Beginner Level:
Mount Siguniang Second Peak, Aotana, Yuzhu Peak, Qizhi Peak, Sandan Kangsang, Jiangsang Lhamo, Snow Dragon Top, Haba Snow Mountain
These peaks have low altitudes, gentle slopes, few ice crevasses, rarely experience avalanches, and offer high safety levels. They are most suitable for beginners, truly a paradise for novices.
Intermediate Level:
Mount Muztagh Ata, Snow Dragon Peak, Arjin Mountain Range, Queer Mountain, Tianguer Peak, Ningjin Kangsha
These peaks have considerable altitude, complex terrains such as ice crevasses, and sections involving rock climbing and ice climbing. They are best suited for warm-up training for those evolving from novices to advanced climbers.
Advanced Level:
Bogda Peak, Cho Oyu (2% fatality rate), Lhotse (6% fatality rate), Shishapangma (11% fatality rate), Makalu (12% fatality rate), Mount Everest (14% fatality rate)
With high altitudes, glacier rivers, ice crevasses, avalanches and other dangers, these are the first choices for strictly professional climbers.
Extreme Level:
Mount Siguniang First Peak, Manaslu (26% fatality rate), K2 (30% fatality rate), Nanga Parbat (32% fatality rate), Annapurna (51% fatality rate), Gongga Mountain (90% fatality rate), Cerro Torre (7 successful summits), Ogre (2 successful summits)
In this category, K2 is considered relatively easier. Many renowned mountaineers can be found here: Messner, Mike Fowler, Paul Ramsden, Jack Tackle, Jim Donini
Legendary Level:
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Meili Snow Mountain
These peaks seem to reject human intrusion and remain unclimbed virgin peaks to this day. Those who manage to summit them are generally “legendary level” climbers.

Challenging these mountains requires not only courage, physical strength, perseverance, and wisdom, but also good luck. This is one of the most dangerous games in the world. Those who take part are among the best mountaineers globally, needing exceptional physical fitness, endurance, and skill, while facing constant threats such as avalanches, ice crevasses, storms, falls, extreme cold, and oxygen deprivation. Pushing oneself and challenging limits is precisely the allure of mountaineering.
Alpine Style Climbing: As the name suggests, alpine-style climbing originated in the European Alps. Born in the European Alpine region in the 18th century, it later became a worldwide activity. Alpine-style climbing doesn’t have a strict definition, but it usually refers to climbing in high-altitude environments, with individuals or small teams of two or three, using lightweight gear and moving at fast speeds. Without relying on external supplies along the way, nor setting fixed ropes for repeated ascents and descents to adapt to altitude and resupply, they push straight for the summit and return safely. If the summit isn’t reached, they turn back.
Oxygen-Free Climbing: Climbing peaks over 8,000 meters without using supplemental oxygen is a new challenge and difficulty faced by mountaineers ascending the Himalayas. For many years, people believed that altitudes above 8,000 meters were a “death zone” or “biological exclusion zone” for humans and other flora and fauna — meaning, “humans and other living organisms cannot survive at such heights.” Therefore, deliberate and planned attempts to showcase the ultimate human endurance only began in the 1970s.
On May 1, 1973, a joint German, Swiss, and Austrian mixed-gender climbing team achieved the first ever oxygen-free ascent of an 8,000-meter peak. Four members (including the famous German female climber Hannelore Schmatz) successfully summited the 8,156-meter-tall Manaslu, the world’s seventh highest peak, without using supplemental oxygen throughout the entire climb.
On October 6, 1975, among the seven Yugoslav climbers who reached the 8,481-meter-high Makalu, climber Marjan Kuna also summited without using artificial oxygen from start to finish.
On May 8, 1978, 33-year-old Italian legendary climber Reinhold Messner and 35-year-old Austrian climber Peter Habeler, with astonishing courage and perseverance, completed the conquest of Mount Everest via the southern ridge from Nepal’s side, without using oxygen gear from beginning to end. Three months later, Messner also summited the 8,125-meter-tall ninth highest peak, Nanga Parbat, without oxygen. In the same year, three American climbers also successfully completed an oxygen-free ascent of the world’s second highest peak, K2 (8,611 meters), as planned. Also that year, three climbers from a joint German-French team summited Mount Everest completely without supplemental oxygen.
On August 20, 1980, Messner, with unbelievable courage, physical strength, and willpower, became the first person in history to successfully complete an oxygen-free solo ascent of Mount Everest from the north side. It was a miracle in the history of world mountaineering, the swan song bridging the 1970s and 1980s.
Regarding Climbing Difficulty: When we say which mountain is the hardest to climb, it usually refers to general cases. In reality, summit difficulty also depends on the chosen route. For example, there are currently 14 known routes to the summit of Everest. Except for the traditional two, all others are extremely difficult. Pioneering new routes often means even greater risk. Conquering any peak over 8,000 meters is very challenging.
Summit Fatality Rate: Fatality rate = number of deaths / number of summit successes. It’s easier to climb up than down — 80% of accidents occur during descent after reaching the summit.
1. Meili Snow Mountain
Located in the middle section of the Hengduan Mountains, about 10 kilometers northeast of Deqen County, Yunnan Province, between the Nujiang and Lancangjiang rivers, there are 13 peaks with an average altitude above 6,000 meters, known as the “Prince of the Thirteen Peaks.” The main peak, Kawagarbo, stands at 6,740 meters, making it the highest peak in Yunnan. In 1908, Frenchman Majie Davies first used the term “Meili Snow Mountain” in his book “Yunnan.”
The towering beauty of Kawagarbo and its sacred and lofty status in religion have attracted countless domestic and international tourists and mountaineers. However, every large-scale climbing attempt since the early 20th century has ended in failure. Therefore, Meili Snow Mountain remains an unclimbed virgin peak to this day.
Climbing Records

