List of highest mountains of New Guinea


This list of highest mountains of New Guinea shows all mountains on the island of New Guinea that are at least 3750 m high and have a topographic prominence of 500 m or more. These 50 peaks are also the highest mountains of Australasia and the continent of Australia, where, outside New Guinea, the highest mountain is Aoraki / Mount Cook in New Zealand with a height of 3724 m. A list of highest mountains of Oceania with the same limitations is almost identical, with the addition of the Hawaiian volcanoes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa in 18th and 20th positions. The list also shows the 36 highest thus defined mountains of Indonesia, except for the 3805 m high Gunung Kerinci on Sumatra, and the 16 highest mountains of Papua New Guinea.

Limited topographical data

Many mountains in New Guinea are poorly surveyed and some major summits remain unnamed on maps.
Even well measured mountains have conflicting heights on otherwise authoritative maps. For example, the highest point in Oceania, Carstensz Pyramid, was established to be 4884 m in 1973 when an Australian survey expedition put a beacon on the summit. This corresponded closely to the 4866 m estimate by the first Lorentsz Expedition in 1910 using repeated theodolite observations from the south coast. However, over time the mountain had grown in stature: measurements from northern observation peaks for the highest summit were 5000 m in 1910 by Ludolph Doorman and 5030 m in 1926 by Charles C.F.M. Le Roux. The 1936 Carstensz Expedition using barometric and boiling point measurements on the summit of Ngga Pulu also derived an elevation of 5030 m. After ascending the Pyramid in 1962, Heinrich Harrer even estimated that peak to be 17,096 feet or 5211 m high. The 1973 survey established that the 1936 barometric estimates were consistently between 118 and 127 m too high. Nevertheless, the 5030 m height is still prevalent in most atlases and maps.

Disappearing and disappeared glaciers of the Snowy Mountains

All mountains in West Papua are in the Maoke Mountains, a translation of the name “Sneeuwgebergte” or Snowy Mountains endowed to them in 1623 by Jan Carstensz, at which time many of the peaks indeed were covered by extensive ice caps. By the beginning of the 20th century, at least five such glaciated regions remained on the highest mountains. In 1913, the 4520–4550 m high Prins Hendrik-top was named and reported to have some "eternal" snow. The ice cap of Wilhelmina Peaks vanished between 1939 and 1963, while the Mandala / Juliana ice cap disappeared in the 1990s. The Idenburg glacier on Ngga Pilimsit dried up in 2003, leaving currently only the remnants of the glaciers on Mount Carstensz, the last of which are expected to disappear before 2050 and perhaps much earlier. The snow melt on the last mountain has caused a change of the highest summit of New Guinea: somewhere between 1936 and 1973 the title of highest summit of Oceania changed from Ngga Pulu, the highest point of the Northwall Firn, to the rocky spires of Carstensz Pyramid 3 km to its south-west.

