The most dangerous mountains in the world

The most dangerous mountains in the world

We take a look at the world's most dangerous mountains and what makes them so deadly

Whether it's the stories of survival that bleed from their treacherous slopes or the visions of bravery that gather in the mind, the world's most dangerous mountains continue to make headlines around the world.

These mountains hold a morbid fascination for mountaineers, climbing enthusiasts and news junkies. I am no different. My bookshelves, Kindle, and film collection are filled with mountaineering books and films and the tragic stories they chronicle.

It is this fascination that led me to investigate the world's most dangerous mountains and what makes them deadly.

The most dangerous mountains in the world

There is not a single empirical study about the most dangerous mountains in the world. So I relied on a combination of statistics and broader reputation. The list is therefore naturally subjective, but offers a reliable cross-section of the most dangerous mountains in the world.

These are not necessarily the highest, the most technical or the most remote. Sometimes it's just the opposite: convenience, negligence and overcrowding can lead to higher mortality rates on lower and less technical peaks.

From mighty 8,000-meter peaks to lesser-known hills, the world's most dangerous mountains come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it's the weather conditions, whether avalanches, squalls or surprise storms, that make a mountain truly treacherous.

1. Nanga Parbat

Altitude: 8,126 m (26,660 ft) Location: Pakistan Range: Himalayas

alt="most dangerous mountains in the world – Nanga-Parbat">DreamtimeNanga Parbat was once known as Killer Mountain

Don't let the beauty of this mountain fool you: Nanga Parbat is a notoriously difficult climb and was once known as the "Killer Mountain." Before 1990, Nanga Parbat had a staggering mortality rate of 77%, meaning summiteers were more likely to die than survive!

The mortality rate has since fallen, but it is still considered the third most dangerous 8,000-meter peak after Annapurna and K2. Until 2016, it had not been climbed in winter and continues to claim lives. Beguilingly surrounded by idyllic forests and glacial lakes, the deadly mountain rises with enormous vertical relief from the tranquil terrain around it.

2. Montblanc

Altitude: 4,808 m (15,777 ft) Location: France / Italy Range: Alps

alt=“the most dangerous mountains in the world mont blanc france”>DreamtimeMont Blanc has seen more deaths than any other mountain

Mont Blanc is probably the most dangerous mountain in the world. The mountain has claimed up to 8,000* lives to date, it has killed more people than any other mountain, and the deaths are increasing.

A comfortable and relatively untechnical mountain like Mont Blanc shouldn't be that dangerous. At least that's the logic behind 20,000 mountaineering tourists who seek the highest peak in Western Europe every year. At the height of the climbing season, 300 climbers attempt to reach the summit every day, leading to overcrowding and neglect, with up to 100 climbers dying on Mont Blanc each year.

*The 1994 book The High Mountains of the Alps claims there were between 6,000 and 8,000 deaths on Mont Blanc.

3. The Eiger

Altitude: 3,967m (13,015ft)Location: SwitzerlandArea: Alps

alt=“most dangerous mountains in the world – Eiger”>The infamous north face is one of the three large north faces of the Alps

The largest of the six great north faces of the Alps, the North Face of the Eiger (the Oger), like its counterparts, is known for its technical challenge as opposed to its height. At “only” 3,967 m (13,015 feet), it is not the height that has cost the lives of at least 64 mountaineers since the first successful ascent in 1938.

The infamous North Face, together with the North Faces of the Matterhorn and the Grandes Jorasses, forms the “Trilogy”, a subgroup of the six great North Faces that stands out from the others in that they are even more difficult and dangerous to conquer.

In recent years, with more and more ascents and record falls, the Eiger's threatening reputation has somewhat evaporated. But the legend of the Murder Wall still sends shivers down the spines of alpinists.

4. Baintha Brakk

Altitude: 7,285 m (23,901 ft) Location: Pakistan Range: Karakoram

alt="most dangerous mountains in the ogre world">Ben Tubby: CC BY 2.0The Ogre is famous for being one of the hardest peaks to climb

Baintha Brakk – also known as The Ogre – is famous for being one of the hardest peaks in the world to climb. Unheard of in modern mountaineering, 24 years passed between the first ascent of the mountain in 1977 and his second in 2001.

During this first ascent in 1977 by Doug Scott and Chris Bonington, Scott broke both legs, while Bonington broke two ribs and contracted pneumonia.

There were relatively few deaths on the mountain, but between the two successful expeditions there were countless injuries and over 20 unsuccessful attempts. Despite the comparatively low mortality rate, Baintha Brakk continues to claim lives when attempts are made and is therefore widely considered one of the most dangerous mountains in the world.

5. Kanchenjunga

Altitude: 8,586 m (28,169 ft) Location: Nepal / India Range: Himalayas

alt=“most dangerous mountains in the world Eight-thousander-Kangchenjunga”>DreamtimeSince the 1990s, around 22% of Kangchenjunga summiteers have died

Located on the India-Nepal border, Kangchenjunga is the highest mountain in India, the second highest in Nepal and the third highest in the world. Since the 1990s, about 22% of summiteers (about one in five) have died on Kangchenjunga, making it one of the most dangerous mountains in the world. At least 53 deaths have been recorded on Kangchenjunga, including five in 2013 and another three in 2014.