◆In 1902, a British mountaineering team failed in their first attempt to summit Kawagarbo, the main peak of Meili Snow Mountain.

◆From August to September 1987, the Japanese Joetsu Alpine Club abandoned their climb after consecutive avalanches. Route: Mingyong Glacier route; altitude reached: 5,100 meters.

◆In 1988, the American Krenge Mountaineering Team climbed via the Mingyong Glacier route, reaching an altitude of 4,350 meters.

◆From September to November 1989, the Sino-Japanese Meili Snow Mountain Joint Reconnaissance Team climbed via the Yubeng direction, reaching an altitude of 5,500 meters.

◆From November 1990 to January 1991, the Sino-Japanese Meili Snow Mountain Joint Mountaineering Team (second attempt). From January 1 to 3, 1991, heavy snow fell continuously on Meili Snow Mountain. Six Chinese team members and 11 Japanese team members waited at the 5,100-meter camp. The last communication between C3 camp and base camp was at 22:30 on January 3. Contact was lost on the morning of January 4, and 17 team members (17 in total) went missing.

Route: Yubeng direction; altitude reached: 6,470 meters (December 28).

◆From January 6 to 20, 1991, the Meili Snow Mountain Search Team. Four members of the China Mountaineering Association arrived at the base camp on January 9, six members of the Tibet Mountaineering Association arrived on January 16, and the Japanese rescue team arrived on January 20. Due to deep snow and frequent avalanches, the search was terminated on January 21 and the camp was evacuated. Altitude reached: 5,300-meter C2 camp.

◆From April 15 to June 6, 1991, the Sino-Japanese Meili Snow Mountain Joint Search Team (12 Japanese, 5 Chinese). Due to continuous snowfall and frequent avalanches, the search was forced to stop.

Route: Yubeng direction; altitude reached: 4,500 meters.

◆From October to December 1996, the Sino-Japanese Meili Snow Mountain Joint Mountaineering Team (third attempt). On December 2, Japan forecasted heavy snow on Meili Snow Mountain from the 4th to 6th, which was confirmed by both the Central Meteorological Observatory and the Yunnan Meteorological Observatory. To avoid a repeat of the 1991 tragedy, the team was forced to descend and evacuated on December 8.

Route: Yubeng direction; altitude reached: 5,300 meters.

