“It is my dream to cut through the harshest of weather conditions while scaling the heights of the colossal Everest, and every other eight-thousander. It is my dream to reach their summits, to see the vast expanse of pristine & calm (and thrilling at the same time) beauty around me, and to scream so loud..that somewhere, mountains apart in the same vicinity, a bunch of leaves twitch in reaction. And if death dawns upon in the trial, at least I will die living my dream.“
– Says my mountain-lover friend.
I too love mountains, and I share this dream of achieving the literal heights with him. And I am sure, so do many of you!
So, for all you mountain lovers out there, the following is a list of some of the majestic mountains from around the world that we dream to scale.
1. Mount Everest
Calling Mount Everest a tough climb is definitely an understatement. The climb has taken lives of the most proficient of climbers. Regardless of the danger factor, intended climbers see Everest as the most desirable beauty in the entire world.
As of August 2015, there have been a total of 7,001 summits on all routes by as many as 4,093 climbers. At the higher altitudes, the death zone of the Everest is where the conditions are so harsh that the climber can develop frostbite on any exposed body part. Since the area is completely frozen, chances of slipping to death are also immense.
Elevation: 8,848 metres (29,029 ft)
Location: Nepal-Tibet border
2. K2
The second tallest in the world, K2 is referred to as Chogori by the locals. And, being an extremely tough ascent, this mammoth of a beauty is also known as the Savage Mountain. They say that one in ever four who summit, dies on the mountain. Now while, the ascent is difficult from both sides, the Pakistani side is considered more scalable than the Chinese side. So far, the mountain has never been climbed during the winters.
Elevation: 8,611 metres (28,251 ft)
Location: China-Pakistan border
3. Kanchenjunga
Kangchenjunga Main (the main peak of Kanchenjunga) is the second highest mountain in Nepal after Mount Everest and the highest mountain in India. Worshipped by the people of Darjeeling and Sikkim, the peak is also called Five Treasures of Snow after its five high peaks.
The mountain was first scaled on 25-May-1955 by Joe Brown and George Band, who were part of a British expedition. They, however, halted a little short of the summit in order to keep the promise of keeping the summit untouched, that they made to Chogyal. From then on, the tradition has been followed by the climbers.
The fatality rate of the climbers attempting to scale up the summit remains high.
And, did you know that until 1852, it was assumed that Kangchenjunga was the world’s highest mountain?
Elevation: 8,586 metres (28,169 ft)
Location: Border between eastern Nepal and Sikkim
4. Nanga Parbat
Another notorious climb, many died while climbing up Nanga Parbat in the early and mid-twentieth century- a substantial reason why they call it the ‘killer mountain’. Just as K2, Nanga Parbat too has never been scaled during the winters.
Elevation: 8,126 metres (26,660 ft).
Location: Gilgit-Baltistan region, Pakistan
5. Annapurna I
Annapurna is considered the most difficult climb. Annapurna is basically a massif, consisting of an eight-thousander- Annapurna I, 13 peaks over 7,000 metres, and 16 that stand above 6,000 metres.
The fatality-to-summit ratio of Annapurna I is the highest among all the eight-thousanders. Now one can only imagine just how much of a killer this drop-dead gorgeous maiden is.
Elevation: 8,091 metres (26,545 ft)
Location: Himalayas, North-central Nepal
6. Lhotse
In the death zone that comes at the height of about 8,000 meters, the atmospheric layer is too thin to live through. Lhotse is directly connected to the Everest. In comparison to the Everest though, it is an easier ascent.
Elevation: 8,516 metres (27,940 ft)
Location: Border between Tibet (China) and Nepal.
7. Makalu
19 kilometres from Mount Everest, Makalu too is one of the eight-thousanders. In the form of what can be called a four-sided pyramid, the mountain has two subsidiary peaks- Kangchungtse (or Makalu II) and Chomo Lonzo. With its extremely sharp-edged ridges and sharp pitches, the mountain is considered one of the most difficult to climb eight-thousanders. The final ascent requires the mountaineers to perform rock/ice climbing.
