The highest mountain is its height. The highest mountain in the world: history and interesting facts

Chomolungma, as it is called in China, Sagarmatha - so called in Nepal, and in the European part globe better known as Everest is the highest peak on earth.

The top of the mountain is located at 8848 m from sea level. Conquering Everest is the dream of every brave climber.

Mountain location and name

Geographically, Everest is located in the Himalayas (Mahalangur-Himal range), covering the regions of China and Nepal. Exact coordinates are: 27°59′17′′ N. w. 86°55′31′′ E. d.

The mountain has an interesting shape, resembling a triangular pyramid with a steep slope on the south side.

There is no snow cover here at all. On the northeast side, on the contrary, there is snow. This is one of the reasons why this peak is awarded such a name as Chomolungma, which on

In Tibetan it means “Holy Mother, white as snow.” The second reason is the legend according to which the mountain is named in memory of the goddess Bona Sherab Jhamma - a symbol of maternal love and energy.

The highest mountain in the world received its English name – Everest – in honor of its discoverer George Everest, the head of geodetic exploration of British India.

A climber's dream

Everest attracts a large number of tourists and climbers.

Everyone strives to climb the highest mountain of all continents. At the same time, it takes at least 2 months for the highest point on earth to be conquered by a climber.

This time is necessary for adaptation to the climate, setting up camps and the ascent itself.

Typically, during the lifting process, a person loses from 10 to 15 kg of body weight. The most favorable time to conquer the mountain is spring and autumn, since the monsoons subside during this period.

Today, climbing the Queen of the Mountains is possible through special organizations that have highly qualified instructors and guides on their staff.

They train, equip, protect and insure during the ascent. From year to year the number of climbs to the top of Everest increases. It is necessary to study the offers of various companies and choose the best one.

Climbing Features

The success of conquering a mountain peak is determined by weather conditions and equipment.

Such an expedition is a very difficult test. The process of getting used to the climate is of great importance.

Usually it takes about two weeks to climb to the base camp, located on the southern slope at 5364 m above sea level, then it takes about a month to adapt to the altitude, after which they begin to try to climb higher.

The last 300 m stretch is considered the most difficult to climb, which has even been called “the longest mile on Earth.” This is a steep slippery slope covered with fine snow.

Before climbing to the top of such a majestic mountain, it should be borne in mind that this is not an easy process, which can even end in death.

Such difficulties arise due to poor climate, very little oxygen in the air, cold temperatures reaching -60°, and given the strong gusts of wind, the human body perceives it as -100°-120°.

Such frosty temperatures, combined with high solar radiation, traumatize the human body. In addition, we should not forget about the highly probable avalanches, cliffs from slopes, and falls into crevices.

Currently, it is known that 7,646 climbers managed to reach the top of Everest, and 260 people died. Undoubtedly, Everest is the height that every climber dreams of conquering.

The process of formation of mountains on Earth lasts millions of years. They arise from collisions of huge tectonic plates that make up the earth's crust.

Today we will get acquainted with the highest mountains on 6 continents and see how they look against the backdrop of the highest mountain peaks in the world - the “eight thousand meters”, whose height above sea level exceeds 8,000 meters.

How many continents are there on Earth? Sometimes it is believed that Europe and Asia are 2 different continents, although they are one continent:

Before we start talking about the tallest mountains on the 6 continents, let's take a look at the overall chart of the tallest peaks on Earth.

"Eight-thousanders" is the common name for the 14 highest mountain peaks in the world, whose height above sea level exceeds 8,000 meters. They are all in Asia. Conquering all 14 “eight-thousanders” on the planet - conquering the “Crown of the Earth” - is a great achievement in high-altitude mountaineering. As of July 2012, only 30 climbers managed to do this. (Clickable, 2010×810 px):

North America - Mount McKinley, 6,194 m

This highest double-headed mountain North America, named after the 25th President of the United States. Located in Alaska.

Indigenous peoples called this peak “Denali,” which means “great,” and during the period of Russian colonization of Alaska it was simply called Big Mountain.

Mount McKinley as seen from Denali National Park:

The first ascent of the main summit of McKinley took place on June 7, 1913. There are 5 large glaciers on the slopes of the mountain.

