Learn About the World’s Tallest Mountains
International Mountain Day
Happy International Mountain Day everyone! Mountains provide us with some of the most fascinating views, ecosystems, and travel destinations. There are so many different mountains around the world, so let's explore a few of them and what makes them unique!
Let’s look at some of the tallest mountains in the world!
Mauna Kea
Did you think that Mt. Everest was the highest mountain?
Well, not if you measure below the sea level! Mauna Kea is located in Hawaii in the United States and is officially the tallest mountain! It stands over 32,000ft tall and is actually over 3,000ft taller than Mt. Everest, though most of its surface does fall below sea level. Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano that erupted over 4,000 years ago! Because of the high altitude, dry environment, and stable airflow, it is the perfect spot for astronomical observation!
Mt. Everest
While Mt. Everest may not officially be the tallest mountain in the world, it is the highest mountain above sea level and the most famous! Mt. Everest is over 29,000ft tall and is located in Nepal and China.
The mountain is over 60 million years old and was formed by the Indian tectonic plate pushing up against the Asian plate! The summit of the mountain is covered with snow all year long!
K2
This is the next tallest mountain in the world at over 28,000ft and is located in Pakistan and China. K2 is part of the Karakoram range and the name came from the first survey of the mountain range.
At the time, the surveyors gave each mountain a simple label of “K” followed by a number! The mountain is commonly called “Savage Mountain” however because of how difficult it is to climb, even considered harder than Mt. Everest!
Kangchenjunga
Here is another mountain located in Asia! It stands over 28,000ft tall and is located in Nepal and India. The name Kangchenjunga translates to “Five Treasures of Snow” referring to the five peaks of the mountain.
An expedition in 1955 had all the members stop a few yards short of the summit because of local religious beliefs that the summit was sacred. Since that climb, every climber has followed the tradition to stop before the summit to honor the sacred belief. Kangchenjunga became a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2016.
Lhotse
This mountain is almost 28,000ft tall and can be found in Nepal and China. This mountain is actually connected to Mt. Everest by a ridge called South Col. The Lhotse base camp is located on a moving glacier at 5,200 meters from sea level. The first successful summit of the South Face was only as recently as 1984!
Here are some fun facts about Mountains!
Mountains make up about one-fifth of the world's landscape, and provide homes to at least one-tenth of the world's people.
The tallest known mountain in the solar system is Olympus Mons, located on Mars.
There are mountains under the surface of the sea!
Mountains occur more often in oceans than on land; some islands are the peaks of mountains coming out of the water.
About 80 percent of our planet's freshwater originates in the mountains.
All mountain ecosystems have one major characteristic in common - rapid changes in altitude, climate, soil, and vegetation over very short distances.
Plants that may be found on mountains include conifers, oak, chestnut, maple, junipers, stonecrops, campions, mosses, ferns and climbers.
In some mountainous areas the rivers are permanently frozen. These are called glaciers!
Do you feel like taking a hike now?! Visit our hiking blog for more information on what to pack for your hikes and some of the best national parks to visit in the United States!
Which is your favourite mountain? Let us know!