The Kangchenjunga area is a deeply remote region and has only recently opened up to tourism. The mountain itself is not very technical, but has only been climbed 283 times, making it the second least climbed eight-thousander after the dangerous and brutal Annapurna.

6. Matterhorn

Altitude: 4,478 m (14,692 ft) Location: Switzerland Range: Alps

alt="Most Dangerous Mountains in the World Matterhorn">DreamtimeThe Matterhorn is one of the most famous mountains in the world

The Matterhorn, another of the three great north faces of the Alps, is one of the most famous mountains in the world. The iconic pyramid peak, often credited with the birth of alpinism in the mid-19th century, is successfully climbed by thousands of climbers every year, with up to 150 attempting a climb daily in high season.

Over the years, the mountain has claimed over 500 lives, making it one of the deadliest mountains in the world in terms of death toll. It even has its own cemetery. The mountain has become safer in recent years; since the beginning of the 1990s, an average of five mountaineers have died on its slopes every year, compared to an average of eight the year before.

7. Cerro Torre

Altitude: 3,128 m (10,262 ft) Location: Argentina / Chile Range: Andes

alt="most dangerous mountains in the world Cerro Torre">DreamtimeCerro Torre rises vertically from the Patagonian ice field

The infamous Cerro Torre is not only incredibly dangerous, but also deeply controversial. The dispute began in 1959 when Cesare Maestri claimed he had successfully climbed the mountain. However, his partner Toni Egger fell to his death along with the camera, which proved that the climb was successful.

When every further expedition to Cerro Torre failed in the following years and claimed more lives, doubts arose about Maestri's summit. This began a long series of controversial events.

Regardless of the controversy, it is fair to say that Cerro Torre, a steep and sharp peak jutting vertically out of the Patagonian ice field and fortified with a dangerous layer of rime ice and fierce winds, is one of the most dangerous mountains in the world.

8. Mount Washington

Elevation: 1,916 m (6,288 feet) Location: New Hampshire, USA Range: Presidential Range

alt="most dangerous mountains in the world mt washington usa">DreamtimeMt. Washington wouldn't be considered much more than a hill anywhere else

Dubbed the world's most dangerous little mountain, Mt. Washington may be the highest peak in the northeastern United States, but nowhere else in the world would it be considered much more than a hill. However, it is a dangerous hill.

Since 1849, nearly 150 people have died on Mt. Washington. The mountain receives unusually high wind speeds for this part of the world and the difference between hiking in summer and winter is stark. Poor planning often leaves hikers ill-prepared for changes in the weather.

Nicholas Howe, author of Not Without Peril: 150 Years of Misadventure on the Presidential Range of New Hampshire, said people often don't appreciate "the difference in weather between Boston and the mountains."

9. Annapurna

Altitude: 8,091 m (26,545 ft) Location: Nepal Range: Himalayas

alt="Eight-thousand-meter-Annapurna">DreamtimeThe Annapurna massif is reserved for the best mountaineers

Annapurna is the tenth highest and one of the most dangerous mountains in the world. It is usually referred to as the most dangerous of the eight-thousanders because for a long time it had the highest death rate up to the summit and also the fewest total summits (in March 2012 there were 191 summits and 61 deaths). However, since 1990, Kangchenjunga has had a higher mortality rate.

In any case, Annarpurna I and the wider Annapurna massif is a very dangerous place to climb. The massif is typically reserved for only the very best mountaineers, with only a handful of privately guided expeditions ever taking place on the range.

10. Everest

Altitude: 8,848 m (29,029 ft) Location: Nepal / China Range: Himalayas

alt="the most dangerous mountains in the world everest">DreamtimeTo date, at least 297 people have died on Everest

Although Everest is the highest mountain on earth, it is by no means the most dangerous or technically challenging mountain to climb. But the sheer appeal of standing on top of the world causes people with summit fever to flock to the slopes of the mountain.

As more and more permits are issued to climb Everest each year (373 were issued in 2017 - the most ever), expect to see scenes like this line of conga climbers on Everest.

At least 297 people have died on Mount Everest since May 2018. It may not be the hardest, most challenging or most dangerous, but it is the highest mountain in the world. Until that changes, people will continue to climb and die on Everest, making it one of the most dangerous mountains in the world.

11. K2

Altitude: 8,611 m (28,251 ft) Location: Pakistan / China Range: Karakoram

alt=“Eight-thousander-k2″>DreamtimeK2 is known as the wild mountain

Just the mention of this legend makes your blood run cold. K2 is known as Savage Mountain due to the extremely difficult climb and the second highest death rate among 8,000-meter peaks.

With around 300 successful summits and 77 fatalities, approximately one in four climbers die on the slopes of this treacherous mountain. Like Annapurna, the mountain with the highest mortality rate, K2 was only recently climbed in winter.

So far this year, "only" two deaths have been reported - the first since 2014. However, over the decades the mountain has been the scene of several disasters, namely the K2 disaster of 1986, when five climbers died in a single event (13 during the season), the K2 disaster of 1995, when another six died (eight during the season), and most recently the K2 disaster of 2008, when an incredible 11 climbers lost their lives in a single event.

Against this background, it is certainly only a matter of time before the next disaster occurs on K2, one of the most dangerous mountains in the world.

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