South America - Mount Aconcagua, 6,962 m

This is the highest point of the American continent, South America, as well as the western and southern hemispheres. Belong to the longest mountain range world - Andam.

The mountain is located in Argentina and means "Stone Guardian" in the Quechua language. Aconcagua is the largest dormant volcano on our planet.

In mountaineering, Aconcagua is considered a technically easy mountain if you climb along the northern slope.

The first recorded ascent of the mountain was in 1897.

Europe – Mount Elbrus, 5,642 m

This stratovolcano in the Caucasus is the highest peak in Russia. Considering that the border between Europe and Asia is ambiguous, Elbrus is often also called the highest European mountain peak. (Clickable, 2500×663 px):

Elbrus is a two-headed volcano with a saddle. The Western peak has a height of 5,642 m, the Eastern peak - 5,621 m. Last eruption dates back to 50 AD...

In those days, the eruptions of Elbrus were probably reminiscent of the eruptions of modern Vesuvius, but were more powerful. From the craters of the volcano at the beginning of the eruption, powerful clouds of vapors and gases, saturated with black ash, rose many kilometers upward, covering the entire sky, turning day into night. The earth shook from powerful tremors.

Nowadays, both peaks of Elbrus are covered with eternal snow and ice. On the slopes of Elbrus, 23 glaciers diverge in different directions. The average speed of glacier movement is about 0.5 meters per day.

The first successful ascent to one of the peaks of Elbrus was made in 1829. The average annual death toll during climbing on Elbrus is 15-30 people. (Clickable, 1650×630 px):

Everest (Chomolungma) is the top of our world! The first highest eight-thousander and the highest mountain on Earth.

The mountain is located in the Himalayas in the Mahalangur Himal range, with the Southern peak (8760 m) lying on the border of Nepal, and the Northern (main) peak (8848 m) located in China.

Everest has the shape of a triangular pyramid. At the top of Chomolungma there are strong winds blowing at speeds of up to 200 km/h, and the air temperature at night drops to -60 Celsius.

The first ascent to the top of Everest took place in 1953. From the first ascent to the summit until 2011, more than 200 people died on the slopes of Everest. Now the climb to the top takes about 2 months - with acclimatization and setting up camps.

View from space:

Climbing Everest is not only extremely dangerous, but also expensive: the cost of climbing in specialized groups is up to 65 thousand US dollars, and the climbing permit alone, issued by the Nepalese government, costs 10 thousand dollars

Australia and Oceania - Mount Puncak Jaya, 4884 m

The most high peak Australia and Oceania, which is located on the island New Guinea. It is located on the Australian Plate and is the most high mountain in the world, located on an island.

The mountain was discovered in 1623 by Dutch explorer Jan Carstens, who saw a glacier on the top from afar. Therefore, the mountain is sometimes called the Carstens Pyramid.

The first ascent of Puncak Jaya took place only in 1962. The name of the mountain roughly translates from Indonesian as “Victory Peak.”

These are the most high mountains Antarctica. About existence mountain range became known only in 1957. Since the mountains were discovered by American aircraft, they were subsequently named Vinson Massif, in honor of the famous American politician Carl Vinson.

View of Vinson Massif from space:

It is the highest point in Africa, a huge dormant volcano with two well-defined peaks in northeastern Tanzania. The mountain has no documented eruptions, but local legends speak of volcanic activity 150-200 years ago.

The higher one is the peak of Kibo, an almost regular cone with powerful glaciation.

The name comes from the Swahili language and supposedly means "mountain that sparkles."

The snow cap that has covered the mountaintop for 11,000 years since the last Ice Age is rapidly melting. Over the past 100 years, the volume of snow and ice has decreased by more than 80%. It is believed that this is not caused by a change in temperature, but by a reduction in snowfall.

The highest peak in Africa was first conquered by German explorer Hans Meyer in 1889.

There are many high mountains in the world that climbers have managed to conquer. However highest mountain in the world remained unconquered for a long time.

We are, of course, talking about Everest or, as this mountain is also called, Chomolungma.

Only in 1953 did a person finally manage to set foot on its top. How these events happened and others Interesting Facts We will tell you about the highest mountains in this article.

