10
HIGHEST
MOUNTAINS
OF THE HIMALAYAN
REGION
EVEREST (Tibetan:
Chomolungma
(Goddess
Mother of
the Snows),
Nepali:Sagarmatha
(Mother of
the Universe)
Rank: Highest
mountain
in the world
Elevation:
8,850m
Location:
Nepal & Tibet
Latitude:
27°59'N
Longitude:
86°56'E
FEATURES & FACTS
- 1841:
Sir George
Everest,
Surveyor
General
of India
from 1830
to 1843,
records
the location
of Everest.
- First
attempt:
1922 from
Tibet. The
highest
point reacheded
was 8320m.
- In 1924
George
Mallory
and Andrew
Irvine
climbed
high on
the mountain
but never
return. Mallory’s
body was
found in
1999 at
8160m,
but his
camera,
which could
have proved
if he reached
the summit,
was never
recovered.
- May 29,
1953 New
Zealander
Edmund
Hillary
and Sherpa
Tenzing
Norgay
reach the
summit
from Nepal.
- First
woman to
summit
Everest:
Junko Tabei
of Japan
in 1975.
- From
PBS Frontline
World: “Mount
Everest
is approximately
29,035
feet
high,
and because
of geological
forces,
it grows
a few
millimeters
taller
each
year.
More
than
two-thirds
of the
earth's
troposphere
(the
lowest
level
of the
atmosphere)
lies
below
Mount
Everest's
summit,
and for
someone
who is
not acclimated
to the
altitude
and has
no oxygen,
the top
of the
mountain
is more
endurable
than
outer
space
by only
two or
three
minutes.”
Everest
Links
3-D
Model
Mt.
Everest
Weather
Pbs
Nova Series
On Everest
National
Geographic
Site on
Mt. Everest
Everest,
The Film
Panoramic
Photo Of
Everest
Everest
Interactive
Tour
Just
The Facts
K2 (Locally
known as “Chogo
Ri”,
which means "The
Great Mountain")
Rank: 2nd
highest mountain
in the world
Location:
Pakistan
and China
Elevation:
8,611m (28,250ft)
Latitude:
35.8833
Longitude:
76.5167
FEATURES & FACTS
- K2
is taken
from the
first letter
of Karakorum, “2” indicates
that it
was the
second
peak in
the Karakorum
range to
be measured.
- K2
was discovered
and measured
by the
Survey
of India
in 1856,
and first
named for
English
topographer
Henry Godwin
- Austen,
who explored
and surveyed
the region
- First
Ascent: 1954
by Italian
team lead
by Ardito
Desio. Accompanying
him were
Lino Lacedelli
and Achille
Compagnoni.
KANCHENJUNGA (Five
Treasures
of the
Snow)
Rank: 3rd
highest mountain
in the world
Location:
India & Nepal
Elevation:
8,586m (28,169ft)
Latitude:
27.7
Longitude:
88.1333
FEATURES & FACTS
- First
Attempt: 1905
- First
Ascent:
1955; British
mountaineers
George
Band, Joe Brown
- Kanchenjunga
was thought
to be the
highest
mountain
in the
world,
until 1852
- 1998:
Ginette
Harrison
reaches
the summit. Currently,
she remains
the only
woman to
summit
Kanchenjunga.
LHOTSE (South
Peak)
Rank: 4th
highest mountain
in the world
Location:
Nepal & Tibet
Elevation:
8,501m (27,920ft)
Latitude:
27.9667
Longitude:
86.9333
FEATURES & FACTS
- First
Ascent
of the
main summit:
1956 Swiss
mountaineers
Fritz Luchsinger,
Ernst Reiss
MAKALU (The
Great Black
One)
Rank: 5th
highest mountain
in the world
Location:
Nepal & Tibet
Elevation:
8,463m (27,765ft)
Latitude:
27.8833
Longitude:
87.0833
FEATURES & FACTS
- First
attempt: in
1954 by
an American
Team
- First
Ascent
via the
N Face:
In 1955
by a French
team consisting
of Jean
Couzy,
Lionel
Terray,
Jean Franco,
Guido Magnone,
Jean Bouvier,
Serge Coupé,
Pierre
Leroux,
André Vialatte
and Gyalzen
Norbu.
