Since Sir Edmund Hillary reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, thousands of climbers have been eager to repeat his feat. With the impressive title of “the tallest mountain in the world,” Everest has been visited by so many people that every year this Himalayan beauty gradually turns into literally a garbage dump.
Everest is the highest mountain in the world (∼ 8,848 m)
When we say which is the tallest mountain in the world, we usually think about the height above sea level. And if we take this parameter, then the height of the mountain (8849 meters above sea level) is beyond competition. Everest extends higher into the atmosphere than any other peak in the world.
However, the farthest point from the center of the Earth, and therefore the highest in terms of distance, is Chimborazo (6384 meters above sea level). It is a stratovolcano in Ecuador, which is part of the Andes mountain range.
The earth is not flat, it bulges out at the equator and flattens near the poles. This means that mountains near the equator are technically taller than other areas of the planet. And it so happened that Chimborazo is closer to the convex center of the Earth than Everest. It turns out that it is closer to the stars than the highest point of Mount Everest.
Hardest mountain for climbers
According to one report, Everest stretches 6382 meters from the center of the Earth. At the same time, Chimborazo stretches over a distance of 6384 meters. Although the difference in height between the two mountains is only 2 km, this is enough to transfer the title “highest mountain” to the Ecuadorian stratovolcano.
So why does Mount Everest continue to receive all the laurels, while Chimborazo remains relatively unnoticed? It all comes down to the difficulty of climbing.
If you are a climber and want to test yourself by conquering Everest, then the way to the base camp will take 10 days. It will take another six weeks to acclimatize, and then the summit will take nine days. On the other hand, acclimatization at Chimborazo takes about two weeks, and the way to the top takes about two days. Simply put, after Everest, climbing Chimborazo will seem like a walk in the park.
Above and below sea level
Mount Everest is the highest point above sea level, but if we are talking about sheer height from base to top, then the honor to be called the highest mountain belongs to "White Mountain" (Mauna Kea) on the island of Hawaii. Its height above sea level is 4,205 meters, but the mountain goes 5,998 meters down to the bottom vast Pacific... More than half of the mountain is submerged in water.
The total height of Mauna Kea is 10,203 meters. This is 1345 meters higher than the height of Everest.
Mauna Kea is actually an extinct volcano on the large island of Hawaii. It originated about a million years ago when the tectonic plate of the Pacific Ocean moved above a plume of liquid magma deep inside the Earth. Mauna Kea last erupted about 4,600 years ago.
The top of the mountain is a paradise for astronomers: It has low humidity, clear skies above it, and a great distance from any light pollution. That is, from the top of the volcano, perhaps the best view of celestial objects opens up. Currently, there are 13 telescopes at the peak of Mauna Kea.
It is important to note once again that Everest is the highest of the tallest mountains when measured from sea level. If you use this parameter, then Chimborazo cannot even count on the title of "highest peak in the Andes". This title belongs to Mount Aconcagua, which rises 6961 meters above sea level.
Highest mountains on every continent
- In Asia - Mount Everest (8,849 meters).
- In South America - Mount Aconcagua (6,961 meters).
- In North America - Mount McKinley (6,190 meters).
- In Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 meters).
- In Europe - Mount Elbrus (5 642 meters)
- In Antarctica - Vinson Massif (4,897 meters).
In Australia - Oceania - Mount Punchak Jaya (4,884 meters) in Oceania and Mount Kosciusko is the highest point on the Australian continent (2,228 meters).
Top 10 tallest mountains in the world
The problem with measurement is that it is often not clear where the dividing line lies between a mountain with several peaks and a single mountain. For this reason, it is best to use a measurement called topographic elevation (the height of a mountain peak above the bottom of the valley closest to the mountain). Considering first of all this criterion, and secondly the height above sea level, we have compiled a rating of the highest points of the Earth.
10. Elbrus
Topographic elevation - 4,741 m.
It rises above sea level by 5,642 m.