To date, there have been nine attempts to climb Meili Snow Mountain over the past 15 years. Among them: four joint Sino-Japanese climbs, one solo Japanese climb, and four American climbs. Since 1996, the state has officially prohibited climbing Meili Snow Mountain.
    2. Gongga Mountain
    Located on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in the middle section of the Daxue Mountain Range of the Hengduan Mountains, between the Dadu River and the Yalong River. "Gongga Mountain" means "the highest snow mountain" in Tibetan. The mountain stretches approximately 60 kilometers from north to south and about 30 kilometers from east to west. Its main peak stands at an elevation of 7,556 meters, at 29°35'44"N latitude and 101°52'44"E longitude, situated among Kangding, Luding, Shimian, and Jiulong counties in Sichuan Province. At 7,556 meters, Gongga Mountain is the highest peak in Sichuan and is known as the "King of Shu Mountains." The area features numerous high peaks, thick ice, deep snow, and treacherous obstacles. It is one of China’s alpine regions with highly developed maritime glaciers and holds significant importance in mountaineering and scientific research. It is a world-renowned mountain beloved by mountaineers.
    Gongga Mountain has long drawn attention. For mountaineers, it is uniquely captivating, earning it the title "King of Mountains." As a high-altitude technical peak, it is far more challenging than Everest. In 1980, along with Everest and other seven peaks, it was opened to foreign mountaineering teams by the Chinese government, attracting many top-tier mountaineers worldwide—especially from Japan, as Gongga is regarded by the Japanese as their “father mountain” (with Fuji seen as the “mother mountain”). However, due to its extreme difficulty, Gongga has an extremely high fatality rate among those who attempt to summit it, leading mountaineers to call it a “compendium of mountaineering disasters.”
    Gongga Mountain is an internationally renowned destination for high-altitude exploration and mountaineering, yet it is also one of the most difficult ultra-high mountains to conquer, far harder to summit than Mount Everest. To date, only 24 people have successfully reached the summit, while 37 have died during the climb or afterward. The fatality rate far exceeds Everest’s 14% and K2’s 30%, second only to Meili Snow Mountain. Between 1981 and 1994, four Japanese mountaineering teams challenged Gongga Mountain, with 29 members attempting the climb, but only 10 returned. The other 19 brave climbers rest forever beneath this snow mountain.
1932 – The American Sichuan Expedition made the first ascent via the western slope and northwest ridge (traditional route), measuring the main peak at 7,589.5 meters.
1957 – Six members of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions Mountaineering Team summited via the traditional route. Three died in a fall during descent, and one perished in an avalanche.
1980 – An American team failed in attempts from both the southern and northern slopes; one member died in an avalanche.
1981 – A Japanese team climbed the northeast ridge, reaching 7,450 meters; seven died in an avalanche.
1982 – A Japanese team failed on the northeast ridge, reaching 7,500 meters; one died. Two Americans summited via the traditional route.
1983 – A Swiss team summited via the western slope and northwest ridge; three reached the top, one died in a fall during descent.
1984 – Three Germans, including Heinz Zembsch, summited via the western slope and northwest ridge.
1985 – A Hong Kong team failed on the northwest ridge.
1989 – A French team failed on the northwest ridge.
1990 – A Japanese team failed on the northwest ridge.
1991 – A Japanese team failed on the northeast ridge; an American team failed on the western slope and northwest wall, reaching 5,464 meters.
1994 – A Japanese team failed on the northeast ridge; four died.
1997 – Two members of the Japanese Sapporo Team summited via the western slope and northwest ridge, achieving the first spring ascent.
1998 – A South Korean team, including Kim Jae-myong and three others, made the first ascent via the northeast ridge route; one died.
In 2001, two people from Germany reached the summit;
In 2002, a French team of two ascended via the west ridge after turning at the northwest ridge;
3. Annapurna I (Summit fatality rate 50.5%)
Annapurna I, standing at 8,091 meters above sea level, with geographic coordinates of 83.83°E longitude and 28.56°N latitude, is the tenth highest mountain in the world. It is the main peak of the Annapurna massif, located in the northwest of Nepal, situated in the central Himalayas, in a very remote area.
