It is common knowledge that Mount Everest is the world’s highest mountain. It is a part of the Himalayas mountain range and sits in Nepal. Most people are also aware of the second-highest mountain, K2, from the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan/ China. But not many people can list the top ten most enormous mountains in the world. And that is, in fact, the real challenge. I, myself, didn’t know about it until I watched a show on National Geographic thanks to my Charter cable.
The World’s 10 Highest Mountains
In order of their heights, starting from the tallest and ending at the shortest, here are the top 10 tallest mountains in the world
1. Mount Everest, Himalayas, in Nepal/ Tibet
Because of its undeniable popularity, Mount Everest has been the point of attention for many athletes, professional mountain climbers, and traveling enthusiasts. However, lately, photographs have been showing incredibly long queues along its summit, and thanks to this information, there have been numerous debates on overcrowding the glorious Mount Everest. It is also one of the reasons why governments and authorities worldwide are educating people about other tall mountains so that the public would start visiting them as well and the queues for Everest would reduce.
2. Mount Godwin Austen (K2), the Karakoram in Pakistan/ China
K2 got its name from a notation in the Great Trigonometrical Survey of British India. Since no one ever changed the mountain’s name, K2 stuck forever. It is one of the most challenging mountains to climb and is known for its notoriously hard structure. Some people also call it the Savage Mountain, which is quite fitting!
3. Kanchenjunga, Himalayas, in India/ Nepal
Most people have never heard about this Himalayan mountain, but it is, in fact, the third-largest one in the world. At one point, until 1852, people assumed that Kangchenjunga was the highest mountain. When people discovered Mount Everest and then K2, it fell to third place.
4. Lhotse, Himalayas, in Nepal/ Tibet
Since Lhotse is near Mount Everest, many people have heard its name but don’t know much about it. Even though it is significantly more attractive, Everest takes all the attention away because of its height. A part of the Lhotse mountain, popular as Lhotse Middle, remained unclimbed until 2011, when a Russian expectation finally became the first one ever to climb the highest peak of this mountain.
5. Makalu, Himalayas, in Nepal/ Tibet
The first French expedition that summited the Makalu mountain was quite an interesting story. In 1955, Jean Franco led a group of 10 climbers. However, these ten climbers did not summit the mountain all at once: Two people summited the mountain on the 15th of May while the others followed behind. The next day, four more team members reached the drop, and a day later, the last four climbers joined them.
6. Cho Oyu, Himalayas, in Nepal/ Tibet
Cho Oyu is the fourth member of the Everest mountains region, and it is the easiest one to climb thanks to the gentle slopes. But even though it sits in the background without giving too much trouble, it is just as glorious and beautiful as the other region’s other mountains.
7. Dhaulagiri, Himalayas, in Nepal
Probably the most aesthetically pleasing mountain of these ten is the Dhaulagiri mountain in Nepal. It was first climbed in 1960, and it owes its popularity to its visuals and aesthetics. When trekking Annapurna, Dhaulagiri is a regular sight near the skyline.
#8. Manaslu, Himalayas, in Nepal
The most interesting thing about this gigantic mountain is that in 1954, a Japanese team tried to climb the mountain. However, the locals prevented them, saying that their attempts were annoying the Gods, causing avalanches, and leading to deaths. Finally, in 1956, an expedition did take place, and the Japanese finally reached the top of the Manaslu mountain.
9. Nanga Parbat, Himalayas, in Pakistan
Nanga Parbat means “naked mountain” in Sanskrit. In Tibetan, it is called “Diamer,” which means “huge mountain.” And because of its location, surrounding the lower valleys in every direction, the name is entirely appropriate.
10. Annapurna, Himalayas, in Nepal
Last but not least is Annapurna, the tenth highest mountain but possibly the most famous one for trekking. Moreover, it has the highest fatality rate of all other mountains on the list; more than 32% of expedition attempts result in fatality.
Conclusion
Knowing and learning about the world’s tallest mountains is great for general knowledge. But apart from that, travel agencies, athletes, travel vloggers, content creators, and mountain climbers should learn about these places to get inspired and visit them for opportunities. These mountains may be higher or lower than each other, but each one of them is nature’s masterpieces!