Learn on for an entire rundown of the sector’s 10 most deadly mountains for mountaineering, indexed in no explicit order. Maximum loss of life statistics for Himalayan mountains come from The Himalayan Database, which accumulated information from 1950 to 2019, or 8000ers.com.
Editor’s Observe: This newsletter was once at first revealed in 2008. It’s been up to date for readability and accuracy.
1. Nanga Parbat in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan (26,657 Ft)
Referred to as “Killer Mountain,” this craggy monster in Pakistan is a gigantic ridge of rock and ice. Nanga Parbat is the ninth-highest mountain on this planet, and its southern facet is what many name the tallest mountain face on this planet. The Rupal Face rises 15,090 toes above its base.
This top was once the topic of German pastime within the Thirties. When simplest Britain had get admission to to Mt. Everest, German climbers noticed Killer Mountain because the absolute best mountain moderately scalable by means of climbers on the time. However that doesn’t imply it was once simple.
Nanga Parbat claimed 31 lives sooner than it was once conquered by means of Austrian Hermann Buhl in 1953. Annapurna was once thought to be probably the most bad mountain on this planet for a few years, however Nanga Parbat has just lately retaken the report, in keeping with ExplorersWeb.
2. Annapurna in Central Nepal (26,545 Ft)
In this mountain, the tenth absolute best on this planet, a number of hundred climbers have now summited the avalanche-prone top for the reason that first ascent in 1950. About 72 have died mountaineering — making Annapurna’s fatality price some of the absolute best amongst 8,000m mountains.
Whilst Annapurna was once the primary 8,000m top to be climbed, it stays a problem and an enchantment. The area surrounding Annapurna is widespread for mountaineering and was once the website of what many name “Nepal’s worst-ever trekking crisis.”
In 2014, a storm from snow struck, inflicting avalanches and the deaths of 43 other people. Virtually 6 toes of snow fell in 12 hours, and greater than 500 other people wanted rescue.
3. K2, Pakistan-China Border (28,251 Ft)
The second one-highest mountain on this planet, this top has a grim popularity, particularly on the subject of feminine climbers. The primary girl to succeed in the summit was once the mythical Polish climber Wanda Rutkiewicz, who reached the highest in June 1986.
Over the following 18 years, all 5 feminine climbers who summited this top have been killed. 3 died all the way through the descent down K2, and two others on within reach mountains.
Rutkiewicz additionally perished shut by means of on Kangchenjunga in 1992. The curse was once in any case damaged in 2004 by means of Edurne Pasaban, a 31-year-old Spanish mountaineer who continues to climb. In 2017, Vanessa O’Brien turned into the primary American girl to summit K2.
K2’s remoteness and lengthy manner make expeditions extraordinarily resource-intensive and long. It’s identified for unhealthy climate and avalanches, which declare the lives of many that strive it. However its loss of life price has dropped briefly lately, from 25% in 2021 to only 13.7% by means of 2024, in keeping with 8000ers.com.
4. Kangchenjunga, India-Nepal Border (28,169 Ft)
In 1999, a brand new James Bond novel discovered the tremendous undercover agent trekking up Kangchenjunga’s dramatic ridges. Bond could have stopped to appreciate the beautiful view, however seems may also be deceiving. Avalanches and sour chilly have made this some of the deadliest mountains on this planet.
Kangchenjunga is the 3rd tallest on this planet, with a minimum of 53 deaths recorded at the mountain since 1905, in keeping with The Himalayan Database. With 568 summits, the mountain’s fatality price hovers round 10%.
5. Matterhorn, Switzerland-Italy Border (14,691 Ft)
With its first ascent in 1865, the Matterhorn has lengthy been one of the vital widespread mountains on this planet. On the other hand, simple get admission to to top issues at the mountain can result in severe threat for green climbers making an attempt its busy routes.
In this day and age, the predominant threat at the Matterhorn is its recognition, with overeager vacationers sending unfastened rocks onto the heads of fellow climbers beneath. On the other hand, local weather exchange has additionally made the mountain extra bad lately, with report warmth waves resulting in larger closures, ExplorersWeb reported.
Storms also are not unusual all the way through the afternoons of summit season. The Matterhorn sees about six deaths in step with 12 months, with about 600 overall deaths recorded since 1865, in keeping with Zermatt.