Elevation: 8,485 metres (27,838 ft)
Location: Mahalangur Himalayas, southeast of Mount Everest, on the border between Nepal and China.
8. The Matterhorn
This mountain with a visually striking appeal, gives a fair idea of the danger quotient it carries. Although almost half in the height of the eight-thousanders, they say an estimated 500 have died while trying to climb this pyramidal peak, since the very first climb in 1865. The west face of the mountain (the highest of the four), was not fully scaled until 1962.
Elevation: 4,478 metres (14,692 ft)
Location: The Alps, on the border between Switzerland and Italy.
9. Mount Elbrus
The Jewel of the Caucasus, Mount Elbrus is basically a dormant volcano that was formed over 2.5 million years ago. About its ascent, experts say that climbing Elbrus is not very technically challenging, but the rapidly shifting weather patterns can sure be overwhelming and deadly. The period of June-August is considered more favourable to climb this highest point of Russia and Europe.
Elevation: 5,642 metres (18,510 ft) – West summit, 5,621 metres (18,442 ft) – East summit
Location: Western Caucasus mountains
10. Mount Kilimanjaro
Unlike the pointers to the sky, Mount Kilimanjaro is a flat-topped, large stratovolcano, constituting of three definite volcanic zones: Kibo (the highest), Mawenzi, and Shira (the shortest). While Mawenzi and Shira are extinct now, Kibo is dormant, which they say could erupt again.
The first documented summit to the mountain was made in 1889 by Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller. As of today, Mount Kilimanjaro is a popular climbing destination, and also a subject of many scientific studies due to its shrinking glaciers.
Elevation: 5,895 metres (19,341 ft)
Location: Tanzania
11. Denali
The tallest mountain in North America, Mt. McKinley was the former name of Denali. It is also considered as the third most prominent peak after Mount Everest and Aconcagua.
The first documented and successful summit was made by the climbers Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper, and Robert Tatum, who climbed up the south summit. However, it is the west buttress route, that is considered to be the safest and easiest, and hence, is popular amongst the climbers.
Elevation: 20,310 feet (6,190.5 m)
Location: Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
12. Mont Blanc
On technical aspects, Mont Blanc is a fairly easy ascent. But, its comparatively shorter height doesn’t make it any less dangerous. The mountain is extremely popular amongst the amateurs and sees a large number of deaths every year. The death rate is highest during the weekends (around August), and locals perform as many as 12 missions to aid the climbers in trouble.
Elevation: 4,809 metres (15,778 ft)
Location: Graian Alps, between the regions of Aosta Valley, Italy, and Haute-Savoie, France.
13. Cerro Torre
Just like the Matterhorn, the difficulty levels of the ascent of Cerro Torre can be judged merely by its appearance. It is the highest peak belonging to the chain of the four-mountain peak, with the other three being Torre Egger (2,685 m), Punta Herron, and Cerro Standhardt.
Elevation: 3,128 metres (10,262 ft)
Location: Southern Patagonian Ice Field in South America, border between Argentina and Chile
14. The Eiger
The easternmost peak of the mountain presents the symbolic sights of the Swiss Alps. The north face, however, is the most notable feature of the mountain, and also the most dangerous. The northern side has been given the German nickname Mordwand, which loosely translates to murder(ous) wall, owing to the many (64, allegedly) deaths of climbers who tried to scale the mountain from that side.
Height: 3,970 métres (13,020 ft)
Location: Bernese Alps
15. Mount Vinson
The mountain is not a very tough climb, and as of 2010, as many as 1,400 climbers have climbed the mountain top. The intriguing thing about this uber-beauty is the fact that it wasn’t discovered until 1958! Mount Vinson is basically a large massif and, the highest peak in Antarctica.
Elevation: 4,892 metres (16,050 ft)
Location: Sentinel Range, Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica
“I like the mountains because they make me feel small,’ Jeff says. ‘They help me sort out what’s important in life.”
― Mark Obmascik