Mount Elbrus is an extinct volcano located in the western part of the Caucasus Range, in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, near the Russian-Georgian border. This is the highest peak in the Caucasus.
9. Jaya
The excess is 4 884 m.
Height - 4 884 m.
This mountain, located on the Australian plate on the island of New Guinea, was originally named after the discoverer - the Dutchman Jan Carstens. In 1965, it changed its name in honor of the Indonesian President Sukarno, and in 1969 it was renamed for the third time, in Jaya (in Indonesian for Victory), and this was stopped for now.
8. Vinson Massif
The excess is 4 892 m.
The height of the summit is 4 892 m.
Record holders of Antarctica and part of the Ellsworth Mountains, which rise above the Ronne Ice Shelf.
7. Orizaba
Elevation - 4 922 m
Altitude according to GPS data - 5636 m, according to INEGI data - 5611 m.
Stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and the third largest in North America. Orizaba last erupted in 1687, after which it "fell asleep" and does not wake up to this day.
6. Logan
Topographic elevation - 5 250 m
Height above sea level - 5 959 m.
The highest mountain in Canada and the second in North America, after McKinley. Due to the active tectonic uplift, Logan is still growing in height. Until 1992, the exact height of the mountain was unknown and was assumed to be in the range from 5,959 to 6,050 meters. In May 1992, a GSC expedition climbed Logan and established the current altitude of 5,959 meters using GPS.
5. Cristobal-Colon
Topographic elevation - 5 585 m.
Above sea level - 5 776 m
Highest point in Colombia. The Colombian peak of Simon Bolivar is almost equal to it in height. Together they are the two closest peaks of the country to the stars.
4. Kilimanjaro
Topographic elevation - 5,885 m.
Above sea level - 5,895 m.
Kilimanjaro, and its three volcanic cones (Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira), is a dormant volcanic mountain in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa. There is no documented evidence of the eruption of Kilimanjaro, but local legends say that the volcano was active 150-200 thousand years ago.
3. McKinley
Topographic elevation - 6,144 m
Height above sea level - 6,190 m
The two-headed Mount McKinley (aka Denali), located in Alaska, is the highest mountain peak in the United States and North America. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was called the Big Mountain and was the highest point of the Russian Empire.
2.Aconcagua
Topographic elevation - 6,962 m.
Above sea level - 6,962 m.
The highest mountain in the Americas. It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the Argentine province of Mendoza. In 2013, the youngest climber, nine-year-old American Tyler Armstrong, climbed the mountain. And last year, Aconcagua was conquered by the youngest mountaineer, 12-year-old Romanian Dor Geta Popescu.
1. Mount Everest (Chomolungma)
Topographic elevation - 8 848 m.
Height above sea level - 8 848 m.
The leader of the mountain charts was named after the English colonel, Sir George Everest, who was India's chief surveyor from 1830 to 1843. Mount Everest is also known by the Tibetan name Chomolungma (Mother Goddess of Life Energy) and the Nepalese name Sagarmatha (Forehead of Heaven).
Where is the tallest mountain in the world
Chomolungma is located in the Mahalangur-Himal mountain range in the Himalayas. Part of it lies on the border of Nepal and China, part on the territory of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Many human triumphs and tragedies have been associated with Everest. George Mallory (UK) was the first climber to attempt the Everest storm. In 1924, he died near the summit and his remains were found only in 1999, but the body of his partner in the ligament, Andrew Irwin, was not found.
Mount Everest has been the inspiration for many Guinness World Records, from the simple fact that it is the world's tallest peak to the world's highest (by venue) concert.
Despite being named "the highest peak on Earth," Everest is not the tallest mountain on the planet. That is, Everest has no equal in terms of altitude. But as for the height from the base to the top, then Mauna Kea in Hawaii, USA holds the palm. Its visible part is 4,205 meters, and everything else is under water. The total height of Mauna Kea reaches 10,203 meters.