We are in awe of the tallest and most remote mountains in the world, but few realize how dangerous they are. The truth is that any experienced climber who puts crampons on the ice will experience some degree of danger, even on relatively mild roadside cliffs. Still, there are some peaks that even the most experienced climbers respect — dangerous peaks that continue to cause fear and anxiety for decades after their first ascent. While Mount Everest may be the most famous, it's not the deadliest, and from Chogory to Denali, here are the 11 hardest peaks in the world to climb.
Location: Himalayas, north-central Nepal
Elevation: 8,091 m (26,545 ft)
Annapurna's hardest mountain to climb has been topped by nearly 300 people since an expedition led by Maurice Herzog first climbed Nepal's Annapurna Mountains in 1950, but at least 73 lost their lives in the attempt. Such a high mortality rate makes Mount Annapuna, the tenth highest mountain in the world, the most dangerous of those above 8,000 meters. After a lot of preparation and training, climbing the Annapurna Loop is possible, but more novices are better suited to climbing the less dangerous peaks within the Annapurna Reserve, visiting the teahouses of Nepal's Khopra Ridge, or heading to the Mardi Himal Base Camp.
Location: Karakoram Mountains, China-Pakistan border
Elevation: 8,611 m (28,251 ft)
Chogory (K2) is the second highest peak in the world, and climbers know it as one of the most technically difficult in the world. Even the simplest climbing routes require crossing complex glaciers, climbing steep rocks, and bypassing a series of icicles (known as Selak icicles) that easily collapse without any warning, a mountain whose technical difficulty makes it one of the most dangerous in the world. In 2020, Viridinia Alvarez Chavez became the first Latin to summit Chogory (K2), and she persevered in climbing after witnessing another climber fall to her death. There was also a recent documentary about Chogory Peak that is worth watching, which tells the story of a group of people climbing Chogory Peak without supplementing oxygen.
Location: Himalayas, Pakistan
Elevation: 8,126 m (26,660 ft)
The ninth highest peak in the world, located at Nanga Palpat Peak in Pakistan, is the largest mountain range on Earth, the 15,000-foot-high Rupal Mountains. Nanga Parbat competes with Chogory in technical difficulty, climbing along a narrow ridge to the summit. Although the name Nanga Parbat comes from sanskrit meaning "bare mountain", and the mountain is known locally as "Diamir", which means "king of the mountain", climbers have given it another name: "Man Eater".
Location: Himalayas, Nepal-India border
Elevation: 8.568 m (28,169 ft)
When you look at mortality in the world's most dangerous mountain ranges, you'll see that over time, the mortality rate is decreasing. A notable exception is the world's third-highest Gancheng Zhangjiafeng. The death rate averages more than 20 percent, reflecting avalanches and weather disasters plaguing this dangerous mountain. As climate change leads to more unstable snow conditions and extreme weather, the death rate in Gancheng Zhangjiafeng is likely to worsen further.
Location: Bernese Alps, Switzerland
Elevation: 3,967 m (13,015 ft)
The northern slopes of the Bernese Alps in Switzerland, because of their dangers, become an objective legend among climbers. At nearly 6,000 feet, it is the longest northern slope of the Alps. Although the first ascent of Eiger was in 1938, the north slope of Eiger has been challenging climbers of various abilities, ranging from technical difficulties to severe rockslides. Difficulties and dangers earned Eger's north face the nickname "Mordwand." The mountain is best known for the 1975 film The Eiger Sanction, in which Clint Eastwood plays an Assassin who joins a climbing team to climb Eiger's North Peak to avenge the murder of a friend.
Location: Alps, Switzerland
Elevation: 4,478 m (14,692 ft)
This iconic mountain looks like a horn rising from the surrounding valley and is one of the most deadly in the Alps. This is caused by a variety of factors, including technical difficulties, the prevalence of avalanches and rock avalanches, and severe congestion of routes during peak climbing periods. An easier way to see the Matterhorn is to take a train ride, or take a helicopter ride, at a safe distance. You can even ski and see the famous snow town of Zermatt at the foot of the Alps.
Where: Sentinel Mountains, Antarctica
Elevation: 4,892 m (16,050 ft)
Mount Vincennes, the highest peak in Antarctica, is not well known for its technical difficulty and mortality. However, Mount Vincennes is sixteen thousand feet high, and this elevation, combined with the isolation, extreme coldness and unpredictable weather of the Antarctic continent, makes Vincent's front a very serious task. Even a small accident can be catastrophic.
Location: Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan
Elevation: 7,285 m (23,901 ft)
Pakistan's Baitabulak Peak is considered one of the hardest in the world to climb and is often referred to as the "Ogre". Although it first reached the summit in 1971, it did not reach the summit again until 2001. Doug Scott, one of the first climbers, broke his legs during the descent and was forced to climb to the camp of the climbing team in a heavy storm. This famous epic and more than 20 failed attempts to reach the summit make it one of the most dangerous peaks in the world.
Location: Himalayas, China-Nepal border
Elevation: 8,848 m (29,029 ft)
More than 1,500 people have climbed Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, and as many as 50 people have reached the summit in one day. This congestion, combined with the extreme altitude of Mount Everest, makes it an undeniably dangerous destination. While current regulation of Everest focuses on cleaning up garbage and preventing more pollution, it is still subject to climate change, which some climbers say makes Everest more dangerous. Congestion caused by too many climbers is also a major risk factor, leading to multiple deaths in 2019. Everest Base Camp is 5,600 meters above sea level, which is an achievement in itself.
Location: Alaska Mountains, USA
Elevation: 6,190 m (20,310 ft)
Located in Alaska, Mount Denali is the highest mountain in North America. From 1896 to 2015, its official name was Mt. McKinley, and under the leadership of Oba President Ma, it was renamed an Aboriginal name. Although it is only 20,320 feet above sea level, the high latitude it is at means that its atmosphere is much thinner than that of the equator. For many who climb Denali every year, altitude, weather and extreme temperatures pose serious dangers. For these reasons, the success rate in Denali is about 50%, and more than 100 climbers have died in the process of reaching the summit. The mountain towers above Denali National Park, and its admirers may not be aware of its deadly stats. In fact, 2018 was the first year in 15 years that no one died in the Denali region. Take a bus tour of Denali National Park and see The Denali Hills from a distance.
Location: Andes, border between Argentina and Chile
Elevation: 3,405 m (11,171 ft)
Cerro Chalten, or Fitzroy Mountain, is the highest mountain in Patagonia Glacier National Park. Fitzroy's summit is steeply rocky on all sides and is very difficult to climb. Because of this, it is considered one of the most difficult mountains in the world for decades. Even today, the unpredictable weather and relative isolation of the region make it extremely dangerous. Although there are plenty of people who appreciate it as they hike through this amazing area, Fitzroy Peak may only be seen climbing once a year: a sign of a truly dangerous, difficult mountain.