Annapurna I was the first 8,000-meter peak to be summited, but this does not mean it is an easy climb—in fact, quite the opposite. Due to frequent avalanches, it is regarded by all climbers as one of the most difficult and treacherous peaks in the world. For 20 years after its first successful ascent in 1950, no one else managed to reach the summit again. The fatality rate on Annapurna I also ranks among the highest of all 8,000-meter peaks: as of 2000, 106 people had reached the top, but 54 never made it back down alive.
Climbing History
On June 3, 1950, Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal of the French climbing team reached the summit for the first time (via the north face route), marking the first time humans had climbed an 8,000-meter peak.
In 1970, Chris Bonington led a team that successfully reached the summit for the first time via the south face route.
In October 1978, two American female mountaineers, Irene Miller and Vira Komarkova, reached the summit via the north face route.
In 1985, Italian Reinhold Messner pioneered a new route via the northwest face to summit Annapurna I.
In 1993, the “Chinese Tibet 14 Peaks Over 8,000 Meters Expedition Team” reached the summit of the peak.
On April 29, 1999, Spaniard Juanito Oiarzabal summited Annapurna I, completing his climb of all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters in 13 years. He became the sixth person in the world to achieve this feat and the third to do so without supplemental oxygen. Even more remarkably, after this accomplishment, he continued climbing. By the end of 2004, he had summited 22 peaks over 8,000 meters.
On May 16, 2002, Spanish climber Alberto Inurrategi successfully summited Annapurna I, completing his climb of all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters in 10 years. He became the tenth person in the world to achieve this feat and the fourth to do so without supplemental oxygen.
On May 16, 2005, American climber Ed Viesturs summited Annapurna I, completing his climb of all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters in 13 years. He became the twelfth person in the world to achieve this feat and the fifth to do so without supplemental oxygen. He was also a survivor of the 1996 Everest tragedy on May 10 of that year. Prior to this successful Annapurna I climb, he had failed twice on the mountain. In short, he is a symbol of perseverance and determination in mountaineering. He has now announced his retirement.
4. Nanga Parbat (Summit fatality rate 32.3%)
At 8,126 meters, it is the ninth highest peak in the world. It is the westernmost 8,000-meter peak in the Himalayas, located in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Nanga Parbat means "Naked Mountain," but it is also known locally as the "King of Mountains." It was once thought to be the easiest of the 8,000-meter peaks to climb, but this perception was quickly disproven—before its first successful ascent in 1953, 31 people had already lost their lives on it. The region around Nanga Parbat is affected not only by Indian monsoon air currents but also surrounded by rivers such as the Indus. The microclimate of the high mountains is extremely complex and harsh; the mountain features a complicated terrain with alternating rock, deep snow, and hard ice, and avalanches occur frequently. Its fatality rate after a successful summit reaches 32%, the second highest among the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 meters, which is why climbers call it the "Killer Giant."
There are several routes to the summit of Nanga Parbat, among which the Rupal Face route is extremely difficult and is known as "the highest rock wall in the world." To date, only Messner has strictly and fully climbed this route to the summit.
Climbing History:
On July 3, 1953, Austrian climber Hermann Buhl successfully summited Nanga Parbat alone, but this achievement came at an extremely heavy cost: 11 climbing team members and 15 porters lost their lives.
In 1970, Italian Reinhold Messner opened a new route via the Rupal Face to summit Nanga Parbat.
In 1978, Reinhold Messner once again summited the peak via the Diamir Wall, marking the first time a person had solo-climbed and summited an 8,000-meter peak.
On September 1, 1996, Polish climber Krzysztof Wielicki summited Nanga Parbat, completing his climb of all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters in 16 years. He became the fifth person in the world to accomplish this feat.
In 1997, the “Chinese Tibet 14 Peaks Over 8,000 Meters Expedition Team” summited the peak.
5. K2 (Summit fatality rate 25.9%)
At 8,611 meters, it is the main peak of the Karakoram Range and the second highest peak in the world, also known internationally as K2. K2 is located at 76.5°E longitude and 35.9°N latitude, situated in the middle section of the Karakoram Mountains. The Chinese side lies within Yecheng County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
