October 7, 1999 -- Shishapangma, which means "the crest above the grassy plain" in Tibetan, rises 26,397 feet, or 8,046 meters, making it the 13th-- not the 14th, as is often reported-- tallest peak in the world. It sits almost due north of Kathmandu, and 100 miles west-northwest of Everest. Chinese mountaineers first climbed Shishapangma in 1964, but because the mountain resides wholly in Tibet, butted up against the northern border of Nepal, it remained pretty much inaccessible to outsiders until Tibet and China opened to Westerners in the early 1980s. Since then, Shishapangma has become a popular objective for mountaineers striving to summit one of the world's 14 8,000-meter peaks.

The first U.S. ascent took place in September 1983, via the mountain's Northeast Face, by Mike Browning, Chris Pizzo and Glenn Porzak. The route was climbed the following year by a team that included Outside columnist Mark Jenkins. "It's definitely one of the more benign Himalayan peaks," says Jenkins. "But it's still 8,000 meters. It's not like going up Pike's Peak." Teams from around the world routinely climb Shishapangma by several routes, and new variations are still being established. The northeast route is commonly considered the standard route.

The planned goal for the ski expedition on which Lowe and Bridges were killed was to climb the mountain via the southwest face, gaining a direct, 45-degree couloir that takes a straight shot at the top. The team would then descend via the same line, an extremely rigorous and difficult ski run, given the altitude, steepness of the terrain and variable snow conditions. While lower sections of Shishapangma have been skied, no one has yet skied off the summit.