The list

The list contains some unranked summits that are either of general interest, may show topographic prominences of >500 m given better data, or are more than 12 km isolated from any higher point.
RankMountainHeight RangeCountry CoordinatesProminence Isolation First ascent
1Puncak Jaya / Carstensz Pyramid4884Western Sudirman/NassauIndonesia 4884526113 Feb 1962
Sumantri / Ngga Pulu NW4870Western Sudirman/NassauIndonesia3503.5Feb 1962
Ngga Pulu4862Western Sudirman/NassauIndonesia1000.65 Dec 1936
Carstensz East4820Western Sudirman/NassauIndonesia2801.95 Dec 1936
2Mandala / Juliana Pk / Abom4760Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia 2760351.49 Sep 1959
3Trikora / Wilhelmina Pk4730Eastern Sudirman / NassauIndonesia 1262167.021 Feb 1913
4Ngga Pilimsit / Idenburg Pk4717Western Sudirman/NassauIndonesia 55711.121 Feb 1962
5Yamin / Prins Hendrik Pk4540Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia 70020.0
6Cornelis Speelman Mts4540Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia 70018.2
7Mt Wilhelm / Enduwa Kombuglu4509Bismarck RangePapua New Guinea 2969537.715 Aug 1938
8J P Coen Pk4500Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia 82063.5
9Pt 44604460Western Sudirman/NassauIndonesia 60017.2
10Valentijn Pks4453Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia 64017.1
Dom / 4420Western Sudirman/NassauIndonesia4602.1
Akimuga / Prince Willem I Pk4390Western Sudirman/NassauIndonesia34012.3
11Zaagtoppen 4380Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia 68019.1
12Mt Giluwe4367New Guinea HighlandsPapua New Guinea 2507129.516 Jun 1934
13Willem II Pk4360Eastern Sudirman/NassauIndonesia 62036.9
14Ubia / Mt Leonard Darwin4340Western Sudirman/NassauIndonesia 58020.3
Doema ?4340Western Sudirman/NassauIndonesia34012.2
15Willem I Pk4320Eastern Sudirman/NassauIndonesia 6608.9
16Rumphius Pk4320Eastern Sudirman/NassauIndonesia 54013.0
17Pt 42604300Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia 5405.4
Pt 42404240Eastern Sudirman/NassauIndonesia40011.6
18Prince Willem II Pk4220Eastern Sudirman/NassauIndonesia 54030.7
19Pt 41804180Western Sudirman/NassauIndonesia 6005.1
20Mt Boising / Gladstone4155Finisterre RangePapua New Guinea 3710148.425 June 2014
21Mt Sarawaget / Bangeta4121Saruwaged RangePapua New Guinea 170188.41912
22Mt Kabangama4104Kubor RangePapua New Guinea 228452.4
23Pt 41004100Maoke RangeIndonesia 51025.8
24Ngga Nggulumbulu4061Nggulumbulu / Hens RangeIndonesia 130032.5
Mt Kotewon ?4060Saruwaged RangePapua New Guinea46016.2
Pt 40404040Saruwaged RangePapua New Guinea4605.9
Prins Maurits Mtns4040Western Sudirman/NassauIndonesia38016.4
25Mt Victoria4038Owen Stanley RangePapua New Guinea 2738287.811 Jun 1889
Frederik Hendrik Pk4020Western Sudirman/NassauIndonesia28012.8
26Johan Willem Friso Pk4000Eastern Sudirman/NassauIndonesia 5602.9
27Mt Albert Edward3993Owen Stanley RangePapua New Guinea 98054.81906
28Antares3970Star MountainsIndonesia 136063.76 Jul 1959
29Mt Kubor3969Kubor RangePapua New Guinea 58016.3
30Mt Elit3960Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia 72036.8
31Capella3960Star MountainsPapua New Guinea 67022.6Apr or May 1965
32Pt 39603960Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia 66012.3
33Angemuk3949Maoke MountainsIndonesia 156570.6
34Pt 39403940Maoke MountainsIndonesia 80024.4
35Bondewit?/Yupnakabap?3920Finisterre RangePapua New Guinea 8209.3Jan or Feb 1965
36Tiom Mtns HP3915Tiom MountainsIndonesia 72034.9
37Pt 39003900Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia 64014.2
38Mt Kegeraga3885Kubor RangePapua New Guinea 72024.6
39Pt 3860_Finisterre3860Finisterre RangePapua New Guinea 66030.9
Pt 3860_Orange3860Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia30014.5
40Papua Peak 38563856Maoke MountainsIndonesia 116519.9
41Mt Kumbepara3852New Guinea HighlandsPapua New Guinea 1100106.1
Pt 124673840Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia48011.2
42Pt 38203820Maoke MountainsIndonesia 5608.2
Mt Scratchley3820Owen Stanley RangePapua New Guinea48016.423 Oct 1897
Pt 38203820Maoke MountainsIndonesia44014.7
43X-chain HP3801Maoke Mountains Indonesia 112035.5
44Pt 38003800Maoke MountainsIndonesia 60023.4
45Mt Kaijende 3798New Guinea HighlandsPapua New Guinea 62015.1
46Jumbul Ambera3785Maoke MountainsIndonesia 138318.5
47Mt Hagen3778New Guinea HighlandsPapua New Guinea 108029.3July 1933
48Z-chain high-point3774Maoke Mountains Indonesia 135435.2
49Mt Undan / Udon / Bedego3774Bismarck RangePapua New Guinea 80013.2
50Pt 37603760Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia 5604.5
51Kobowre HP/ Wakai3750Kobowre / Weyland MtsIndonesia 221788.4
52Wachter 3750Jayawijaya / OrangeIndonesia 88011.1