The Highest Mountains in the World

Want to know which is the highest mountain in the world? Here’s a list of the world’s highest mountains!

You can measure this in two ways, either by height above the sea (most common) and the more unusual way to measure by including the height from base to top with parts below sea level included as well. 

In this article, I will share both variables and give you a final answer on which is the highest mountain in the world!

1. Mount Everest

You may already know that Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world, ranked by meters above the sea. But if you measure from base to top, there is, in fact, another mountain that is taller. 

Mount Everest is located in the Himalayas on the border of Nepal and Tibet. Mount Everest has the highest peak in the world at 8 848 meters above the sea. People from all over the world come here to conquer it, but it’s easier said than done. 

Every year, there are dead bodies reported from Mount Everest, but of course, the majority will succeed in reaching the top and get back safe again. The first person who ever climbed Mount Everest was Sir Edmund Hillary, from New Zealand. 

2. K2

The second highest mountain in the world is known as K2 or Mount Godwin-Austen. Its highest peak sits at 8611 meters above the sea. This mountain is not located in the Himalayas, but in the Karakoram, and its peak makes up the border of Pakistan and China.

K2 is considered one of the most difficult mountains to climb, and the first ones to succeed were Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni from Italy.

The percentage of deaths are higher here than at Mount Everest, and the sides of the mountains are incredibly steep as they form a pyramid-shaped way to the top. 

3. Kanchenjunga

About 130 km east of Mount Everest, one can find Kanchenjunga, which is the third highest mountain in the world at 8586 meters above the sea.

The mountain is located at the border between Nepal and India. The first ones to reach the top were the brits George Band and Joe Brown in 1955. It’s not uncommon with avalanches, snowstorms and falling rocks on your way up to the top, so climbers need to be extremely careful and prepared. 

4. Lhotse

This mountain top is more or less connected with Mount Everest, but are separated by a mountain pass. The highest peak of Lhotse sits at 8516 meters above the sea. 

5. Makalu

Another tall mountain which is located close to Mount Everest in the Himalayas is Makalu, with a height of 8485 meters above the sea. 

The way up to the Makalu-peak requires technical climbing and is considered to be one of the hardest mountains to climb in the world. However, the death tolls are lower than at K2 and Kanchenjunga. 

The first ones to reach the top of Makalu were the French explorers Jean Couzy and Lonel Terray, who conquered the mountain in 1955. 

6. Cho Oyu

Another mountain that can be seen from the top of Mount Everest. Cho Oyu is located between the border of Tibet and Nepal and has a height of 8188 meters above the sea. 

It is regarded as one of the easier options among the highest mountains in the world that goes 8000 meters high or more.

7. Dhaulagiri

The peak of Dhaulagiri sits at 8167 meters above the sea, and it’s currently the seven highest mountain in the world. As late as the 19th century, this was thought to be the highest mountain in the world because they hadn’t yet discovered the other ones that are taller than Dhaulagiri.

However, the first known climb to the top wasn’t done until 1960, by a Swizz-Austrian co-expedition. 

8. Manaslu

Manaslu is yet another stunning mountain that has a height of more than 8000 meters. The highest peak is currently at 8156 meters above the sea, and the first ones to climb it was the Japanese duo Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu in 1956.

Manaslu is located in Mansiri Himal in the Nepalese part of the Himalayas.

9. Nanga Parbat

At the ninth place of the highest mountains in the world is Nanga Parbat at 8126 meters above the sea. It is also located in the Himalayas but in the Pakistani part of Jammu and Kashmir. 

The first one to reach the peak of Nanga Parbat was Hermann Buhl from Austria in 1953.

10. Annapurna

Along with Mount Everest, Annapurna might just be the second famous mountain in the country. The highest point of Annapurna is at 8091 meters above the sea, but there aren’t many that have set their foot on the top. 

The Annapurna circuit is one of the most popular hiking trails in Nepal, but to climb the Annapurna mountain itself is considered as one of the most dangerous mountains in the world. 

Avalanches are quite common.

Is there a difference between the highest and tallest mountain? 

Yes, when speaking of the highest mountain in the world, you’re only measuring the height above the sea. And the tallest mountain in the world includes everything from the base to top, even though some parts of the mountain might be below sea-level. 

The Highest Mountain in the world (above the sea)

Mount Everest

The highest mountain in the world is Mount Everest if you measure by meters above the sea.

The Tallest Mountain in the world (from base to top)

Mauna Kea

If you measure from base to top including the mountain below the sea, then Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world at a staggering height of 10203 meters. 

Mauna Kea is an inactive volcano in Hawaii, which is also an important place for astronomical observations.

More about the highest mountains in the world

All of the highest mountains in the world that are 8000 meters above the sea or more can be found in Asia, in the mountain ranges of Himalaya and Karakoram. The most common way to measure the height of a mountain is to only include what’s above the sea level. 

The highest mountain outside of Asia is Aconcagua in Argentina, which has its highest peak at 6962 meters above the sea.

Can you climb the highest mountains in the world?

Yes, you certainly can, with the right equipment and expertise. Climbing the highest mountains in the world is not an easy task that beginners should try. It requires both a great physique and stamina as well as lots of practice. 

It is better to start out with easier mountains at a lower altitude, and then go higher and higher as you become more experienced. Never go hiking in the mountains alone, and always let others know that you’re out there if something happens. 

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