6. Mt. Everest, Nepal-China Border (29,029 Ft)
With its marquee standing, it could be simple to think that Mt. Everest is the deadliest mountain of all of them. However, pound for pound, Everest claims a moderately small share of climbers, taking into consideration the selection of makes an attempt every year.
Everest has taken over 280 lives since 1900, in keeping with the Himalayan Database. However 1000’s of a hit ascents — which simplest develop every year as expeditions get extra environment friendly at sending other people to the summit — imply the mountain’s general fatality price is now lower than 1%.
However make no mistake: Everest stays an overly bad mountain.
7. Siula Grande, Huayhuash Vary of the Peruvian Andes (20,814 Ft)
Siula Grande is a majestic mountain within the Peruvian Andes, with sheer south and west faces.
In 1985, the duo of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, whose adventure was once chronicled within the e book and movie Touching the Void, tried the mountain’s western face. The sheer wall had by no means been ascended — and the tale of Yates and Simpson turned into mythical.
Simpson and Yates reached the summit, however Simpson fell all the way through the descent, breaking his leg. Then, as Yates reduced the injured Simpson down by means of rope, he overlooked him over a cliff.
An hour later, along with his place slipping away and Simpson not able to protected himself, Yates lower the rope. Extremely, Simpson survived the 100-foot fall right into a crevasse. Over the following 3 days, he subsisted on melted snow and hopped the 5 miles again to camp. He arrived in a while sooner than Yates was once set to go away for house.
8. Mt. Washington in New Hampshire (6,288 Ft)
To enjoy a perilous mountain just a little nearer to house, glance no additional than this New Hampshire top. Unexpectedly transferring climate, hurricane-force winds, and summer time ice pellets scouring this slope have claimed greater than 100 lives.
Temperatures on the top can descend to -50 levels Fahrenheit. In reality, the most powerful wind ever measured on Earth was once recorded in this top, a gale of 231 mph. Just about 150 other people have died at the bad mountain, which additionally sees about 25 rescues annually, in keeping with the Mount Washington Avalanche Middle.
9. Denali in Alaska (20,320 Ft)
The absolute best top in North The usa could also be one of the vital remoted and distinguished on this planet. An enormous problem of Denali is the time it takes to climb, with expeditions lasting 2 to 4 weeks. Regardless of many climbers international attempting for this bucket record ascent, simplest about part of them succeed in the highest.
Worse, Denali is liable to earthquakes, and the mix of top altitude and excessive latitude additionally manner altitude illness kicks in a lot sooner. On the equator, a top this dimension would have about part as a lot oxygen on the summit than at sea stage. As a result of the latitude, the share of oxygen on Denali is a ways decrease.
From 1903 to 2006, just about 100 other people died attempting to succeed in Denali’s summit, in keeping with a 2008 find out about. Climbers proceed to die at the mountain annually, with a number of fatalities already recorded in 2024.
10. Mont Blanc Massif (15,777 Ft)
The tallest mountain within the Alps has an extended historical past of mountaineering and mountaineering injuries. In 1786, its first summit by means of Jacques Balmat and Michel Paccard was once hailed as the beginning of recent climbing.
Nowadays, Mont Blanc is likely one of the maximum closely trafficked mountains on this planet, with about 20,000 other people summiting annually. But all of its routes contain excessive hazards corresponding to falling rocks and avalanches.
Throughout top season, rescue products and services were identified to moderate 12 missions in step with weekend. And it has the absolute best fatality price of any mountain in Europe, with estimates of 100 deaths in step with 12 months.
Nanga Parbat and Annapurna have each been known as “Killer Mountain” for his or her top loss of life tolls for climbers. Whilst Annapurna has lengthy held the report, there was the next selection of fresh deaths on Nanga Parbat, so it has retaken the mantle of “international’s deadliest mountain,” in keeping with ExplorersWeb.
Whilst Everest isn’t the deadliest mountain, it’s nonetheless very bad and continues to draw the absolute best selection of other people. For this reason, the mountain has masses of casualties, and lots of our bodies have remained on Everest for many years. As many as 200 our bodies might stay someplace at the mountain.
The absolute best unclimbed mountain on this planet is thought to be Gangkhar Puensum, a 24,840-foot mountain at the border of China and Bhutan. Consistent with Condé Nast, mountaineering mountains upper than 20,000 toes has been prohibited in Bhutan since 1994 as a result of mountains like Gangkhar Puensum are sacred.