The 10 highest peaks in the world

1,000,809 – that’s the staggering number of mountains in the world. Incredible, isn’t it!

While some are “low” or “medium”, particularly in Europe, others easily flirt with 5,000, 7,000 or even 8,000 metres above sea level for some peaks. To wisely catch a glimpse of them, or to climb them unconsciously, you’d better be well prepared, because not everyone can do it. Because mountains, however beautiful and sleepy they may seem, are natural wonders that have to be earned. And even more so when it comes to climbing their highest point, here is the list of the world’s highest peaks.

What are the 10 highest summits in the world?

Is “having vertigo” an overrated expression? Not with the top 10 highest peaks on our planet:

1. Everest

If “the sky is the limit”, then Everest is right up there with it. It holds the record for the highest mountain on earth, at 8848 metres, not to say 9000.

Born of a spectacular collision between the Indian and Asian continents, Everest is an immense pyramid with three faces and three edges that was discovered in the middle of the 19th century. It was named in honour of Georges Everest, the first head of the topographical mission that mapped the Himalayas.

Since its first successful ascent in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Tensing Norgay, many climbers have tried to measure themselves against it over the years. Just over 14,000, to be precise, have tackled the world’s highest mountain. Only 4,000 have succeeded, and more than 200 have lost their lives.

Now very, even too famous, the “Roof of the World” is becoming a little more fragile every day under the weight of mass tourism in Central Asia.

• Location: On the border between China and Nepal
• Mountain range: Himalayas
• Altitude: 8848 m

2. The K2

Although it has slipped to second place on the podium in terms of its altitude of 8,611 metres, K2 remains the summit we fear most. Its steep slopes, fearsome glaciers and unstable ice pillars are a mountaineer’s nightmare. Even the most experienced!

On average, for every 5 people who manage to climb it, not without difficulty, there is one fatality. In 2020 alone, 86 people lost their lives while climbing it. It’s clear that K2 has well earned its nicknames of “wild mountain” and “mountain without pity”.

Despite all the aspects of an ultimate challenge that this mythical place implies, a few courageous people have managed to plant their flag there. In 1954, Italian climbers Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli opened the way after a 70-day assault. And in 2021, almost yesterday, a Nepalese team repeated the feat. But this time in winter, with temperatures down to -45°C in some places.

• Location: On the border between China and Pakistan
• Mountain range: Karakoram
• Altitude: 8611 m

3. Kangchenjunga

And the bronze medal in this ranking goes to the summit…. Kangchenjunga!

Not an easy word to pronounce! It’s normal, it’s Tibetan for “the five treasures of the snows”. It refers to the 5 peaks that make up the natural site. According to ancient myths, each of them has divine significance. The 5 relics of God are gold, silver, precious stones, grain and holy books.

From being the highest peak in the world before the discovery of Everest in 1852, it has plummeted two places to an altitude of 8,586 metres. Not an insignificant score when you consider that it took 56 years of intense effort for men to reach its summit. Two British mountaineers, Joe Brown and George Band, achieved this particular feat in 1955.

While the overall mortality rate has fallen for all the world’s greatest summits, Kangchenjunga is the exception to the rule. In its case, it has risen by 22% in recent years. Who is to blame? The risk of avalanche, which makes it a much more dangerous climb.

• Location: On the border between Nepal and India
• Mountain range: Himalayas
• Altitude: 8586 m

4. Lhotse

Both by its altitude of 8516 metres and its geographical position, Lhotse can easily be passed off as Everest’s little brother. Quite simply, they are connected. But being the ‘satellite summit’ of the world’s highest peak doesn’t just generate flattering comparisons. Lhotse is often neglected and left in the shadow of its neighbour. And wrongly so!

Lhotse has not stolen fourth place in this ranking. The first climbers to reach its peak were two Swiss men, both unknown at the time: Fritz Luchsinger and Ernst Reiss. The date of success was 18 May 1956, after two months of hard work. And 40 years later, Chantal Mauduit of France became the first woman to climb the summit.

With Lhotse, you can expect three routes for the price of one. This is simply due to the three secondary peaks that share its eastern ridge: Central Lhotse I (8414 m), Central Lhotse II (8372 m) and Lhotse Shar (8382 m). All have been climbed except the second on the list, which remains insurmountable to this day.

• Location: On the border between Nepal and China
• Mountain range: Himalayas
• Altitude: 8516 m

5. Makalu

As well as being a popular ski brand, Makalu is also the name of the 5th highest peak in the world. It is also proudly part of the Qomolanga nature reserve and the Makalu Barun national park.

Like the other mountains in this list, Malaku is one of the “eight thousand”. This is a well-known list in mountaineering, listing the 14 peaks over 8,000 metres on our planet. To climb these monsters of rock is to face up to particular difficulties such as very high altitude, harsh weather conditions, a feeling of isolation and dangerous terrain.

It wasn’t known until late, and wasn’t climbed until 1954. At first in the form of American, British and French reconnaissance expeditions. Then more seriously in 1955, when Frenchmen Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy made the first ascent of the mountain known locally as Kumba Karna, which means “the giant”.

• Location: On the border between Nepal and China
• Mountain range: Himalayas
• Altitude: 8485 m

6. Cho Oyu

Easier access by all-terrain vehicle, more moderate technical sections and a quicker ascent: all these factors make Cho Oyu the least difficult of the eight-thousand summits to reach. Nevertheless, an excellent level of physical fitness and regular mountaineering are still required to reach the summit at 8188m.

