1 Mountains
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World's top 10 deadliest mountains: The summits most likely to kill you
10. Broad Peak (Pakistan/China)
Data from mountain climbing site 8000ers.com has put the world's mountain peaks in stark reality - not everyone who climbs always comes back.
Coming in at number 10 is Broad Peak in Pakistan, having recorded 19 deaths from almost 360 attempt
9. Everest (China/Nepal)
The infamous Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, and one of the most climbed. But despite its popularity, Everest is still remarkably dangerous: At last count 8000ers.com had recorded 210 deaths from more than 3600 attempts on the summit.
8. Gasherbrum 1 (Pakistan)
Also known as "K5", Gasherbrum 1 has claimed 25 lives from 265 total ascents
7. Makalu (Nepal)
Another of the peaks in the Himalayas, Makalu is the fifth highest mountain in the world and the seventh deadliest.
From 234 ascents 26 people have died.
6. Dhaulagiri I (Nepal)
Part of the Himalayas, the treacherous ascent of Dhaulagiri I has claimed 58 lives from more than 350 attempts.
5. Manaslu (Nepal)
The peak of Manalsu in Nepal is the fifth most dangerous in the world, having claimed an astonishing 53 lives from 297 attempts.
4. Kangchenjunga (India)
The third highest mountain in the world, Kangchenjunga rises more than 8.5 kilometres above sea level. More than 40 climbers have died from 209 total ascents
3. Nanga Parbat (Pakistan)
The ninth highest mountain in the world, Nanga Parbat has claimed 64 lives from an astonishingly low 287 attempts. It is the third most dangerous mountain in the entire world.
2. K2 (Pakistan)
The second highest mountain in the world, and the second deadliest: falling just 500 metres short of Everest is K2. It's widely been described as one of the hardest to climb.
A total of 66 people have died from 284 attempts.
K2 is known as the Savage Mountain after climber George Bell said "It's a savage mountain that tries to kill you" after an expedition in the 1950s.
1. Annapurna I (Nepal)
The deadliest mountain in the world is a specific ascent of Annapurna, another peak in the Himalayas. The route is so deadly because of an extremely steep face.
Astonishingly, 58 people have died from just 158 attempts. It has the greatest fatality rate of any ascent in the world.
In October 2014 at least 43 people died in snowstorms and subsequent avalanches.
It was Nepal's deadliest trekking disaster.
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The Most Beautiful, Otherworldly Places Across the Himalayan Mountains
Spanning from Pakistan in the west to Bhutan in the east, the mighty Himalayan range includes the highest mountains in the world, diverse cultures, and otherworldly landscapes.
The Himalayan mountain range contains many of the highest mountains in the world, but aside from a handful of very popular trekking trails—including Nepal's Everest Base Camp trek—they remain remote, hidden, and quite inaccessible. Spanning from Pakistan in the west to Bhutan in the east and stretching through parts of India, Nepal, and Tibet, the Himalayan chain encompasses sub-ranges such as the Karakoram and Zanskar ranges, themselves containing formidable mountains. Even more "accessible" and frequently visited parts of the Himalaya, such as Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh in India, or the aforementioned Everest region of Nepal, take quite some effort and time to reach from the major cities of their respective countries, let alone other parts of the world.
The Himalaya is inhabited by Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and other minority religions of various cultures and traditions, and the landscapes aren't anything near uniform, either: India's Ladakh and Nepal's Mustang are dry, barren, and windy, while the valleys of Bhutan and Kathmandu are lush and green, with high rainfall. One could spend a lifetime traveling just the Himalayas and still barely scratch the surface. But, if you don't have that long, here are 12 of the most beautiful, otherworldly places in the Himalayan Mountains.
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Upper Dolpo
WHERE: Nepal
The remote Upper Dolpo region of western Nepal, in the rainshadow of the Himalayas, is said to be a beyul. In Tibetan Buddhism, a beyul is a natural place of extreme beauty that's used as a religious retreat by monks, ascetics, or other people seeking a greater connection to the world by removing themselves from distractions. They were places where Guru Rinpoche (also called Padmasambhava)—an important figure who introduced Buddhism to Tibet—spent time. According to Tibetan Buddhist knowledge, there are 108 beyul, only some of which are known or have been discovered. They're both mythical and actual real places, found across the Himalayas.
Dolpo is a real, accessible beyul, although it takes a bit of effort to get there from other parts of Nepal (and an expensive permit). Trekkers to Upper Dolpo need to take their own food and tents due to lack of infrastructure and supplies.
