When we hear about a famous mountain, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? It’s height, right? We all admire high peaks. Mountains are landforms that rise at least 1,000 feet or more above their surrounding terrain in a limited area. A mountain range is a series of mountains located close to each other. Most of the highest peaks are within the Himalayan range. Below is a list of the top ten highest mountains in the world.
10Annapurna I, Himalaya
Annapurna I is a mountain within the Himalayan range located in Northern Nepal. It stands tall at 8091 meters and is part of a massif in the Himalayas. The other 30 peaks within its mountain range also have altitudes above 6000 meters. Being one of the most dangerous mountains in the world, around 32% of attempts to reach the mountaintop result in a fatality.
Avalanches have become a common occurrence in the Annapurna mountain region. In 1950, a French mountaineer was the first to climb Annapurna I successfully. The Annapurna Circuit trek is one of the most popular treks in the world, and it offers breathtaking views from the Dhaulagiri to the Annapurna Massif’s mountain passes.
9Nanga Parbat
Nanga Parbat, also known as Diamer, is located at the western end of the Himalayan Range in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. Standing at 8,126 meters, it is the ninth-highest peak in the world and is notorious for being a deadly mountain due to its extreme difficulty level for climbers. The mountain has three major faces: Diamir, Rakhiot, and Rupal.
Nanga Parbat is also the fourteenth most prominent peak globally. In 1895, Albert F. Mummery, a British Alpine climber, led the first attempt to conquer the glacier and snow-covered mountain. Despite many of the failed attempts, Herman Buhl achieved the first successful ascent in 1953. Mountaineers face significant risks when climbing Nanga Parbat. Many of them lost their lives in the attempt due to severe weather conditions and frequent avalanches.
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8Manaslu
Manaslu is a renowned mountain of spiritual significance in the North-Central part of the Nepalese Himalayas. Standing tall at 8163 meters, it is the eighth-highest mountain in the world. The perilous avalanches in the Manaslu region have claimed many lives over the years. The first successful expedition to the summit was made by Gyalzen Norbu, a Japanese mountaineer, in 1956.
The Manaslu region is a popular trekking destination, offering a unique blend of natural and cultural heritage. Trekking routes like the Tsum Valley and the Manaslu Circuit are exciting here. The region also has many highly endangered animals, such as the snow leopard and red panda. The region has nineteen forest types, including Rhododendron and Himalayan Blue Pine forests, and over 1,500 plant species.
7Dhaulagiri I
Dhaulagiri I is the seventh-highest mountain in the world, standing at 8167 meters, between Nepal’s Kaligandaki and Bheri rivers. It is part of the Dhaulagiri mountain range. The range has many peaks covered with snow and glaciers, giving it a striking white appearance. The mountain is famous for its moderately dangerous avalanches.
The first successful expedition was by a Swiss-Austrian-Napali group in 1960. Since then, there have been 358 successful ascents and 58 fatalities as of 2007, resulting in a summit-to-fatality rate of 16.2%. Most of the peaks in the Dhaulagiri range are over 7,620 meters high. The mountain’s steep sides and freezing climate have made it difficult to reach the summit. In 1808, researchers marked Dhaulagiri as the world’s highest mountain among those surveyed at the time.
6Cho Oyu
Cho Oyu Mountain is the fourth and final Everest region’s 8,000-meter club member. It is situated on the border between Tibet and Nepal, in the western part of the Himalayas. Standing at 8188 meters, it is the sixth-highest mountain in the world. Cho Oyu is the most comfortable mountain to climb above 8,000 meters, thanks to its moderate slopes and safe conditions, free from avalanches and harsh weather.
Herbert Tichy, Joseph Jochler, and Sherpa Pasang Dawa Lama of an Austrian expedition in 1954 accomplished the first ascent of Cho You. The Advanced Base Camp is a popular spot for climbers with over 1000 ascents recorded. Cho Oyu has the lowest death-summit ratio of all eight thousanders, with only 1 in 25 climbers losing their lives.
5Makalu
Makalu is the fifth-highest mountain in the world, located in the Mahalangur Himalayas. With a height of 8485 meters, it stands on the Nepal-China border, 19km southeast of Mount Everest. Its iconic pyramid shape sets Makalu apart from other mountains, making it a popular destination for mountaineers. In 1954, Riley Keegan led the American team that first climbed Makalu Mountain.
At its base lies the Makalu Barun Valley, a glacier valley protected by Makalu Barun National Park. The park boasts incredible plant varieties, and the valley is home to a range of wild animals, such as foxes, wolves, lynx, and snow leopards. The Barun Valley is also a place of stunning contrasts, where rugged rocks rise from lush forests, waterfalls cascade into deep gorges, and colorful flowers bloom beneath snow-capped peaks.
4Lhotse
Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest, Mount K2, and Kangchenjunga. It is located about 3 kilometers south of the mighty Mount Everest region. Fritz Luchsinger and Ernst Reiss from Switzerland were the first to climb Mount Lhotse on May 18, 1956. Lhotse is on the border between the Tibet Autonomous Region of China and Nepal. It consists of three summits.
Experts unanimously declared the Khumbu Icefall the most dangerous section during the climb. After various unsuccessful attempts, the South Face was successfully accessible only in 1984. Lhotse Middle remained the highest unclimbed point on earth for a long time until Eugeny Vinogradsky climbed it on May 23, 2001. Moreover, the Yellow Band and the Geneva Spur rocky sections interrupt the icy ascent on the face’s upper part.
3Kangchenjunga
Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world, with three of its five peaks lying on the border between North Sikkim, India, and Taplejung District, Nepal. In contrast, the remaining two peaks lie solely in Taplejung District, Nepal. Before 1852, it was the world’s highest mountain. The Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project, run by the Nepal Government and the World Wildlife Fund, is home to various animals, plants, and birds, including the Red Panda.
It’s known as the Five Treasures of Snow due to its five mighty peaks. Kanchenjunga has a high fatality rate, earning it the nickname “Killer Mountain.” It is the second least-climbed mountain above 8,000 meters after Mount Annapurna. In 1955, Joe Brown and George Band successfully climbed Kanchenjunga as part of a British expedition, becoming the first to do so.
2Mount K2
Mount K2, also known as Mount Godwin-Austen, is the second-highest mountain in the world. The first successful expedition was in 1954 under the leadership of Ardito Desio. However, Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni were the two climbers who finally reached the top. K2 is often called the “Savage Mountain” due to its hazardous environment, as it was responsible for the world’s second-most fatalities reported in mountain areas.
The valley of Mount K2 is home to glaciers and is a rich source of fresh water. However, the avalanches, storms, and unpleasant weather make it too dangerous for mountaineers. “The Bottleneck,” an area close to K2, was destroyed by an ice avalanche, which caused significant damage to the climbers’ rope lines. The best time to climb this mountain is either in spring or autumn.
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1Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world, with an altitude of 8,848 meters. It is located on the border between China and Nepal in the Himalayas’ Mahalangur Himal sub-range. Andrew Waugh, a British Surveyor General of India, suggested the name, “Everest” in 1865 to honor his predecessor, Sir George Everest. The height of the mountain is still increasing at a rate of 16 inches per century.
The first successful climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest were Edmund Hillary, a New Zealander, and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepali Sherpa, who climbed the South Col route on May 29, 1953. Earlier, climbing Everest was almost impossible due to the extreme temperature variations, high winds, and altitude-related problems. Most climbers attempt to summit Everest in May and September when the weather is generally better.
