World's 10 Most Dangerous Mountains
January 22, 2008
Take it or leave it, this morbid article on the climbing world’s most dangerous mountains has a few interesting nuggets. Did you know that K2 is thought to have a curse against women? Or that Mt. Washington in New Hampshire is more dangerous, stats-wise, than Denali? Read on for the full scoop, a list of the World’s 10 Most Dangerous Mountains for Climbing. . .
#1. ANNAPURNA, Central Nepal (26,545 ft.)
On this mountain, the 10th highest in the world, about 130 climbers have summited the avalanche-prone peak, but 53 have died trying — making Annapurna’s fatality rate of 41% the highest in the world.
#2. NANGA PARBAT, Kashmir (26,657 ft.)
Known affectionately as the Man Eater, this craggy monster in Kashmir is an enormous ridge of rock and ice. The peak is the ninth highest in the world and its southern side features the tallest mountain face on the planet. Nanga Parbat claimed 31 lives before it was conquered by Austrian Herman Buhl in 1953.
#3. SIULA GRANDE, Peruvian Andes (20,814 ft.)
In 1985, the duo of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, whose journey was chronicled in the book and film Touching the Void, attempted the western face of Siula Grande: a sheer, vertical ascent that had never been completed. They made it to the summit but Simpson fell during the descent, breaking his leg. Then Yates, lowering the injured Simpson down by rope, lost sight of him over a cliff. After an hour passed, with his position slipping away, and Simpson unable to secure himself, Yates cut the rope. Incredibly, Simpson survived the 100 ft. fall into a crevasse. Over the next three days he subsisted on melted snow and hopped the five miles back to camp, arriving shortly before Yates, assuming Simpson had perished, was due to depart for home.
I think this is top ten famous mountains rather than most deadly. What statistical method was used to draw up this list. Most deaths, deaths per attempt, death per summit. The stat for Everest is baloney 9%? maybe back in the 80s but not since the days when 500 people summit a season.
Alluding to what Ian states, i am sure more people die in one season on the mt blanc Massif than a lifetime on Nanga Parbat
Quite a bogus story .
The deadliest peaks are not necessarily those physical peaks that can be climbed on this earth but instead the deadliest peaks are those that are climbed by overconfident or underexperienced. I suppose if you climb even the least of the rock you take the chance you will not survive. A mountain is nothing more than a mountain. All the more reason to keep climbing and hiking!
K2 is by far the most dangerous peak in the world. With the most unpredicatble weather and huge avalanches there is no mountain which comes close to K2. Only the most experienced and skilled climbers in the world have been able to reach the summit and come back to tell the story.
The reason Mt. Washington is on here is because of stupid people. Every year some numb nut tries to do it without the proper gear and gets killed when the weather shifts. I’ve seen people on that mountain so unprepared that I knew if they twisted an ankle they’d be dead before someone could reach them. The fact that it has an auto road and summit building makes it worse. Gives people a false sense of security.
The weather on Mt. Washington can suddenly turn from a sunny day to freezing with ice pelting you in 60mph winds. It’s pushed a lot of people to falls and being cut off from a safe return until it’s too late, even those properly equipped. The natives warned of the mountain, and those who “get it” have a lot of respect. It can kill you quick.
Not gonna lie, I agree with a lot of what is said about these top 10 (not Mt Wash though, its a friggin mommy/daddy/little joey tourist mark). However, whats with the math on #1? “…about 130 climbers have summited the avalanche-prone peak, but 53 have died trying — making Annapurna’s fatality rate of 41% the highest in the world.” If 130 have made it, and 53 other people have died trying, that means 183 people have tried, 130 were successful and 53 died. 53/183 = 29%
Clearly the main point of discussion here is the credibility of the article. Has anyone here climbed Mt. Washington? Probably not, it seems a lot of people are basing death on elevation and remoteness. The death toll for Mt. Washington is approximately 130+/- people in and around the mountain. No other mountain on this list has weather that comes close to winter conditions on Washington. Can you stroll up it on a sunny day at age 75…yes. Can you be experienced and die in 100 mph winds and avalanches…yes. That is just science. This last part goes out to “I know Math”. I’m glad your 4th grade reasoning skills helped you deduce your answer. If you knew anything about percentages in mountain climbing deaths, they are always based on the ratio of deaths to summits, that is where 41% comes from. You can’t deduce 29% from attempts, you have no clue how many people sat at Base camp or only got to 7,000 M, etc.
