Though there is no universally accepted definition of a mountain, we can say that simply mountains are large landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area, usually in the form of a peak. The difference between mountains and hills is that mountains are usually steeper than hills. It is believed that mountains are formed through tectonic forces or volcanism. It is also noticeable that mountains are generally less preferable for human habitation than lowlands, and that is due to the cold weather and also because little level ground is more suitable for agriculture. Around the world, there are about 109 mountains with elevations greater than 7,200 metres above sea level. Coincidently all of these mountains are located in southern and central Asia. So, in the following article you will find a list of the top 3 highest mountains in the world.
1 Mount Everest:
Mount Everest, is the most known peak and the Earth’s highest mountain. It is located in the Mahalangur mountain range in Nepal and Tibet. Its peak is really high; it is 8,848 metres above sea level. Because of its popularity, Mount Everest attracts lots of climbers, some of them are really highly experienced mountaineers. Moreover, there are two main climbing routes, one approaching the summit from the southeast in Nepal (known as the standard route) and the other from the north in Tibet. It is said that the first recorded efforts to reach Everest’s summit were made by British mountaineers. However, the first successful ascent was on 29 May 1953, by the climbing pair the New Zealander Edmund Hillary and the Indian Tenzing Norgay. It is worth mentioning that at the higher regions of Mount Everest, the climbers who are seeking the summit spend substantial time within the death zone. The death zone is altitudes higher than 8,000 metres. No one should spend their more than 12 hours, and many of the deaths that happen there are due to spending long time in the death zone.
2 K2:
K2 is the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest,with the height of 8,611 metres above sea level. It is located on the border between China and Pakistan. In addition, K2 is the highest point of the Karakoram mountain range and the highest point in Pakistan. K2 is known as the Savage Mountain because of how extreme difficult it is to ascent. It has the second-highest death rate among all mountains that are higher than 8000 meter above sea level. Through all times, there were around 300 successful summits and 80 deaths. Which means that about one person dies on the mountain from every four who summit. However, the first successful summit was on 31 July 1954 by the climbers Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni, who were among the Italian expedition that was led by Ardito Desio. Moreover, it is believed that it is more difficult and hazardous to reach the peak of K2 from the Chinese side; that is why K2 is usually climbed from the Pakistani side. Also, K2 has never been climbed during the winter, and I think that will never going to happen.
3 Kanchenjunga:
Kanchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world, and it is located in Nepal. The height of this mountain is about 8,586 meters above the sea level; and it is within a section of the Himalayas that is called Kanchenjunga Himal. In addition, Kangchenjunga is the second highest peak of the Himalaya after the famous peak of Mount Everest. Until the year 1852, it was believed that Kangchenjunga is the highest mountain in the world. However after some calculations made by the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India in 1849, the conclusion was that Mount Everest is the highest. Then, after further verification of all calculations, it was officially announced in the year 1856 that Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world after Everest and K2. The first successful climb of Kangchenjunga was 25 May 1955 by Joe Brown and George Band, who were part of a British expedition. It is also worth mentioning that, there is a myth that says that the area around Kangchenjunga is inhabited by a mountain deity that is called “Kangchenjunga Demon,” a type of yeti or rakshasa. In 1925, there was a British geological expedition that spotted a bipedal creature, and after asking the locals about, they referred to it as the “Kangchenjunga Demon.” And until now, no one know if this is true or it is just a myth.