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Barun Valley
WHERE: Nepal
The Barun Valley sits within the Makalu Barun National Park in eastern Nepal, at the foot of Mt. Makalu, the fifth-highest mountain in the world (27,824 feet). It contains a great variety of flora and fauna, as a huge range of climate and ecosystems are found within the valley, including the endangered red panda. Although the Barun Valley is not far from the Khumbu Valley, where Everest is, it gets far fewer visitors, so the trekking trails are relatively quiet and much less developed. Visitors can admire awesome views of Everest without having to jostle for space on crowded trails.
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Lo Manthang
WHERE: Upper Mustang, Nepal
On the southern edge of the Tibetan Plateau and separated from the rest of Nepal to the south by the Himalayan range, the walled city of Lo Manthang sits at 12,500 feet. It was founded in 1380 and was once on the main Nepal-to-Tibet trade route. Lo Manthang remained the capital of the independent Kingdom of Lo until 2008 when it officially merged with Nepal.
Now, the small walled town is home to a few hundred permanent residents, although many migrate south across the Himalaya for the harsh winter. Lo Manthang is the endpoint for many treks through Upper Mustang, a remote area that is easier to visit than it used to be due to the availability of flights from Pokhara to Jomsom, and the development of Jeep tracks. Visiting does, however, still require an expensive permit.
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Monasteries of the Ladakh Valley
WHERE: India
Once a western Tibetan kingdom, Ladakh is now a Buddhist-majority union territory in northwest India. Major trade routes between India, Kashmir, and Central Asia passed through Ladakh for centuries. It's at a very high altitude—the capital, Leh, is at 11,562 feet—and can only be reached on a flight from Delhi or long and arduous road journeys from Manali (Himachal Pradesh) or Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir).
Ladakh is culturally and geographically Tibetan, with the local people speaking Ladakhi, a dialect of Tibetan, and following Tibetan Buddhism. The territory of Ladakh contains several valleys, but the Ladakh Valley is the most accessible. Numerous Tibetan Buddhist monasteries throughout the valley are dramatic, and each offers a slightly different experience. Alchi Monastery contains well-preserved murals, Hemis Monastery hosts a flamboyant annual summer festival, the stepped tiers of Thikse Monastery resemble Lhasa's Potala Palace, hilltop Matho Monastery affords dramatic views across the valley and to other monasteries in the distance, and that's only the start.
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Malana Valley
WHERE: Himachal Pradesh, India
A steep valley branching off from the broader Parvati Valley, which itself branches off from the Kullu Valley, Malana was totally isolated until the construction of a dam and a road a few years ago. Getting there still requires a steep climb from the road's head, or a longer three-day camping trek from Naggar, near Manali.
Malana's culture is dramatically different from elsewhere in Himachal Pradesh. The inhabitants believe they are descended from the armies of Alexander the Great, and they speak a Sino-Tibetan language called Kanashi that is very different from the Hindi spoken elsewhere in the state. They also practice an extreme form of untouchability, the Hindu caste-based practice. Outsiders who visit the village, whether from India or elsewhere, are considered ritually impure and are forbidden from touching anything in the village, or are slapped with a fine.
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Gurudongmar Lake
WHERE: Sikkim, India
The Himalayas aren't just about the pointy mountain vistas–there are a number of incredible high-altitude lakes, too. Gurudongmar Lake, in the north-eastern Indian state of Sikkim, is one of the highest lakes in India, at 17,800 feet, on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Like many other places across the Himalayas, it's associated with Guru Rinpoche, who visited the lake many centuries ago. It's a glacier-fed lake and feeds into streams that connect with major South Asian rivers. It's holy to Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs, so the lake sees a steady stream of pilgrims, although it's totally frozen in winter.
Gurudongmar Lake is located in northern Sikkim, just a few miles from the border with Tibet. This is a militarily sensitive area, and while Indian travelers may visit more freely, international tourists require a special permit.
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Valley of the Flowers
WHERE: Uttarakhand, India
Just the name of the Valley of the Flowers National Park should be enough to pique the excitement of any flora-loving traveler. The high-altitude valley in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, in the Zanskar Range of the Himalayas, is famous for its huge variety of Alpine wildflowers. Orchids, poppies, primulas, marigolds, daisies, and anemones blanket the valley floor from May to September, including some species that are endemic to the area and relatively new to science.
The Valley of the Flowers is also rich in animal life, and various bears, deer, birds, and even elusive snow leopards live here. It's a popular hiking destination, too, and connects with the Nanda Devi National Park. It's important to keep in mind, however, that the best time to see the flowers is when the weather is wet, which will be July and August. The monsoon season doesn't provide the best trekking conditions.