The toughest to climb doesn’t equal most dangerous. Most dangerous is most deaths OR highest percentage of deaths to attempts.
Mt. Washington is listed due to its high number of deaths but, as already mentioned, it takes a fair bit of foolishness to die there. Most of the recent deaths were due to heart attacks. These was a serious case of hypothermia a few years ago (permanent brain damage) but those boys hiked up without any layers in a cold rain.
Clearly only very few people have the ability to climb the first 5 peaks mentioned .so for jo average who can walk mont blonc (easy) if that person was to even attempt to climb say mount everist un aided would be guaranteed a certain death certificate , work it out for yourselves DUMMIES!!!
Nanga Parbat is much favoured by most climbers, but it were the Germans, who gave it the name, Murder Mountain. The explorer, Albert Frederick Mummery, was the first to venture on this mountain. Daunting and wild, bearing the onslaught of gnawing wind and torrential rain during the monsoons, Nanga Parbat is full of the dangers of the unknown. The Sherpas, localites of the Himalayan region call Nanga Parbat, “the maneater” or the ‘Mountain of the Devil’. No other peak has claimed lives with such sickening regularity and the list of tragedies is heart-wrenching. In the last century, roads have been built in the Karakoram range, but little else has changed in this region.
Yes, you have to be an idiot to die on Mt. Washington, but the fact that it’s just a few hours away from some of the largest population centers in the US provides an ample supply of idiots. Watch them starting out on any warm summer day. You’ll see people with nothing but shorts and T-shirts heading into an area which has the worst weather conditions that most city-dwellers will ever encounter. But off they go, in their shorts and T-shirts and sneakers, with no rain gear, no warm clothing, no nothing … in short, one twisted ankle and one storm away from becoming a statistic. And some of them do.
I think some people are not getting the boint here. Most deaths doesnt eqaul most dangerous. It may just mean it is more accessible than the others. Most dangerous would be the one that has the maximum ratio of deaths to attempts. That is why the himalyan mountains feature here although total no. of deaths might be greater for Mt.Blanc.
i agree with scot. i heard mount washington holds a race every year…try racing to summit on nanga parbat or k2 or any of the 8000 thsndrs lol…also take into account how many people dare to climb these mountains— compare the ratios between mount blanc mount wahington and any other of the asian 8 thousnaders a very few number of ppl dare to climb the asian big boys out of the total 150 53 died on Anapurna increase the scale to 500 and GOd knws how many more wud have been dead
Sure, Mount Washington is an anthill compared to the other peaks on this list. However, the combination of its accessibility and its tendency towards extreme and unpredictable weather conditions is deadly. I believe the current count is 136, most from hypothermia and falls. It sits at the convergence of three major weather systems in a range with a north-south orientation. “The world’s worst weather” is not an exaggeration- summit conditions in winter often exceed those at McMurdo station and winds are hurricane force more than one out of every 3 days. And speaking of wind, that new world record in Australia was during a tropical cyclone, whereas the wind on Washington was just… wind. And it’s not just dumb tourists who die there, experienced climbers do too (usually in winter or during spring skiing in Tuckerman).
For those of you saying mount blanc is the deadliest in the world. by the numbers it’s true yet it isnt as near as dangerous as any of the 8000s such as Annapurna, Nanga Parbat,ect. it has taken the lives of many inexperienced climbers, climbers that would almost certainly perish on the 8000m peaks. i would say alot of the people that summit Blanc still would have trouble with the others. but the numbers should at least put it over Mt. Washington…..cmon.
