Introduction
Mountains inspire us in many ways. In today’s scenario hikers travel all across the globe and try to summit the highest points. A lot many know that the world’s highest mountain peak is Mount Everest. The highest peak in the Himalayas is situated at an altitude of 8,848 m. The world’s second is K2 which is situated at the China-Pakistan border.
The 100 tallest mountains in the world are all from Asia however Mt Everest steals the show every time. Let’s have a look around the highest peaks of the world.
Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal
Situated at a height of 8190 m above sea level.
Annapurna Base Camp may be the tenth in terms of height but is the most popular among all. It is famous for its trekking all over the world. The Annapurna circuit trek is more popular than the Annapurna summit which not only takes you to Annapurna I but also the views from Dhaulagiri to the Annapurna massif.
Mount Everest
Situated at a height of 8,848 m above sea level.
Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbed Mount Everest in 1953 for the very first time. Recent photographs of the Everest summit have shown huge crowds on Everest which indicates the hype it is creating today among the trekkers.
K2, Karakoram, Pakistan/China
Situated at a height of 8611 m above sea level.
K2 is among the second-highest peak in the world. Despite being the second in number, K2 is one of the toughest mountains to climb upon. It has the second-highest fatality rate with 77 deaths and 300 successful summits. Annapurna (the tenth highest) has the highest fatality rate.
Kangchenjunga, Nepal/India
Situated at a height of 8586 m above sea level.
Many people must have heard the name of the famous mountain peak called Kanchenjunga. But very few must be knowing that Kangchenjunga is the third highest peak in the world. It is situated between Nepa and Sikkim in India. Its three peaks are situated on the border while the two of them are situated in Nepal.
Kangchenjunga was known to be the highest peak until 1852 when the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India reconducted their research and announced Kanchenjunga to be the third.
Lhotse
Situated at a height of 8516 m above sea level.
It is one of the famous mountains among the top ten. And the reason is it has the same route as that of Everest until you cross Camp 3 and leave for Reiss couloir from the Lhotse face until you reach the Lhotse peak.
But since it is situated near Everest it is also neglected sometimes by all the attention Everest gets. Lhotse attracts fewer crowds despite being the most attractive.
Makalu
Situated at a height of 8485 m above sea level.
Makalu was first summitted by a ten-member French expedition clan guided by Jean Franco in 1955. And it is famous because all the ten members summitted the mountain. Those were the days when one or two maximum members from each team used to succeed at the summit but this was special since all of them were successful in doing so.
The first summit was done in May 1955 by the two group members and then followed by the others in the team of two for the next two days.
Cho Oyu
Situated at a height of 8188 m above sea level.
This is one of the easiest of them all as it has tender slopes. It is a trading route for Tibet and Khumbu sherpas as the distance from the Nang La pass is just a few kilometers.
Dhaulagiri, Nepal
Situated at a height of 8167 m above sea level.
It is the seventh highest in the world but also the most stunning among them all. While climbing on the Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri views are easily seen as it is just 34 km away from Annapurna. Dhaulagiri was submitted first in May 1960.
Manaslu, Nepal
Situated at a height of 8163 m above sea level.
The name of the peak is derived from a Sanskrit word called Manasa meaning soul. Around 1954, the locals tried to stop a Japanese expedition from reaching the top as they believed that the previously done attempts has displeased the Gods and caused the destruction of the area which destroyed the monastery also killing 18 people.
Several attempts were made to restore the monastery but all were in vain. As a result, the first summit took place in 1956 and the second took time and was done only in 1971.
Nanga Parbat, Pakistan
Situated at a height of 8126 m above sea level.
Nanga and Parvata are the two Sanskrit words from which the name of this mountain peak originated. Nanga means naked and parvata means mountain. The Tibetan name of the mountain is Diamer meaning a huge mountain and seems to be more closely associated with mountain nature though it might not look creative.
Also Read: A Guide to Everest Three Passes Trek