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Yarlung Tsangpo Gorge
WHERE: Tibet
The Yarlung Tsangpo Gorge in south-eastern Tibet is the world's deepest gorge. The river of the same name originates in western Tibet, from the holy Mt. Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, and becomes the Brahmaputra River as it flows through India and Bangladesh. The gorge is about 150 miles long, and it contains a huge range in climate and a large variety of animal and plant life, which has not been extensively studied because of the inaccessibility of the gorge. It's difficult for non-Chinese travelers to visit, although some foreign kayaking expeditions have explored the extremely challenging river, with varying success (and several deaths).
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Mt. Kailash
WHERE: Tibet
In south-western Tibet, bordering Nepal, Mt. Kailash (21,778 feet) is more than just a mountain; it's sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and followers of the Tibetan Bon religion. The mountain, and Lakes Mansarovar and Rakshastal beneath it, are also the origin of four major South Asian rivers: the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra, and Karnali. Needless to say, it's a major pilgrimage destination, despite the challenge of trekking here. Pilgrims (and other trekkers, too, if they wish) circumambulate the mountain. Hindus and Buddhists go around it clockwise, as is done with other Buddhist sites in the Himalayan region (from Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu to mani stone walls in the Everest region), while Jains and Bonpos go the other way. The circuit around the mountain is 32 miles long.
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Phobjikha Valley
WHERE: Bhutan
The large Phobjikha Valley in central Bhutan sits at a high 9,800-feet altitude and is revered for both its ecological and cultural value. It contains some of Bhutan's most impressive monasteries that are best representative of the small country's architectural style, including Khumbu Lhakang. The Phobjikha Valley is also special because it's here that the country's protected black-necked cranes migrate for the winter. They arrive at the end of October, circling about the Gangteng Monastery, which hosts the Black-Necked Crane Festival annually in November in honor of the birds and their national importance.
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Swat Valley
WHERE: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
While Pakistan is a predominantly Muslim nation in present times, the Himalayan areas were a major center of early Buddhism, and remnants of this culture and history remain. Buddhist carvings, statues, and stupas can be found at archeological sites and in museums in the Swat Valley. The Swat Valley is surrounded by the Himalayan chain as well as the Hindu Kush, a western extension of the Himalaya. Although political instability has plagued the Swat Valley in recent decades, it has long been a favorite tourist destination among local Pakistanis, and was dubbed the Switzerland of the East by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II when she visited in the 1960s.
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Skardu
WHERE: Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Skardu District is where K2, the second-highest mountain in the world (28,251 feet) is located, and this attracts many mountaineers to the area. The Baltoro Muztagh, a sub-range of the Karakoram Mountains, which are a western extension of the Great Himalaya, houses several other peaks above 25,500 feet, too. Bordering India's Ladakh to the southeast and China's Xinjiang Province to the east and northeast, the landscape and culture of Skardu are quite like those of its neighbors, and the people of Skardu mostly speak Balti, a language related to Tibetan. The Deosai National Park is on the Deosai Plain that, at an average elevation of 13,500 feet, is second in height only to the Tibetan Plateau
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The 7 Most Enchanting Trekking Trails Across India
From magnificent mountain ranges to arid deserts, rivers and waterfalls to forests and grasslands, India has a varied and spectacular landscape.
The country also has numerous terrains for trekking, all leading to jaw-dropping scenery and beauty. While trekking in the Himalayas is most favoured among the enthusiasts because it offers majestic views of the mountains, there is no shortage of mind-blowing sceneries in the rest of the country.
From picturesque pathways leading to old forts to short treks and hilltop temples, here are some of the most beautiful hiking trails in India that offer the best possible experience.
1. Chandratal Lake Trek
It is an arduous journey to reach Chandratal Lake, but the scenery it offers is worth the effort. A near 30 kilometre lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Manali, Himachal Pradesh, Chandratal is reckoned as the most charismatic lake situated in the laps of the Himalayas.
This captivating lake is perched on the Samudra Tapu plateau which lies close to Chandra river. Situated at an altitude of 4300 meters, Chandratal offers the most splendid views of the Spiti region.The lake is crescent-shaped, and that is how it got its name. The lake glitters like a turquoise pendant against the cold-barren mountains. It is surrounded by the expansive grassy land that was apparently a glacier in ancient times.
If you are planning your next adventure, then Chandratal Lake should be on top of your list. The road to the lake takes you through treacherous trails of Batal which will set your adrenaline pumping
2. Nanda Devi East Base Camp Trek
The Nanda Devi is one of the most gigantic and gorgeous peaks in India. Located in Uttarakhand, It also has the distinction of being the 2nd highest peak in India.