- First
ascent
via the
SE Ridge: In
1970 by
a Japanese
team
- Makalu
is one
of the
most difficult
mountains
in the
world to
climb due
to its
steep pitches
and knife-edged
ridges
that are
completely
open to
the elements.
CHO
OYU (Turquoise
Goddess)
Rank: 6th
highest mountain
in the world
Location:
Nepal & Tibet
Elevation:
8,201m (26,906ft)
Latitude:
28.1
Longitude:
86.65
FEATURES & FACTS
- First
Attempt: In
1952 by
an Austrian
expedition
led by Eric
Shipton.
- First
Ascent:
In 1954
by Austrian
mountaineers Herbert
Tichy and
Sepp Jöchler
and Sherpa
Pasang
Dawa Lama.
- Just
a few kilometres
west of
Cho Oyu
is Nangpa
La (5,716m/18,753ft),
a glaciated
pass that
serves
as the
main trading
route between
the Tibetans
and the
Khumbu's
Sherpas.
Due to
its close
proximity
to the
Nangpa
La pass—a
glaciated
trading
route--Cho
Oyu is
considered
to be the
easiest
8,000m
peak to
climb.
DHAULAGIRI (White
Mountain)
Rank: 7th
highest mountain
in the world
Location:
Nepal
Elevation:
8,167m (26,794ft)
Latitude:
28.7
Longitude:
83.5
FEATURES & FACTS
- First
attempt
in 1959
- First
ascent
in 1960
by Swiss/Austrian
mountaineers Kurt
Diemberger,
Peter Diener,
Ernst Forrer,
Albin Schelbert,
Nyima Dorji
and Nawang
Dorji,
via the
Northeast
Ridge route.
MANASLU (Mountain
of the
Spirit)
Rank: 8th
highest mountain
in the world
Location:
Nepal
Elevation:
8,156m (26,758ft)
Latitude:
28.55
Longitude:
84.5667
FEATURES & FACTS
- First
Attempt: 1953
- First
Ascent:
1956 by
Japanese
mountaineers
Toshio
Imanishi
and Gyalzen Norbu
- 1974:
An all-female
Japanese
expedition
successfully
summit
Manaslu
and become
the first
women
to climb
an 8,000
meter peak.
NANGA
PARBAT (Naked
Mountains)
Rank: 9th
highest mountain
in the world
Location:
Pakistan
Elevation:
8,125m (26,658ft)
Latitude:
35.2333
Longitude:
74.6
FEATURES & FACTS
- Nanga
Parbat
is situated
in Punjab
Himal,
Pakistan,
north of
the city
of Islamabad,
near Karakoram. The
most western
of the
8000-meter
peaks,
it is notorious
for avalanches
and fierce
storms.
- It has
three glaciated
faces:
West face-Diamir --South
face--Rupal;
North face--. Rakhiot.
- First
attempt:
1895, C.G.
Bruce,
Dr. J.N.
Collie,
G. Hastings
and Alfred
Mummery.
- In the
1930’s
German
mountaineers
made several
attempts. Most
notable
was the
1939 expedition
during
the outbreak
of World
War II,
described
in the
book 'Seven
Years in
Tibet'
by expedition
member
Heinrich
Harrer.
Brad Pitt
played
Harrer
in the
1990 film
of the
ordeal
in which
the team
travels
to Tibet
after escaping
capture
in India.
- First
ascent: 1953
by Hermann
Buhl via
Rakhiot
Face
- Reinhold
and Gunther
Messner
summited
in 1970
via the
Rupal Face. Gunther
disappeared on
the descent
via the
Diamir
Face. Reinhold
Messner
returned
in 1978
to solo
a new route
on the
Diamir
Face.
ANNAPURNA (Goddess
of the
Harvests)
Rank: 10th
highest mountain
in the world
Location:
Nepal
8,091m (26,545ft)
Latitude:
28.5833
Longitude:
83.95
FEATURES & FACTS
- First
Ascent:
1950; Maurice Herzog,
Louis Lachenal
- Annapurna
was the
1st 8,000m
peak
to be successfully
climbed
- Virtual
trekking
guide