshawe and Alan Hinkes during Chris Bonington's British expedition, four years before the main summit. Bonington was the first foreigner granted a permit by the Chinese government. The pair skipped the roughly 2 km traverse to the main peak.