WORLD - Top 10 Tallest Mountain Peaks in the World

Article by Ojaswini Srivastava

Nature has always pleased and at the same time shocked us. It is so beautiful and calm, yet so vibrant and powerful, we realize it only when we face it. Seemingly it has only four elements, though, if we go on exploring it, it looks never ending. Nature is exceptionally extensive. One of the most widespread compositions of nature is the large mountains over the globe. These mountains are certainly beautiful snow covered or forested masses, though they are enormous and powerful. Some of the mountains are unbelievably high and vast. Being a part of this extensive nature we must be aware of its magnificence. Amazingly, most of them are an extension of the Great Himalayas. Remarkably, all the ten highest peaks in the world are children of the Great Himalayas. The Himalayas were surveyed for their height and location in the 19th century under the Great Trigonometric Survey. Below is a list of Top Ten Tallest Mountain Peaks In The World –

10. Annapurna 1 –

The word Annapurna is derived from Sanskrit that means “full of food”, but is generally used to refer to the goddess of food.  It is justified in its name as it is the first and largest conservation area in Nepal and a home to several world-class treks. It is a section of the Himalayas in north-central Nepal that includes 8,091 m (26,545 ft) Annapurna I, thirteen additional peaks over 7,000 m (22,970 ft) and 16 more over 6,000 m (19,690 ft). It is among the world’s most dangerous peaks to climb. Its parent peak it Cho Oyu. The first people to climb Annapurna were Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, of a French expedition led by Maurice Herzog and a big team on 3 June 1950. Also, it is ranked as the first most dangerous mountain above 8000 m to climb.

9. Nanga Parbat –

The ninth highest mountain in the world is Nanga Parbat, located in Baltistan that lies in the region of northern Pakistan. Its height ranges to 8,126 metres (26,660 ft). Its name in Sanskrit means “naked mountain” while it’s Islamic name is Diamir and means “king of the mountains”. Also, for it is one of the most difficult mountains to climb and therefore lead has taken many lives who tried to climb it. Consequently in the 20th Century, it got the name “killer mountain”. It is also the second most risky mountain to climb. It is the western part of the Himalayan range and lies south to the Indus River. Nanga Parbat was first climbed on July 3, 1953 by an Austrian climber called Hermann Buhl.

8. Manaslu –

With a height of 8,156 m (26,759 ft), Manaslu Mountain is the eight highest peak in the world. It is a part of the Nepalese Himalayas. It has a rich flora and fauna. Its parent mountain is Cho Oyu that is itself a child of Mount Everest. It was first climbed by a Japanese group of people in 1956. The spring or pre monsoon seasons are the least hazardous times to climb Manaslu. Besides been the eight highest mountains in the world it is also the fourth most dangerous mountain to climb, after Annapurna and Nanga Parbat.

7. Dhaulagiri I –

Its parent mountain being K2, whose parent is Mount Everest, Dhaulagiri 1 with a grand height of 8167m (26,795 ft) is the fifth highest mountain peak in the world. It extends 120 km from the Kaligandaki River west to Bheri. Its name Dhaulagiri is a conjunction of Sanskrit words dhawala, meaning white and beautiful and giri meaning mountain. Annapurna 1 is merely 34 kms east of this mountain range. The first successful expedition to this mountain was made in 1960 by a Swiss – Australian – Nepali team.

6. Cho Oyu –

Cho Oyu, also a child of Mount Everest, is the sixth highest mountain in the world at 8,201 metres (26,906 ft) above sea level. Cho Oyu means “Turquoise Goddess” in Tibetan. It is the westernmost major peak of the Khumbu sub-section of the Mahalangur Himalaya 20 km west of Mount Everest. The mountain was first climbed on October 19, 1954, by and Australian team of Herbert Tichy, Joseph Jöchler and Sherpa Pasang. The first person to make a solo attempt to climb it was Yasushi Yamanoi, in 1994. It 1954, became the fifth highest mountain above 8000 m to be climbed successfully after Annapurna, Nanga Parbat, Mount Everest and K2.

5. Makalu –

It is the fifth highest mountain range in the world and a child of Mount Everest. Its height is 2,386 m (7,828 ft) above sea level. It is located on the Nepal – China border. Interestingly it is naturally shaped as a four sided pyramid. The first attempt to climb Makalu was made by an American team led by William Siri in 1954. Though it did not turn out to be a successful attempt, this was the first American mountaineering expedition to the Himalaya. In 1955 the first fruitful attempt to climb Makalu was made by two French people called Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy. The Makalu – Barun valley that is located on it, which is inside the Makalu Barun National Park is a beautiful thing to see, it is a combination of high rocky waterfalls and blooming green and colorful forests.

4.  Lhotse –

Lhotse with a height of 8,516 m (27,940 ft), is the fourth highest mountain peak in the world. It is connected to the Mount Everest by a path called the South Col. In Tibetan Lhotse means “south peak”.  It is located at the border of Tibet and the Khumbu region of Nepal. Lhotse was first climbed on May 18, 1956 by a Swiss team of Ernst Reiss and Fritz Luchsinger.

3. Kangchenjunga

It is the third highest mountain in the world with an elevation of 8,586 m (28,169 ft) above sea level. On its west is the Tamur River and on the east the Teesta River. Kangchenjunga is located on the boundary between Nepal and the Indian state of Sikkim. It is the highest peak in India and the easternmost of the peaks higher than 8,000 m (26,000 ft). Kangchenjunga is worshiped in Sikkim and Darjeeling. For its five high peaks, it is also called Five Treasures of Snow. Interestingly, it was known to be the highest mountain peak of the world, till 1952, but after the Great Trigonometric Survey, this air was cleared. It was first climbed by British people Joe Brown and George Band in 1955.

2. K2

With a height of 8,611 m (28,251 ft), K2 is the second highest mountain peak in the world. It is located on the border of Baltistan, and China. It is also the highest point in Pakistan. K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the extreme difficulty of climbing it. Many people have died in attempt to climb it. It is more difficult to ascent it from the side towards China, so it is mostly climbed from the Pakistani side. Though attempts were made by many since 1856 to climb this great mass of nature, only in 1954 did a successful ascent to it was made.

1. Mount Everest

With an incredible height of 8,848m (29,029 ft) Mount Everest is the world’s highest mountain peak. It is a parent mountain for many hundreds of other peaks.  Expeditions to Everest were made since 1921, though the first successful one was only possible in 1953, which was by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas and the border between China and Nepal runs across it. It received its name from Andrew Waugh who named it after his predecessor Sir George Everest. Though there have been many partially and completely successful attempts to climb the Everest the most recent and amazing one is by Arunima Sinha. She is the first female Amputee and also the first Indian Amputee to climb Mount Everest.