Climbing The World’s Highest Peaks – It is not just the height that means a mountain. Different routes can make one side of a mountain easy and the other side nearly impossible. Weather can turn a technically easy climb into a deadly expedition. Whatever the weather, many aspire to tackle the world’s most difficult mountains to climb. Here is our ranking of the 11 most difficult climbs. Glorious and grueling, magnificent and somber: these peaks are as dangerous as they are awe-inspiring.
In no way should the height of a mountain be confused with its technical difficulty. Nepal’s Annapurna, the tenth highest peak in the world, is a deadly test. With a fatality rate close to 40% at the summit, a climber is more likely to die here than at any other 8,000m drop.
Climbing The World’s Highest Peaks
The threat of storms and avalanches hangs over the massive glacial architecture of the mountain. The south face, in particular, is widely considered the most dangerous climb on Earth.
Retired Officer Reaches Goal Of Climbing World’s 7 Highest Peaks
Thanks to Helicopter Tours, the Annapurna range can now also be explored from base camp without the strenuous trek.
While many Himalayan peaks could compete for second place on our list, K2’s technical difficulty is legendary. It is also the second highest mountain in the world. No list of the hardest mountains to climb would be complete without it.
In an infamous section called the “Bottleneck,” climbers traverse a high overhang of precarious glacial ice and massive, sometimes unstable, seracs. It is the fastest route to the summit, minimizing climbing time above K2’s ‘death zone’ – the 8,000m altitude above which human life can only be briefly sustained. But all too often these seracs fall and sweep the climbers away.
While climbing death rates are generally decreasing, Kangchenjunga is an unfortunate exception to the rule, claiming more lives as time goes on. It seems appropriate that the mountain is considered the home of a
Nims Purja Thinks He Can Go Even Faster On The 8,000 Meter Peaks
(or man-eating demon). Only 187 have ever reached the summit, although out of respect for the mountain’s immense religious significance among the region’s Buddhists, climbers have always stopped short of the summit.
Commonly referred to as “The Ogre”, the towering Baintha Brakk has only summited a handful of times. Immense in scale, complex in shape, and with a sensational gradient, this mountain is both the evil and the greatest desire of the most intense alpinism enthusiasts. From the start, any attempt on this mountain is a true struggle for survival.
Are you surprised to see the tallest mountain in the world in the middle of our list? Make no mistake, Everest is still a difficult climb. The weather and altitudes can be deadly, and avalanches have claimed dozens of lives in recent years.
The glory of Everest has faded somewhat with the commercialization of the mountain. While this was once a feat not many travelers could claim to have accomplished, today’s services allow climbers to hire local Sherpas to carry their packs, hire chefs to prepare food, and even have a personal doctor at base camp in case of injury
World’s 14 Highest Mountain Peaks (above 8,000 Meters)
Also, the crowds that Everest attracts have become an unfortunate hazard. If you invest in a climb, be prepared to join a jam-like queue of hundreds of climbers waiting their turn to reach the top.
Are you planning to trek Mount Everest? Contact our local experts in Nepal and modify your trip, for example, the exclusive Everest itinerary.
The altitude, horrible weather, relative isolation and scorching temperatures pose a serious threat to those attempting to summit North America’s highest mountain, formerly known as Mount McKinley. In addition, its high degree of latitude means that the atmosphere and oxygen are spread very thin.
Despite only having a 50% summit success rate, Mount Denali in Alaska never fails to tempt climbers. Perhaps the words of one of the first climbers to the summit, Robert Tatum, can explain its charm: “The view from the top of Mount McKinley is like looking through the windows of heaven.”
The Climbing History Of Nanga Parbat
The difficulty of the north face of the Eiger has earned it a disturbing nickname: Murder Wall. Attempting the summit requires serious technical skills and ice ax finesse. The steep overhang, 1,800m face and the ever-increasing threat of falling ice and rock (as a result of global warming) have killed at least 64 climbers since the first successful ascent in 1938.
Prefer to admire the mountains from another point of view? Consider skydiving from a helicopter in Interlaken for a new view of the Eiger.
Cerro Torre has long captivated the hopes and hearts of climbers, a jagged spire jutting out of the mountains of the Patagonian Icefield.