The highest mountain in the world

The highest mountain in the world is Chomolungma (Everest). Its height is 8,848 m above sea level.

In this case, it is worth paying attention to the clarification “above sea level”, since if you measure the height of the mountain from the core, then the record will belong to the extinct volcano Chimborazo, in Ecuador.

Everyone knows that our planet has the shape of an ellipse. It follows from this that mountains located near the equator are higher than in other areas of the Earth.

Height from the center of the earth

In this regard, Chimborazo is located closer to the convex center of the Earth than any other mountains, including Everest.

The most difficult mountain for climbers

Considering all the above facts, the question inevitably arises: why is Everest the most popular mountain in the world, while Ecuadorian Chimborazo (6384 m) remains in the shadows?

This is largely due to the difficulties in climbing Chomolungma.

Let's imagine that we want to conquer both of these peaks.

Climbing Chomolungma

In order to climb Everest, you will first have to reach the base camp.

This part of the journey will take you about 10 days. After this, it will take another month and a half for acclimatization alone!

View of Everest from an airplane

Then you will have to climb directly to the top for about 9 more days. And this is the most difficult part of the path.

Climbing Chimborazo

Now let's imagine how long it will take to conquer Chimborazo.

When climbing, acclimatization will take you no more than 2 weeks, and the journey to the top will not exceed 2 days.

Chimborazo

From all that has been said, we can conclude that after Everest, climbing the Ecuadorian peak will seem like an evening walk to you.

"Above" and "below" sea level

So, Everest is the highest point on the planet above sea level.

However, speaking about the high mountain in the world, and taking into account some other factors, it is appropriate to recall one more grief.

If you measure the absolute height from the base to the top, then the tallest mountain would be Mauna Kea, located in Hawaii.

Mauna Kea

It may be difficult for some to understand what we are talking about, so let's sort out this confusion one by one.

Unlike Everest, most Mauna Kea mountains is located below the surface of the water.

Thus, if we measure the height from the base (underwater) to the top, it will be 10203 m, which is 1355 m higher than Chomolungma.

Everest and Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea is an extinct volcano that last erupted approximately 4,600 years ago. An interesting fact is that there are 13 telescopes on the top of this mountain.

This is explained by the fact that there is very low level humidity and clear skies. Thanks to this, astronomers can monitor celestial objects while studying outer space.

The highest mountains on each continent

Europe – Elbrus (5,642 m)
Africa – Kilimanjaro (5,895 m)
Asia – Everest (8,848 m)
South America– Aconcagua (6,962 m)
North America – McKinley (6,190 m)
Antarctica - Vinson Massif (4,892 m)
Australia – Kosciuszko (2,228 m)

Now let's go back to the highest mountain in the world - Chomolungma, and learn not only about it geographical features, but also how the man conquered her.

Chomolungma is located on the Mahalangur Himal range in the Himalayas. She takes so much large area that its base is located on the territory of Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Over the centuries, the mountain has attracted the attention of many people who wanted to be at its peak. As a result, hundreds of climbers who tried to conquer Chomolungma died.

Attempts to conquer Chomolungma

It is officially believed that Briton George Mallory was the first climber to attempt to climb the mountain. However, he and his partner failed to achieve their goal.

They died on one of the slopes of Chomolungma back in 1924. It is interesting that their bodies were discovered only in 1999. According to experts, they were only 200 m short of conquering the mountain peak.

After this expedition, many more daredevils tried to reach the peak of Everest, but they all either died or returned back, not daring to set foot on the most dangerous areas ways.

As mentioned earlier, climbing Mount Qomolungma is accompanied by many different difficulties:

High atmospheric rarefaction (lack of oxygen);
Low temperature (below -50°C);
Hurricane winds, as a result of which the human body feels frosts down to -120°C;
Solar radiation;
Frequent avalanches, steep slopes, falling into crevices.

First ascent of the highest mountain in the world

When did the first successful ascent of the highest mountain on earth take place?

And this happened a little more than half a century ago.

On May 29, 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary, together with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, were able to conquer Everest, as a result of which they became the first people to reach its summit.

It is worth noting that before setting off on the expedition, they carefully prepared for it.

