8,849metres · Mount Everest
Short answer: Mount Everest in the Himalayas, on the border of Nepal and China, is the highest mountain in the world at 8,849 metres. It is followed by K2 and Kangchenjunga.
A mountain’s height is measured from sea level. According to Britannica, Everest is 8,849 metres high, a figure China and Nepal established jointly in 2020.
The 5 highest mountains in the world
- Mount Everest (Nepal/China): 8,849 m
- K2 (Pakistan/China): 8,611 m
- Kangchenjunga (Nepal/India): 8,586 m
- Lhotse (Nepal/China): 8,516 m
- Makalu (Nepal/China): 8,485 m
All fourteen peaks over 8,000 metres are in the Himalaya and Karakoram ranges in Asia.
Climbing Mount Everest
Every year hundreds of climbers attempt the summit, usually in May when the weather is briefly stable. An ascent takes weeks, mainly to acclimatise to the thin air. For most travellers, the trek to Everest Base Camp on the Nepalese side is a more realistic goal.
Other records
- Mauna Kea (Hawaii): measured from its base on the ocean floor, this volcano is taller than Everest, but most of it is under water.
- Chimborazo (Ecuador): because the Earth bulges at the equator, Chimborazo’s summit is the point farthest from the Earth’s centre.
- K2: lower than Everest, but known as one of the hardest and most dangerous mountains to climb.
Read also about the highest mountain in Europe.
Final edit: Jan Willem Beumer, editor-in-chief of Mindbogglingmedia
