Eight Thousander: These Are The World's Highest Mountains

Aarushi Bhadury, Times Now Digital May 30, 2024

Annapurna

Annapurna is a very dangerous mountain, even though it's only the 10th highest peak over 8,000 meters. It's trickier to climb than other mountains this tall, and many climbers don't survive trying. Credit: Unsplash

Broad Peak

Broad Peak is the 12th tallest mountain in the world, right next to K2. It has a very long, wide top ridge, like its name suggests. There's a debate among climbers if a nearby peak, almost as tall, counts as a separate mountain. It might in the future, if some snow melts away! Credit: Unsplash

Cho Oyu

Nicknamed "Turquoise Goddess," Cho Oyu is the world's 6th tallest mountain, near Everest. It's famous for being the easiest to climb among the 8,000-meter peaks because its slopes are gentle and avalanches are rare. Credit: Unsplash

Dhaulagiri

Nicknamed "White Mountain," Dhaulagiri is the world's 7th tallest peak, near Annapurna in Nepal. They're separated by a giant gorge carved by a river. Unlike most other very high mountains, Dhaulagiri's rocky peak used to be part of the ocean floor! Credit: Unsplash

Everest

Mount Everest is the world's tallest mountain, like a giant pyramid with three sides. Despite its dangers, it's the most climbed eight-thousander due to its established infrastructure. Credit: Unsplash

Gasherbrum I

Nicknamed Hidden Peak until recently, Gasherbrum I is the 11th tallest mountain in the world, bordering Pakistan and China. It's slightly taller than its neighbour, Gasherbrum II. Climbers first reached the top in 1958 by following a snowy ridge. Credit: Unsplash

Gasherbrum II

The Gasherbrums are 4 peaks along a giant ridge bordering Pakistan and China. Gasherbrum II, the 13th tallest mountain in the world, is on the north part of the ridge. Climbers from Austria were the first to reach the top in 1956. Credit: Unsplash

K2

K2, bordering Pakistan and China, is the king of the Karakoram mountains and the world's second tallest, just a little shorter than Everest. It has a simple name because early explorers numbered the peaks they found, and K2 was simply the second one they spotted! Credit: Unsplash

Kangchenjunga

Kangchenjunga, the world's 3rd tallest mountain, sits on the border of Nepal and India. It's shaped like a tent with steep slopes. Climbers first reached the top in 1955, respecting local beliefs by stopping just short of the true summit. Credit: Unsplash

Lhotse

Lhotse, the world's 4th highest mountain, is right next to the much more famous Everest. They're connected by a high ridge. Lhotse is tall enough to be its own mountain, but climbers often think of them together. Credit: Unsplash

Makalu

Makalu is the world's 5th tallest mountain, shaped like a pyramid near Everest. It's much taller than its neighbor Cho Oyu. Strong winds constantly blow around Makalu, making it hard for snow to stick on its rocky slopes. This is why Makalu is nicknamed "Great Black" in Tibetan. Credit: Unsplash

Manaslu

Manaslu, the world's 8th tallest mountain, is in Nepal. Climbing it's dangerous due to weather and avalanches, but in 1954, climbers faced something new: angry villagers! Locals believed climbers angered a mountain god, causing an avalanche and sickness. Credit: Unsplash

Nanga Parbat

Nanga Parbat, nicknamed "Naked Mountain," is the 9th tallest peak but a climber's favorite challenge. It's on the western edge of the Himalayas in Pakistan and famous for its giant, mostly bare rock face, the Rupal Face. Credit: Unsplash

Shisha Pangma

Shisha Pangma is the shortest and youngest of the 8,000-meter mountains, and the only one entirely in Tibet. It's known as one of the easiest to climb now, but it was the last one climbed because it was off-limits for foreigners for a long time. Credit: 8000ers

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Eight Thousander: These Are The World's Highest Mountains​