The climbers took oxygen equipment with them and chose the most convenient route. Having reached an altitude of 8500 m, they set up a tent for the night.

The climbers woke up in the morning to find their boots covered in ice.

It took them about 2 hours to defrost their shoes and make the final push to conquer Everest.

A few hours later they were already at the top, where they spent about 15 minutes. During this time, the climbers took several photographs and planted a flag.

Having descended to earth, they immediately became real heroes. The entire world press wrote about their feat, wanting to know all the details of the expedition.

In subsequent years, Qomolangma was conquered by climbers from different countries. The first woman to reach its peak was Japanese Junko Tabei (1976).

Despite the fact that today hundreds of people continue to die on Everest, this mountain still arouses the greatest interest among extreme sports enthusiasts.

It is curious that Chomolungma was conquered in a variety of ways. They climbed it without oxygen masks, descended from its peak on skis and snowboards, and also competed in the time spent on its ascent.

View of the northern wall of Qomolangma from the path leading to base camp

An interesting fact is that the youngest person to visit the highest mountain in the world was a 13-year-old Indian girl, Purna Malavath, and the oldest person was 72-year-old American Bill Berg.

According to official data, more than 260 people died on the slopes of the mountain, and about 8,300 climbers have already conquered the peak of Chomolungma.

Who knows what other records will be set in the future, but it is safe to say that Everest will forever remain the most popular mountain in the world.

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Mount Everest, otherwise known as Qomolungma, is located on the border of Nepal and China. This mountain is the highest peak on earth, topping the list of the highest mountains in the world, with a height of 8848 meters above sea level. Climbing it is a real dream for many climbers, but it is also considered very dangerous, because... A large number of people died trying to climb this mountain.

What is the highest peak on earth

The highest peak in the world is a peak that is higher in relation to other mountains, and the height is measured from sea level. The last value means the position free surface The world's oceans, which is measured along a plumb line in relation to some conventional reference point. This position depends on a number of factors, for example, temperature, the law of gravity, the moment of rotation of the Earth, etc. It turns out that the largest mountain in the world is Everest.

What are the highest mountains in the world

Today there is a list of seven mountains, which includes the highest peaks of six parts of the world, with Europe and Asia considered separately from each other:

in Asia it is Chomolungma;
in South America - Aconcagua;
in North America - Denali (formerly McKinley);
in Africa - Kilimanjaro;
in Europe - Elbrus;
in Antarctica - Vinson Peak;
in Australia and Oceania - Jaya, and the last peak is located on the territory of the Indonesian part of New Guinea, although in Australia the highest is Mount Kosciuszko.

It should be added that the highest mountains in the world (TOP 100) are located in Asia, in mountain ranges Himalayas, Karakoram and other areas adjacent to them. Today there is even an informal association “Seven Peaks Club”, consisting of climbers who have conquered highest peaks seven continents. The ranking of the ten highest mountains (eight thousand meters) on the planet is as follows:

Chomolungma – 8848 m.
Chogori – 8611 m.
Kanchenjunga – 8586 m.
Lhotse – 8516 m.
Makalu – 8485 m.
Cho Oyu – 8188 m.
Dhaulagiri – 8167 m.
Manaslu – 8163 m.
Nangaparbat – 8126 m.
Annapurna I – 8091 m.

Highest point in Europe

The highest point of the continent is Mount Elbrus, which is located on Greater Caucasus between two subjects Russian Federation: Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia. It is a double-peaked saddle-shaped cone of a volcano: the western peak reaches a height of 5642 m and the eastern one – 5621 m. The last eruption took place around the 50s AD. This mountain peak is covered with glaciers with an area of 134.5 km2. The first documented ascent of this greatest peak in Europe dates back to 1829 - it was made by the expedition of General G.A. Emmanuel.

There are several options for conquering this peak, for example, it could be an ascent along the eastern route (ridge), starting from Elbrus (village) and passing through the Irikchat gorge, through a pass, a glacier, and so on until the beginning of the edge. The northern route allows you to see truly incredible beauty - hills give way to stones and rocks fancy shapes. The most popular is the ascent from the south, and the extreme one is from the west, because... Along the way there are powerful rock walls, difficult climbs and glaciers.