The trek is approached through the Rishi Ganga gorge, one of the deepest in the world. The region is adjacent to Nanda Devi National Park which is the most spectacular wilderness in the Himalayas.The journey to the summit starts from Munsiyari that offers excellent views of the Panchachuli peaks and then passes through the Ramganga and Saryu valleys. Munsiyari is a small beautiful hamlet with a scenic array of waterfalls and home to the Johari Tribe, who are famed for their ayurvedic medicines and woollen shawls.
If luck is on your side, you might even sight the elusive Snow Leopard or the Himalayan musk deer. Careful, folks.
3. Rajmachi Fort Trek
While the Himalayas offers the best landscape, Rajmachi Fort holds its own when offering splendid views. Once a seat of Maratha's power in the Sahyadri Hills, Rajmachi Fort is located in present-day Maharashtra and is one of the state's most visited hiking trails. While the twin forts of Rajmachi make it a great destination for history buffs, the region is more famous for its breathtaking natural beauty. The trail is visited by trekkers, nature lovers and campers in large numbers and is particularly beautiful in the monsoon months of June to August when the entire trail is covered in fresh greenery and a multitude of temporary waterfalls.
4. Tarsar Marsar Trek
There is a reason why Kashmir is often called one of the most beautiful places on earth, and Tarsar Marsar epitomises that fact. Being one of the prettiest treks in India, Tarsar Marsar offers magnificence only matched by a few.
The trek takes you from one lake to the other, from Tarsar to Marsar, and then to Sundarsar. You also get to camp beside two of these stunning lakes. Tarsar Marsar is located around 20 km to the east of Kolahoi Mountain in Pahalgam, Anantnag. Marsar Lake is in the neighbouring area of Dachigam national park. The exquisite Tarsar Marsar lake location and the incredibly pretty landscape of the area are the two things that have made people crazy about this trek. Trekking in the Himalayas is one of the best experiences, but the Kashmiri Himalayas have probably the grandest landscapes with scenic beauty that can only be compared with the Swiss and Austrian Alps.
5. Zanskar Frozen River Trek
The Zanskar frozen river trek in Ladakh is one of the most challenging treks in India. During summer, the Zanskar River is a swift-flowing river, but during the winter months, the river freezes down. It serves as the only passage to the main valley, as heavy snowfall cuts off the entire region from the rest of the world.
Though the risk involved is immense, it doesn't stop thousands of trekkers from undertaking one of the country's thrilling adventures. The adventure is unlike any other as one gets to experience the beautiful frozen river, whirling through deep passages with snow-clad peaks all around.Popularly known as 'Chadar Trek' due to the formation of a thick blanket of ice on the Zanskar River, this trek is very difficult to complete. It is tricky at times when snow thickets drift away from beneath the feet and the only way to complete the route during such a situation is to climb through the snowy rocks and boulders beside the river.This trek is one of the most challenging treks and takes around 8-9 days to cover a total distance of about 105 kilometres.
6. Kudremukh Trek
Situated in the middle of the Western Ghats, rolling green hills and misty valleys are what defines the lovely Kudremukh Trek — perhaps one of the greenest in India.
The beautifully preserved trails are lined with grassy meadows, deep forests, bamboo shrubs, abundant mosses and exotic flowers. The Kudremukh trek starts from Mullodi village in Karnataka's Chikmagalur district. The trek is around 20 to 22 kilometres long and is described as moderately difficult, so there's no need to be an experienced hiker to enjoy its unique beauty. It also only takes 1.5 to 2 days to complete and is ideal for those looking for a weekend trek in South India.
7. Rupin Pass Trek
Rupin Pass is a high altitude pass across the Himalaya mountain range in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. It lies on the traditional shepherd and hiking route which starts from Dhaula in Uttarakhand and ends in Sangla in Himachal Pradesh. The path itself is located across uninhabited areas in the Himalayan ranges at an elevation of 15,250 ft. above sea level.Rupin Pass gets intense snowfall and an unpredictable climate could be a hurdle for trekking. But the complete journey promises stunning scenic views and open meadows and big rivers. This Pass acts as a bridge between two states as it starts in Uttarakhand and ends in Himachal Pradesh and it takes about 6 days to reach this location.
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REVIEW: Mount Assiniboine—The Story
It's not the highest mountain in Canada; topping out at 3,618 metres, it ranks only ninth. But is may well be the most beautiful mountain in the country, largely because of its distinct, near-symmetrical, pyramidal shape. That shape inevitably led to comparisons with the Matterhorn and so Mount Assiniboine was dubbed the "Matterhorn of the Rockies."