Notoriously steep with a summit protected by a dangerous bed of rock ice formed by strong winds, it is not easily offered. Climbers must be prepared to tunnel through ice and tackle vertical and overhanging sections.
These Climbers Just Set A New Record For Ascending The World’s 14 Highest Peaks
Interested in exploring more of Argentina and Chile? Our local experts will be happy to help, get in touch here.
An icon of the Alps, the Matterhorn’s wizard-hat peak is successfully tackled by hundreds of climbers each year. However, this is no reason to assume that it is an easy climb.
The mountain has claimed more than 500 lives since 1865 and claims a few more every year. Falling rock has always been a threat, but the crowds that flock to the summit every day during the Swiss summer have created new challenges for climbers to conquer and new reasons to test the more demanding winter conditions.
If you prefer an easier route, consider taking the Gornergrat Bahn from Zermatt for spectacular views of the Swiss Alps.
Everest’s Deadly Climber Toll Has A Commercial Solution
The fabulous Vinson was first glimpsed by human eyes in 1958. Since then, around 1,400 people have reached the summit. The weather is the biggest threat here: it has some of the coldest temperatures on the planet and winds that can easily exceed 80 kilometers per hour.
The simple fact that it can take weeks to get to a proper hospital in an emergency makes this a very dangerous excursion. Also, getting to Antarctica will cost you a lot.
Technically challenging. But Mont Blanc remains a difficult climb. The mountain’s position on the border of Italy and France makes it even more convenient.
This kind of intoxicating logic brings many tourists to Mont Blanc every year, and perhaps it is why Mont Blanc has killed more people than any other mountain. About 8,000 have died on this picturesque European climb, most of them novices. Be responsible and prepare if you plan to climb Mont Blanc, its power is not to be taken lightly.
The Top 10 Highest Mountains In The World
If you’re based in Geneva and only have one day, we recommend a day trip to Chamonix, from where you can take the cable car up to Mont-Blanc.
Ready to discover tailor-made travel? Get support from our local experts for stress-free planning and worry-free travel. Plan My Trip ⤍Many dream of reaching the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, which rises to 29,035 feet and straddles the Nepal – China border. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay first achieved the feat in 1953 via the Southern Pass of Nepal, which remains one of the most common routes today. The Nepalese government depends on the tourism revenue generated by Everest, and in 2019 issued a record 381 permits to climbers and an almost equal number to local Sherpas, who set up camps and lead climbers up the mountain. (Here’s why we’re inspired by the world’s most daunting mountains.)
Besides the glory of being on the roof of the world, climbing Everest comes with a great deal of controversy. Over the years, the large number of climbers and support staff have left large amounts of trash and debris on the mountain, although in recent years the Nepalese government and private organizations have taken steps to clean up the area in around the base camp. This year, critics cited the large number of permits as a possible contributor to some of the season’s 11 deaths on the mountain. The large number of people wanting to summit combined with fewer windows of favorable weather created traffic jams on the way to the summit. (Read more stories about Everest adventurers.)
Until conditions improve on Everest, beat the crowds and help preserve the environment by watching other epic climbs around the world. Here are nine of our favorites.
Beyond Everest: 9 Peaks To Summit In A Lifetime
In Mongolia, it’s easy for a traveler to quickly get swept away by the endless green steppes, the generosity of Kazakh nomads, and the rolling landscapes that define the Altai Mountains. This makes the hike up Mount Khuiten as enjoyable and scenic as the climb itself. The mountain straddles the corners of Russia, China and Mongolia. To get there, hikers must cross a golden, vast, barren landscape that is one of the last remote regions on Earth. This extraordinary journey is enhanced by the gentle hospitality of Kazakh nomads. (See how locals celebrate Mongolia’s brutal winter on a frozen lake.)
The flat-topped Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa. Located on Tanzania’s northern border with Kenya, the mountain is made up of three extinct volcanoes, Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira. The highest peak, Uhuru, is 19,340 feet high. Reaching the top of Kilimanjaro is exciting. Take the Machame Route to see the wonderful animals of the region and
Highest peaks in the alps, top 20 highest peaks in the world, five highest peaks in the world, the north face highest peaks, highest peaks in the andes, 14 highest peaks in the world, climbing the three peaks, highest peaks in the world top 10, highest peaks in the world, list of highest peaks in the world, highest peaks in the himalayas, seven highest peaks in the world