Although Cho Oyu is a good test for anything worse, it does present two difficulties. A serac zone (a block of ice surrounded by crevasses in a glacier) to be crossed at 6,600 m and a long summit plateau even higher up. Austrian climbers Joseph Jochler and Herbert Tichy, and Nepalese climber Pasang Dawa Lama were the first to overcome these obstacles in 1954.

Cho Oyu, which means “turquoise goddess” in Tibetan, has its southern and northern slopes included in the Qomolangma nature reserve (declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2004) and the Sagarmatha national park (inscribed on the UNESCO heritage list in 1979).

• Location: On the border between Nepal and China
• Mountain range: Himalayas
• Altitude: 8188 m

7. The Dhaulagiri

Yes, Dhaulagiri is also part of the Himalayas… But it’s one of the only peaks on this list to boast a 100% Nepalese identity.

Its Sanskrit name derives from the words dhawala and giri, which together give “The dazzling white mountain”. That says a lot about the area, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world. For more concrete information, Google Images will be your best friend.

Discovered by Europeans in 1808, Dhaulagiri was the world’s highest peak for 30 years. The rest is anyone’s guess: 6 other peers have gradually reshuffled the deck, with Everest at the top. One thing that cannot be taken away from him, however, is his unique position on the deepest gorge ever recorded: the Kali Gandaki Gorge.

Over the decades, many mountaineers and climbers have travelled to the region to experience its ascent and admire the breathtaking scenery around them. The first to take the plunge were a group of Austrians, part climbers, part mountaineers, who made history in 1960.

• Location: Nepal
• Mountain range: Himalayas
• Altitude: 8167 m

8. Manaslu

8 as in eighth in this ranking, but also 8 as in 8163 m altitude. That’s how you can sum up the kind of summit that is Manaslu.

For many adventurers looking for a first ascent on which to prove themselves, Manaslu is an obvious choice. And yet, paradoxically, its expedition is judged to be more technical and daring than Cho Oyu (two places higher in the rankings). What’s to blame? Too much snow, which increases fatigue, and the presence of numerous crevasses, which increases the difficulty of the route.

If we like to say that Everest is the mountain of the British, then Manaslu is by definition the mountain of the Japanese. One of them, Toshio Imanishi, was the first to climb to the summit of the “Spirit Mountain” in 1956.

To promote ecotourism, a 177-kilometre hiking trail has been built around the summit. It’s a great way to enjoy the hospitality of the Tibetans and, at the same time, appreciate the surreal Himalayan landscapes without taking too many risks.

• Location: Nepal
• Mountain range: Himalayas
• Altitude: 8163 m

9. Nanga Parbat

With Nanga Parbat, it’s important not to confuse a drop in altitude with a drop in difficulty/risk level. The 9th highest peak in the world is rated as one of the most complicated on the list of “eight thousand” summits to conquer. In fact, even the most popular and “accessible” access route to Everest does not present as many dangers (steep slopes, avalanche paths, high risk of rock fall, etc.) as his.

Its “daredevil” aspect literally does no favours to those who set out to conquer it. In 2009, an estimated 322 climbers reached the end of their mission, with 68 deaths. And in March 2019 alone, 74 people saw their dream come to an abrupt end. It’s a macabre tally that, already vivid in the first half of the 19th century, has left Nanga Parbat forever labelled a “killer mountain”.

In the collective imagination, we all remember Brad Pitt trying in vain to climb Nanga Parbat in the film “7 Years in Tibet”. But in real life, without any acting, there was one man who managed to achieve this technical and physical feat in 1953. Austrian Hermann Buhl. A champion who deserves to be remembered.

• Location: Pakistan
• Mountain range: Himalayas
• Altitude: 8126 m

10. Annapurna I

Just because Annapurna I closes the summit ranking doesn’t mean it’s any less impressive or interesting. Quite the contrary: it is the first summit over 8000 metres to have been climbed in the world. So yes, we can see where you’re coming from with your “there has to be one…”. But you can honestly look for summits like this where the first attempt was the right one – it’s extremely rare.

Mountaineers and adventure enthusiasts alike are jostling to tame the “hostile beast” that is Annapurna I. But there’s a world of difference between making the ascent and coming back. A vast, vast world! To give you an idea, the mortality rate is estimated at 1 death for every 2 successful attempts. Since its first ascent in 1950 by the illustrious French duo Herzog-Lachenal, which caused a great deal of ink to flow in numerous press articles, at least 298 others have been attempted. We’ll leave it to you to calculate the number of people who have climbed without ever coming down.

Annapurna I, because there are others? Yes, to be fair we’d have to multiply that by at least seven. In reality, Annapurna is a chain of spectacular peaks, all of which easily exceed 7,000 metres in altitude. The great diversity of the terrain, from green rice paddies to lunar passes, means that there is not just one Annapurna trek, but several.

• Location: Nepal
• Mountain range: Himalayas
• Altitude: 8091 m

In conclusion

At the risk of being a little chauvinistic, or even too much of a “cocorico”, what about our beloved Mont Blanc? With an altitude of 4,909 m, the Alpine favourite still proudly holds the title of Western Europe’s highest mountain and the sixth highest on the continent (including the Caucasus mountains). Not bad for our beloved Mont Blanc.

Sorry for him, but on this page, we’re taking on the big boys. 10 competition summits, the highest peaks in the world, with which the cult saying “I am the master of the world” finally takes on its full meaning!