Ten Highest Mountains of Himalaya

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.”

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
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