Located on the continent of Asia between Nepal and Tibet, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. I would highly recommend reading the book Into Thin Air written by journalist Jon Krakauer, a survivor of the 1996 trek where 19 people were reported dead or missing.
2. K-2 (Mount Godwin) – 28,250 feet (8,611 meters)
Located on the continent of Asia, in the country of Pakistan, K-2 is the second tallest mountain in the world. K-2 also goes by the names of Mount Godwin, Austen, or Dapsang. Many climbers practice on K-2 before hitting the steep cliffs of Mount Everest.
3. Mount Kangchenjunga (Kinchinjunga) – 28,208 feet (8,598 meters)
Located on the continent of Asia between Nepal and India, Mount Kanchenjunga is the third tallest mountain in the world. Kanchenjunga is also called Kinchinjunga, although the main difference is just the pronunciation. When translated, Kanchenjunga means “The Five Treasures of Snows”, as it consists of five peaks, four of which are over 27,726 feet (8,450 meters) tall.
4. Mount Lhotse – 27,890 feet (8,501 meters)
Located on the continent of Asia in the country of Nepal, Mount Lhotse is the fourth tallest mountain in the world. Consisting of three summits, the main summit adjoins with Mount Everest and is so sharp that there is literally no place to sit down. Although it is the least climbed 8,000-meter peak in Nepal, climbers are still advised to ascend this peak before tackling Mount Everest.
5. Mount Makalu – 27,824 feet (8,481 meters)
Located on the continent of Asia between Nepal and Tibet, Mount Makalu is the fifth tallest mountain in the world. First climbed in 1955 by J. Franco’s French Exhibition, Mount Makalu has proved to be a challenging climb for only five of its sixteen attempts were successful.
6. Mount Cho Oyu – 26,906 feet (8,201 meters)
Located on the continent of Asia between Nepal and Tibet, Mount Cho Oyu is the sixth tallest mountain in the world. Translated from Tibetan, Mount Cho Oyu means “the Turquoise Goddess”. There have been well over 1,000 ascents on Mount Cho Oyu, with very few deaths.
7. Mount Dhaulagiri – 26,795 feet (8,167 meters)
Located on the continent of Asia in the country of Nepal, Mount Dhaulagiri is the seventh tallest mountain in the world. Mount Dhaulagiri, when translated from Sanskrit, means “white mountain”, and in 1808, it replaced Ecuador’s Chimborazo (20,561 ft.) as the postulated highest mountain in the world.
8. Mount Manaslu – 26,781 feet (8,163 meters)
Located on the continent of Asia in the country of Nepal, Mount Manaslu is the eighth tallest mountain in the world. The name Manaslu comes from the Sanskrit word “Manasa”, and can be translated as “Mountain of the Spirit”. In 1972, at 22,800 feet, fifteen members of a Korean expedition were killed when an avalanche buried their camp, when two years later, an all female exhibition successfully ascended the summit.
9. Mount Nanga Parbat – 26,657 feet (8,125 meters)
Located on the continent of Asia in the country of Pakistan, Mount Nanga Parbat is the ninth tallest mountain in the world. Nanga Parbat, which means “Naked Mountain”, is not an easy mountain to climb. Unstable glaciers and frequent storms and avalanches have proved hazardous for climbers of all levels.
10. Mount Annapurna – 26,545 feet (8,091 meters)
Located on the continent of Asia in the country of Nepal, Mount Annapurna is the tenth tallest mountain in the world. Annapurna comes from a Sanskrit name that can be translated as “Goddess of the Harvests”, or more simply “The Provider”. In 1950, Annapurna became the first 8,000 meter peak to be successfully climbed, and with the glaciers on the mountains western and northwestern slopes draining in to the gorge, it has formed the Kali Gandaki River.
