MOUNTAINS CALLING
Since 1953, when Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hilary first scaled the Everest, high-altitude peaks have been the ultimate test of human endurance. Stunning snow-capped peaks appear to conceal many secrets waiting to be heard – rightfully attracting thousands of adrenaline junkies and adventure enthusiasts. Here, we list out some mighty peaks that have attracted and trapped human enthusiasm.
K2 (8,611 m):
Second only to the Everest, K2 has been rightly named the Savage Mountain due to its testing terrain and lethal altitude. Aside the stunning views of China and Pakistan that can be witnessed from the peak, K2 has claimed several lives – one for every four who summit the peak.
ACONCAGUA IN ANDES (6,960 m):
Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside Asia, located in western Argentina near the Chile border. The peak also marks the highest point of the Southern hemisphere. Due to its relatively higher toll of mortality, it has been named the ‘Mountain of Death’.
MOUNT KILIMANJARO (5,895 m):
Though far below the might Himalayas, this is the highest mountain in Africa, located in Northeast Tanzania, near the Kenya border. Scientists predict that all ice on the mountain may disappear within the next 20 years.
MONT BLANC (4,808 m):
Fondly called the ‘White Mountain’, Mont Blanc is the highest peak in mainland Europe. Attracting several thousand tourists across the year for its enchanting beauty, Mont Blanc is also known to throw up sudden wretched avalanches that have claimed many lives and injured several more.
MOUNT RAINIER, (4,392 m):
Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located 54 miles southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc.
MOUNT KOSCIUSZKO (2,228 m):
This is the highest mountain in Australia, located between Melbourne and Sydney in the Australian Alps. Despite being lower in altitude, the summit provides stunning views of valleys with sparse vegetation.