Remote, even for the largely unexplored wilderness of the Canadian Rockies, the first verifiable sighting of the mountain came in 1883 when George Dawson, a geologist mapping for the Geological Survey of Canada saw it from atop nearby Copper Mountain. Legend has it he named it in honour of the Assiniboine tribe because, "... the peak with its plume of snow and cloud resembled a teepee with smoke coming out of the vent at the top." Three years later, Dawson's map of the area was the first to officially show Mount Assiniboine.
While there is evidence to conclude the first non-indigenous person to, "... have passed within viewing distance..." of the mountain was likely Sir George Simpson, Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, when he was making his epic trek across Canada in 1841, and, of course, there was physical evidence of indigenous presence near the base of the mountain, such is the importance of written history.
All this is revealed in Chic Scott's wonderful new work, Mount Assiniboine — The Story. In a sweeping, presentation-style book, Scott weaves more than 100,000 words and 382 photos — many never widely seen — through 325 pages that describe the "discovery", exploration, conquest, development and popularity of Mount Assiniboine.
Epic in scope, the book was something Scott had mused about for over a decade, having discussed the notion with Barb Renner who, with husband Sepp, operated Mount Assiniboine Lodge for 27 years between 1983 and 2010 and whose photos appear generously throughout the stories of the Lodge's growth period.
But it was conversations with Barb's son, Andre — who grew up at the Lodge with his two sisters and who now operates it on the back side of a 20-year lease from BC Parks with partners, Claude Duchesne and his wife Annick Blouin — that set the stage for Scott's deep dive into the mountain's history. With personal history, Scott, who set out to climb the mountain in 1965 but was turned back by weather and 'settled' for spending a week with local legend Lizzie Rummel, and finally was able to make the first winter ascent of Assiniboine two years later, found himself with a clear calendar and the chance to write a book he'd longed wanted to write.
It seems apropos Andre, Claude and Scott put their heads together three years ago and got this project off the ground. Since the beginning, the story of Mount Assiniboine has been a family affair. Since the early years of Arthur Oliver (A.O.) Wheeler, who was the Commissioner for British Columbia in 1913 when the province, Alberta and the federal government decided to survey and set the boundary between the two western provinces, the mountain's story has been one of family, if not nuclear than certainly extended.
Wheeler, who in 1906 founded the Alpine Club of Canada, was an Irish immigrant whose life was inexorably tied to the Rockies and Mount Assiniboine. It was through his efforts the BC government created Mount Assiniboine Park in 1922. The exploits of Wheeler and his 'family', his team of surveyors, his Alpine Club cohorts, his Walking and Riding Tours of the area, planted the seed for everything that followed.
Scott's tireless research puts readers there, throughout the mapping and development of what would be named, in 1984, a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its, "exceptional and universal value..."
In researching the book, Scott uncovered an historical anomaly. While it was always thought the Lodge dated to 1928, it turned out it had been built a year earlier by the Canadian Pacific Railroad, whose efforts to bring tourists west on its rails spurred much of the interest and development in the Rockies. So anxious was the CPR to give reasons for people to travel west, they built the lodge prior to securing a lease from the government to do so.
It was delving into the records of another Mount Assiniboine pioneer, Erling Strom, a Norwegian who, along with the Marquis degli Albizzi, brought skiing to Assiniboine in 1928, discovering the Lodge already standing.
Strom stayed for half a century and ran the Lodge like it was his own. It was a rich 50 years with a cast of characters from cowboys — Chuck Millar, Charlie Hunter, Al Johnston — who led guests and ferried supplies to the Lodge by horseback, to pilot Al Gaetz who first utilized a plane's horsepower for the job, to an Austrian who would go on to leave his mark on the development of mountain recreation in BC: Hans Gmoser.
The Renners succeeded Strom, raised their three children at the Lodge, made endless improvements and had endless battles with the bureaucrats in Victoria who considered Mount Assiniboine's attractions neither fish nor foul since it was situated in BC but largely accessible from Alberta, which meant it was Albertans and Alberta companies who derived the lion's share of revenue from tourists anxious to visit the area.
The Lodge's history is brought up to date with Andre, Claude and Annick who, after much effort finally were awarded a 20-year lease from the government in 2010 and a commitment to rebuild the Lodge to more modern standards.
It's a storied history of a remarkable part of a remarkable province that, until the advent of airplane and helicopter access was a three-day trek, a two-day horse ride or an unknowable ski-in given weather best described as capricious — for example, the log from 1933's summer operation reads, "Last storm of winter '33 occurred July 19. First snowstorm of '34 on August 2."
Richly filled with remarkable photographs, it's a book that will have pride of place in the library of anyone with a love of mountains. And there's only one place you can get it — directly from the Lodge.