Highest peak in Africa

The most famous and famous mountain The African continent is the Kilimanjaro volcano - 5895 m. It is located in the northeast of Tanzania. It is noteworthy that the stratovolcano has an ice cap that is actively melting - over the last century the glacier has decreased by 80%. It consists of three main peaks. Hans Meyer managed to conquer this volcano for the first time in 1889. The climb to Kilimanjaro cannot be called technically difficult, but it is considered spectacular.

Highest point in North America

The highest peak on the northern American continent is Denali - a two-headed mountain, which until 2015 was called McKinley, and at the beginning of the century before last big mountain. Mount McKinley is located in south-central Alaska. The first to reach the summit were American climbers under the command of Hudson Beaker in 1913. The name Denali belongs to the indigenous people. local residents Alaska - Athabasca Indians. The mountain rises at an altitude of 6190 m above sea level.

Highest mountain in South America

In the list of seven peaks, Aconcagua is in second place in height - 6962 m. It is the highest mountain peak mainland South America. Aconcagua is located in the Andes Mountains in Argentina. It was first conquered in 1897 - the first documented ascent was made by an expedition led by Edward Fitzgerald.

The ascent to Aconcagua is considered technically simple if done along the northern slope. This large hill covered with snow and many glaciers. According to some sources, its name is translated from the Araucano language as “coming from the other side.” According to another version, it could come from the Quechua language and mean “white guard” or “stone guard.”

Highest peak in Antarctica

Vinson Peak reaches a height of 4892 m, located on the territory of the Ellsworth mountain range, 1200 km from the South Pole. The summit was discovered by US pilots in 1957. There were several attempts to climb, but Nicholas Clinch succeeded in climbing for the first time only in 1966. Vinson Massif has received quite a bit of attention from well-funded climbers over the past few years. The ascent itself does not involve many technical difficulties, but staying in Antarctica is a dangerous undertaking.

Australia's highest peak

Puncak Jaya or Carstens' Pyramid is the highest mountain in Australia and Oceania. It rises 4884 m above sea level. Puncak Jaya is located on the Maoke massif in the western part of the island of New Guinea. The name is translated from Indonesian as “victory”. The first ascent to the summit was made only in 1962, it was carried out by a group of Australian climbers, led by Heinrich Harrer.

The highest peak on earth

Most people know that the most high point The land is located in South Asia, or more precisely, in the central Himalayas on the border of China and Nepal. Many climbers died while conquering Everest. The fact that Chomolungma is the highest mountain on the planet was determined back in 1852 by the Indian topographer and mathematician Radhanat Sikdar. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay managed to conquer Chomolungma in 1953 through the South Col. Before this, about 50 expeditions were carried out to the Karakoram and Himalayas.

Climbing this peak is extremely difficult and often ends in the death of the climbers. This is due to bad climatic conditions the uppermost zone of the mountain: high rarefaction of the atmosphere, low temperatures down to -50-60 degrees, periodic hurricane winds, etc. In addition, other dangers await climbers, including:

the possibility of falling into terrain crevices;
cliff from steep slopes;
avalanches.

Everest height

The highest peak in the world reaches a height of 8848 m. It has the shape of a triangular pyramid, and southern slope is cooler. Glaciers flow from the massif in all directions, the border of which ends at an altitude of approximately 5 km. Today Everest belongs to national park Sagarmatha, located in Nepalese territory. The last 300 m are considered the most difficult section for climbing this peak. To successfully pass them, climbers need to overcome the very steep and smooth slope of Everest.

The power of nature frightens and delights at the same time. Evidence of her strength is found in the deep crevices and highest peaks of the planet. Everest is called the top of the world, and it really is. However, not everyone knows what the highest mountain in the world is. Yes, there are giants that exceed the size of the famous Chomolungma. But what they are and where they are - read on.

The largest and highest mountain on the planet is the shield volcano Mauna Kea. It is located on an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. Its size is shocking. If you put this natural colossus next to Everest, the latter will seem like a small hill.

For comparison: the height of Mauna Kea from the base to the top is 10,203 m, and Everest is 3550 m. Do you feel the difference?! So why is the Himalayan peak given the palm?

