Journal of Tourism and Himalayan Adventures An International Research Journal June 2021, Vol. 3, ISSN: 2717-5030 (Print) 2738-9642 (Online) Nepal Mountain Academy Abstract Nepal is a mountainous country with numerous peaks and pinnacles. It is shaped by tectonic movement, the action of gravity, and erosion. It is a gradual transition process from plain to mountain terrain. The present study explores the peaks of the Nepal Himalaya and visualizes the peaks as open sources for mountaineering. The height of Nepal Himalaya is derived from 'Nepal Himalaya Inventory' Gurung (1994), 'Inventory of Nepal Himalaya' (CDG, 2002), and 'Spot Height Shapefile' (DOS, 1998). The total number of peaks opened and mountaineering royalty are derived from the Department of Tourism. The spot height and administrative boundary are derived from the Department of Survey (DOS, 1998 & 2020). Shapefiles and Google Earth are used to map the distribution of the Himalayan peaks of Nepal, and the height categories are based on mountaineering royalty reports. This study also discusses some essential aspects of royalty generation and seeks a better understanding in exploring and identifying peaks for further mountaineering activities. Keywords: Himalaya, Himalaya ranges, mountain peak, mountaineering, royalty Introduction The Himalaya uplifted when the Indian subcontinent started pushing northward against the Eurasian plate for the past 40 million years (Molnar & Tapponnier, 1977), whereas USGS claims that it has been uplifted since 50 million years ago (USGS, 1990). The tectonic movement, gravity, and erosive forces shaped the mountain peak feature on the Earth's surface (Brondon & Printer, 2005). It is a gradual transition process from plain to mountain terrain. Mountain peak regions consist of rugged terrain, a low-temperature climate regime, steep slopes, and remoteness. Kapos has used (as cited by Vivirol, Du¨rr, Messerli, Meybeck, & Weingartner, 2007) criteria based on altitude and slope in combination to represent the world’s mountain environments. Kapos Goudie (1985) defines mountains as ‘‘substantial elevations of the Earth’s crust above sea level resulting in localized disruptions to climate, drainage, soils, plants and animals (Vivirol, Du¨rr, Messerli, Meybeck, & Weingartner, 2007). The word 'Himalaya' is derived from two Sanskrit words,- "Hi-ma' snow, and "a-la- ya," abode; and it means abode of snow. The Himalayan range is in the south and east of Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan plateau, which is 2400 km long and 200 to 300 km wide (Yang & Zheng, 2004). According to geographical location, the Nepal Himalaya lies on the Eastern Himalaya (WWF, 2021) of the Asian continent, Sher Bahadur Gurung Central Department of Geography, Tribhuvan University Correspondence: sherbahadur@gmail.com Mountain Peaks of Nepal Himalaya