20 Deadliest and Most Hazardous Mountains in the World
TweetFor some of us, mountains are just great natural tourist spots, but for some, mountains are a way of living. Now, I’m talking about mountaineers who take their chances to challenge themselves, conquering some of the highest mountains on earth. Here, highest mountains I mean are not just in terms of heights, but also in terms of hazards and climbing difficulty (both technical and nontechnical). Perhaps just like a New Zealand climber and explorer said, “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”
That’s also the reason why we rounded up a list of the most dangerous mountains in the world. Look at the mountains below, and you will see wonders that quicken your pulse and inspire awe.
1. Annapurna, Central Nepal
Photo: m’sieur rico, abmiller99, MinutesAlone, elrentaplats, Sam@flickr
Known as the Goddess of the Harvests, Annapurna is the world’s 10th highest mountain and also one of the most dangerous mountains to climb. As of 2007, there had been about 130 climbers who tried to conquer the mountain, but unfortunately, 53 had died trying. This high death rate makes the mountain the most statistically dangerous.
2. K2, or Mount Godwin Austen
Photo: Wikipedia
Located on the Pakistan-Chinese border, the world’s second highest mountain is known as the Savage Mountain because of the difficulty of ascent. Astonishingly, for every four people who have ascended the summit, one had died trying. From the Chinese side, the mountain is much more risky to reach.
3. Kangchenjunga
Photo: Jakub Michankow, Amar Chandra, lepetitNicolas, Ibontxo
As time goes on, the mortality rates for these deadly mountains tend to decline. But there is one exception – Kangchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain. Known as The Five Treasures of snows, the mountain is actually a massif that consists of five peaks. The influence of avalanche and weather conditions aggravates makes the mountain more precarious to reach.
4. Nanga Parbat
Photo: Aamir Choudhry, dreamX, jonmartin
Known as the Killer Mountain, Nanga Parbat has a summit elevation of 8,126 meters. Competing with K2 on the part of technical difficulty, this craggy mountain is an immense ridge of rock and ice. It is also one of the world’s only two peaks that rank in top 20 of both the highest mountains and the most prominent peaks.
5. Eiger, Switzerland
Photo: Jasper180969, Paul Stephenson, John in LA, Maurits Euro Courier
The North Wall of the Eiger is known among rock climbers for its height and craggedness, hazard and difficulty. It is deemed to be a formidable challenge due to the increased rockfall and diminishing ice-fields, not just its technical difficulties.
6. Matterhorn, Pennine Alps
Photo: Problemkind, Simon aka Flyblog, martinsteiger, Martijn Russchen
With a summit of 4,478 meters, this enormous monster is one of the deadliest peaks in the Alps and even in the world. From 1865, when it was first conquered, to 1995, 500 climbers died on it.
7. Lhotse, Khumbu, Nepal
Photo: akunamatata, Mahatma4711, robnunn, Ben Tubby
8,516 meters high, Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain in the world. Lhotse, a Tibetan word, means south peak. The south face of the mountain is very steep and dangerous. So, you are recommended to climb the mountain from the northwest side.
8. Vinson Massif, Antarctica
Photo: Se7en Summits
The highest mountain in Antarctica, the Vinson is not known for the height, technical difficulty or death rate. However, due to its position in Antarctica with extreme cold and unpredictable weather, it could be a very cold and challenging climb. Even a small accident there could cause great suffering.
9. Cerro Fitz Roy, Chile
Photo: Wikipedia, satosphere, Geoff Livingston
The mountain is considered to be one of the world’s most technically challenging mountains, because the sheer granite faces bring about long stretches of formidable technical climbing. In addition, inclement and treacherous weather in the area adds more hazards to the ascent.
10. Mt. McKinley, Alaska
Photo: Richard Forward, brllnt_harmony, dave_hensley
Also known as Mount Denali, Mt. McKinley is the highest mountain peak in North America and the United States. The mountain is a granitic pluton, with two significant summits. By 2003, nearly 100 climbers lost their lives when conquering the mountain, which makes the success rate at a low level.
11. Baintha Brakk, Pakistan
Photo: doegox, daniel-weber, chrismay
Baintha Brakk, commonly called the Ogre, is a steep, craggy mountain, with a summit of 7,285 meters. Exceptional in its combination of altitude, height above local terrain and steepness, it is regarded as one of the hardest peaks in the world to climb.
12. Mount Everest
Photo: opalpeterliu, jrodmanjr
Mt. Everest, the world’s highest mountain, has a peak at 8,848 meters above sea level. It remains the top when it comes to danger, difficulty and even the fatality rate. One of the most dangerous sections of the Everest could be Khumbu Icefall. With seracs, crevasses and shifting blocks of ice, many mountaineers have been killed in this section.
13. Siula Grande, Peruvian Andes
Photo: StephanPeccini, Jake G
It’s a 6,344-meter high mountain with a subpeak of 6,260 metera. Listed as the second highest mountain in frozen Cordillera Huayhuash, Peru, Siula Grande is made infamously intimidating by Joe Simpson’s well-known book Touching the Void recounting his formidable mountaineering saga.
14. Mount Fuji, Japan
Photo: Wikipedia, kamonegi_jp, weegolo
Bordering between Yamanashi and Shizuoka with the height of 2,776 meters, it is the highest mountain in Japan. As a symmetrical cone shaped dormant volcano worshipped as a hallowed mountain, its scenes are only visible in clear days due to poor visibility caused by dense clouds.
15. Ama Dablam, Nepal
Photo: jarikir, FarhadZB, twiga_269
Priding itself with an intimidating altitude of 6,812 and stunning pure aesthetic beauty, Ama Dablam puts the rest to shame. Occupying a commanding position in the Himalaya range of eastern Nepal, this peak presents mountaineers (including Everest veterans), with challenging crux pitches and villainous weather.
16. Mountain Washington, New Hampshire
Photo: nashuavideotours, Fousty, Wikipedia
Towering over the land at 6, 288 feet, it tops the list of mountains in the Northeastern United States. Notoriously noted for its atrocious weather, this rocky summit is haunted by piercing cold, record wind, overwhelming snow and hazy fog.
17. Half Dome, California
Photo: e-shutterbug, TheDreamSky, dj @ oxherder arts, docentjoyce
Declared “perfectly inaccessible” in the late 1870s, this granite dome’s crest soars 4,737 feet above Yosemite Valley, California. Heftily steep ridged on all sides, this erosion intruded rock formation requires mountaineers of several hundred feet of breakneck stairs climbing and abrupt pitches ascending.
18. Mont Blanc, France
Photo: nicolas-baltenneck, sliabh, JR Guillaumin, Thomas in’t Veld
Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union, is popular for mountaineering, hiking, skiing and snowboarding. It is also ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence. Due to frequent rock-falls, the route from Refuge de Tete Rousse through the Gouter Corridor is considered to be dangerous.
19. Machapuchare, Nepal
Photo: Marina & Enrique, mali unaba, abmiller99
Nicknamed the Matterhorn of Nepal, the mountain dominates enormous vertical relief in a short distance. Combining with its precipitous, pointed profile, it was made an extremely striking peak. Unfortunately for mountaineering fans, the mountain is now forbidden, as it has been declared sacred.
20. Sajama, Bolivia
Nestled in the eponymous Sajama National Park, this mountain is the highest peak in Bolivia. Also as an extinct stratovolcano, its summit is covered by a permanent ice cap hiding all trace of any volcanic crater. Want to conquer this peak? Try these three frequently attempted routes: W glacier and SW ridge, SW ridge direct and NW ridge.