The thing is that Mauna Kea originates underwater, where most of the volcano is hidden. The peak of the mountain above sea level is at an altitude of 4205 m, while Chomolungma rises to 8848 m.

The Hawaiian giant is about a million years old. Active “youth” helped the volcano grow to such dimensions. From the moment of its birth, Mauna Kea erupted regularly for 500 thousand years, then activity began to decline. The volcano is now considered extinct. According to rough estimates, the last eruption occurred 4-6 thousand years ago.

Such an amount of volcanic rock concentrated at one point exerts enormous pressure on the earth's crust. Its total volume is about 3200 km3. It’s hard to imagine how much it weighs, but this mass is enough to push the Pacific Plate six kilometers.

"Mauna Kea" translates to ' White Mountain’. The indigenous people could not call it anything else, because it the only place on Hawaiian Islands where snow falls in winter. Local tribes consider the mountain sacred, and only leaders have the right to climb it. Unfortunately, and perhaps fortunately, this does not stop the Europeans.

On the one hand, in the lower part of the volcano, for the sake of the development of the sugar industry, the wild forests; on the other hand, the top of Mauna Kea is perfect place for space exploration. Since 1964, 13 observatories have been built here. The question of whether it was worth doing this, given the holiness of the mountain, still causes heated debate.

The highest mountains in the world: list

The dream of every climber is to conquer the main peaks of the world. There are seven in total on the list, one for each continent and region of the Earth. Let's talk briefly about each of them:

His Majesty is Everest.

Has several other names. In Tibet, the mountain is called Qomolungma (Divine Mother) or Jomo Gang Kar (Holy Mother, White as Snow). The Nepalese call the highest peak Sagarmatha.

This is one of the most violent places on the planet. Not everyone will be able to reach at least the base camp, which is located at an altitude of about 5,000 m. Let alone the summit.

The air temperature on the mountain in the warm season does not rise above zero degrees, and in winter it varies from -36 during the day to -60 degrees at night. Add to this the violent winds, the speed of which sometimes reaches 200 km/h, and you will understand that the slightest problem here can turn into a disaster.

In the off season, few people will challenge grief, because it is akin to suicide. Since its first ascent in 1953, Everest has claimed the lives of more than 250 people, whose bodies are still there. To pick them up, you need to equip an expedition, and this is very expensive. The fees for the lift alone reach up to 25 thousand dollars. No matter how cynical it may sound, many corpses serve as landmarks for climbers.

The second highest height in the world is Aconcagua.

Located in Argentina and part of the Andes - the longest mountain system in the world, stretching for 11,000 km. Translated from the Quechua language, “Aconcagua” means “Stone Guardian”. Looking at the mountain, you understand that it was not given this name in vain.

Massive and majestic, Aconcagua truly resembles a stone giant. The height of the mountain above sea level reaches 6961 m. Technically, it is not considered too difficult to conquer. The record for ascent and descent belongs to Karl Egloff: his time is 11 hours 52 minutes. Even children came up here. The youngest climber was only nine years old.

The weather is relatively mild. average temperature at the top - 20 degrees below zero, at night it is much colder. There is low humidity here, but strong winds will not allow a person to forget where he is.

Presidential Mount McKinley.

Located in Alaska, 210 km north of Anchorage. It occupies the third position in height above sea level - 6190 m. In fact, it is a huge granite block that came out of the ground as a result of tectonic activity. This happened about 60 million years ago.

The mountain was often renamed. It was originally called Denali, which means “great” in the Athabascan Indian language. When the Russians came to Alaska, the granite giant was simply called Big mountain. In 1896, when Alaska ceded to the United States, the mountain was named after President William McKinley. However, in 2015, the first name was returned to it.

Based on climbing statistics, this peak is not for everyone. Only 58% of attempts are successful. Since 1913, the mountain has claimed the lives of more than 100 people. Weather and lack of oxygen do not stop people, even if they have to walk alone in winter. This is what Loni Dupre did, who successfully climbed Denali and came down unharmed on January 11, 2015.

Kilimanjaro.

The highest point in Africa - 5892 m. It is located in Tanzania and is potentially active volcano. Presumably the last eruption took place 200 thousand years ago, but the lava did not go anywhere. It is located under the crater at a depth of 400 m.