I summitted mt washington twice by diferrent routes and I have felt the violence of the weather on many new england summits survived a few white outs and let me say this. Mt washington is the everest of new hampshire climbers from our state call it the rock pile.Do not be stupid and go up not prepared this mountain can defeat the strongest climbers in the world so all you out of towners making these comments calling the mountain an anthill you have no idea what you are talking about.Here is the basic rule of mountaineering,Making it to the summit is optional getting down is manditory so when you come to climb our peaks come with respect for them disrespect them and go up not properly equipped and trained you will die here.In the winter the summit buildings are closed no escape if you get caught in a storm you will freeze to death I suggest you read the book,Not without peril if you want to find out how people died on mt washington
Mt Blanc should be up there but no one can deny the power of weather when it comes to mt washington.The reason why its so dangerous is that its small and not intimidating like a matterhorn or denali so people underestimate New England weather which kills easily. Not Without Peril is a great book. Mt Fuji really? they sell hot noodles at the top cant wait for that hehe.
Even when all the experts agree what the most dangerous mountain is in the world is doesn’t mean they are right. Mount Washington at 6,288 develops its conditions not because of its height but because of the company it keeps. THINK of whats around it and not what it is, its not who u r that makes u scary its whats behind you and all the mountains that surround it makes the weather around there as unpredictable as the dice at a craps table, every move on this mountain is a roll of the dice. Every step you take here can be a memory or your last……………..
K2 is deadliest mountain cause on it people die constantly, year after year, and there are lot of years when there has been sucessful summit. Annapurna has higher % but it is because of high number of deaths during first attempts to climb the mountain (same as Nanga Parbat).
All dimwits out here. Mt Washington or Blanc are dangerous to foolish light headed youngsters who think they can go without any proper precautions and make it to the top with ease. As some one said all of them will certainly perish halfway up the 8000ers. The peaks like Nanga parbat and K2 claims lives of extremely experienced mountaineers. You have to bear in mind you cannot even attempt them without getting a permission from the government. Half the people who try, never come back. Thats what makes it dangerous.
This list is about how many people have died on mountains. It has nothing to do with experience . I climbed mt Washington last year on oct 30 I am not an experienced climber but I was prepared physically and gear wise. After lionshead the winds picked up to 70 mph , we met near white out conditions after the alpine gardens the windchill was -17 at the top. None of the buildings were open. Many Himalayan climbers train on mt Washington in the winter because the weather conditions are similar. So even though it is relatively small compared to the Asian giants it still kills. And I didn’t see anything about intelligence level on this list. The way I see it most of the deaths on the higher peaks happened because of poor decision making.
I have climbed MT Washington in winter, It was listed as a good prerequisite to an Everest attempt as was Denali. All you pro climbers calling it an ant hill are most likely thinking of a summer stroll with calm winds and a good eye on the weather. Sure that can be fairly effortless, but to justify this list, try it in winter, be prepared or die.
I have CLIMBED MT. Washington several times in the winter and I don’t care who you are its hell. Try going up the Lion head route. NOT tuckerman’s ravine which is a walk up. Lion Head has a Free climb section that is comparable to The hillary step on Everest of course at much lower altitude . I have met many climbers training for Everest on this route . Thats whats funny about morons on here they are couch potatoes who have never climbed the mountain in winter or ever . The route is around 10 miles round trip 5 miles up 5 back . If you can summit this place in the Winter you will have a smile on your face. Just last week another climber died from a 800-ft fall. That was actually on the easier Ravine route. See you get punks on here who see that place and go 6k thats nothing then 5 mins into the climb and they are turning around. True story I was going up solo in the winter via the lion head route and a grown man / climber was being lowered CRYING ! past me. He was saying and I quote “ I didn’t know what to expect” Facing – 50 with 100 mph which is a normal day in the winter then come on here and talk! Many mountains like Rainer WHICH IS a walk up most routes your roped into other climbers even on Everest your clipped to a secure line. MW
your own your own you fall your history , trust me in the winter is a cold lonely place.
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What about Mount Blanc? I thought that was the No. 1 most dangerous peak in the world?