Kilimanjaro has three peaks that are separate volcanoes:

Shira - 3962 m;
Mawenzi - 5149 m;
Kobo - 5892 m.

A distinctive feature of the mountain is the ice cap, which has not left the top for 11 thousand years, since the last ice age. However, over the last hundred years, due to deforestation and decreased rainfall, the glacier has shrunk by 80%.

One of the easiest peaks to climb. The first documented assault took place in 1889. It was accomplished by a group of climbers led by Hans Meyer. Trained climbers can climb to the top and descend back in 10 hours. For beginners, due to the need for acclimatization, this requires 5 days.

The highest mountain in Europe is Elbrus.

It belongs to the same type of mountains as Kilimanjaro - a stratovolcano. The last eruption occurred around 50 AD. e. It has a saddle shape with two peaks: eastern - 5621 m; western - 5642 m.

The mountain is shrouded in many glaciers with total area 134.5 km2. Melt water flowing down the slopes of Elbrus feeds several large rivers: Kuban, Baksan and Malku. The weather here changes from bad to good every 5–7 days. In summer it can be hot - 25–35 degrees, in winter at an altitude of 3,000 m the temperature drops to –12–20 degrees.

From a mountaineering point of view, Elbrus is not particularly difficult to climb, but there are several extreme routes. The peak was even stormed on a motorcycle in 1963 and a car in 1997.

Vinson Peak is the highest point on the sixth continent.

The mountain is part of the massif of the same name, which is located 1200 km from the South Pole and extends 21 km in length and 13 km in width. The highest point is at 4897 m above sea level.

American pilots discovered Vinson Peak in 1957, and 9 years later its peak was conquered by climber Nicholas Clinch. Despite the aggressive conditions of Antarctica, summer is relatively comfortable here. In the tents of the assault camp, the temperature is in the range of 0–10 degrees Celsius. During ascent, the thermometer often drops below thirty-five degrees.

Pyramid of Carstens, or Puncak Jaya.

Located on the island of New Guinea. Its peak is considered the highest point in Oceania and Australia - 4884 m, and according to some sources - 5030 meters. Jaya Peak was discovered by European explorer Jan Carstens in 1623.

Arriving in Holland, he spoke about the glacier he saw, for which he was ridiculed. Like, where does the glacier come from in the tropics?! However, they laughed at him in vain. What he saw was one of the highest mountains in the world.

Despite such an early discovery, the first ascent occurred only 339 years later. A group of climbers led by Heinrich Harrer stormed the mountain in 1962.

The highest mountain in Kazakhstan

On the border with Kyrgyzstan and China, on the Tien Shan ridge, the majestic and cold Khan Tengri rises. This is the highest point in Kazakhstan - 7010 m above sea level. The name of the mountain is Turkic and is translated as ‘Lord of the Heavens’.

Externally, Khan Tengri is a natural pyramid with regular edges. The top of the mountain is covered with a layer of ice 15 meters thick. In pagan times, people believed that the supreme God lived there, who ruled the whole world from there.

The first mentions of the mountain are found in the writings of ancient explorers and adventurers. As for modern study, it began in the middle of the 19th century, when the geographer P. Semenov made a detailed description of the mountain.

The first successful assault on Khan Tengri took place on September 11, 1931. The climbers from the Ukrainian expedition became heroes. It was led by Mikhail Pogrebetsky, Boris Tyurin and Franz Sauber. The athletes spent a long time and meticulously thinking through and working out the route of the ascent. As a result, it was decided to go along the southern and southwestern side of the mountain.

Khan Tengri is famous not only for its beauty, but also for its regular accidents. Every season the mountain takes several people. 2004 was especially dark. Then a Polish climber died during the ascent, and a month later an avalanche at an altitude of 5,000 m trapped a group of 50 people. While the rescue operation was underway, 11 climbers from Russia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic died.

The highest mountains in the world annually attract hundreds of daredevils who risk their lives for the indescribable feeling of unity with nature. They can be understood, because those who once climbed to the top want to repeat it again and again. Vysotsky also wrote: “The whole world is in the palm of your hand - you are happy and silent and only slightly envy those others whose peak is still ahead.”

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