K2 Climbing Milestones
1902 – First Attempt
In 1902, a six-member European climbing team led by British climber Eckenstein attempted to climb K2. They only reached an altitude of 6,528 meters.
1954 – The Magnificent and Arduous First Ascent
From 1902 to 1953, six climbing teams from Italy, the United States, and other countries attempted to climb K2 along the southeast ridge from the Pakistani side but all failed.
In 1954, Italians returned to K2. This expedition set a dual objective: not only to summit K2 but also to carry out a comprehensive series of scientific research in geography, geology, and botany. It marked the first time humans reached the summit of K2.
1975 – Questionable attempt reaching 8,400m via the northwest ridge
1979 – First exploration of the Devil’s Route ended in failure
Reached 8,400m but descended due to severe weather. During this expedition, Jean-Marc Boivin used a paraglider to descend from Camp IV at 7,600m to base camp, setting a world record.
1981 – The never-give-up spirit on the West Ridge. In the end, three people summited.
1982 – The North Ridge: fortune mixed with misfortune
Japanese climbers reached the summit on August 14, followed by over four more Japanese summiting the next day along the same route. These Japanese climbers summited without supplemental oxygen and camped during descent. Tragically, Yukihiko Yazawa had neither a sleeping bag nor a life jacket; he fell to his death after camping.
1986 – An extraordinary year for K2 climbs
The following year, 1986, is well documented. Nine expeditions to K2 were approved that year, with some choosing the original routes and others diverting to traditional ones due to difficulties. Two Americans, Alan Pennington and John Snorri, died in an avalanche on June 21, but two weeks later six people summited. Wanda Rutkiewicz became the first woman to summit, followed by Liliane Barrard, who summited with her husband but died during descent. On July 5, 1986, eight people summited via the traditional route, including Benoît Chamoux, who set a record by summiting in just 23 hours. Voytek Kurtyka summited for the second time. To date, Kurtyka holds the record for the most K2 summits. The mountains honored these successful climbers, making them legends.
1986 – Astonishing successful summits
On July 8, 1986, Jerzy Kukuczka and Tadeusz Piotrowski achieved an astonishing and successful summit via the South Face.
    Climbing under a shadow
After the Polish team’s climb, Italian climber Renato Casarotto fell into a crevasse and died during descent from the Devil’s Route. The death toll on the mountain rose from 12 to 18, and the grim count continued in 1986. On August 3, Polish climbers Dobrosielski, Wroz and Slovak climber Bezeg completed the climb via the Devil’s Route, but subsequent disasters overshadowed their success. Wroz fell to his death during descent via the traditional route, while the other two survived and crowded into already packed Camp IV. On August 4, the two Poles and three Koreans continued descending as Paul Metzler, Dębski, Turisz, Różyczka, and Wolf headed for the summit. Wroz was too exhausted to continue but refused to descend with the Poles, choosing to wait for his teammates. Of those six, only Wolf summited, while Dębski and Turisz were forced to camp at Camp IV after surviving a fall during descent. A five-day blizzard trapped the seven at the camp, during which Turisz died.
    By August 10, the team realized staying longer would be fatal. Five climbers began descending during a brief break in the storm, leaving Różyczka behind at Camp IV due to confusion. During descent, Metzler and Wroz died near Camp IV, and Wolf fell from the rope. Only frostbitten Paul and Dębski reached base camp. Controversy and debate over this tragedy persist (see Dębski’s account in *K2 – No Limits*).
A perplexing climb
If the Polish attempt via the Devil’s Route was overshadowed by tragedy, then Tom Seyferth’s alleged solo climb along the Southeast-South Ridge was even more baffling. On August 4, Seyferth reached the ridge via the Southeast-South Ridge but summited before descending to the Abruzzi Spur, and didn’t reach Camp IV either. The climb was controversial because Seyferth claimed to have found a new route—yet it had already been climbed by Scott’s team in 1983. While skeptics questioned him, it was possible no one saw his descent along the original route, and some eventually accepted his claim (but why take unpredictable risks on a known route?).
A long-awaited new breakthrough
Over the next four years, there were no further major breakthroughs but plenty of failures. A Swiss-Polish joint team failed on the West Face, two teams failed on the East Face, and a Polish team failed on the original route (in winter). Then in 1990, a Japanese team opened a new route on the north side—the West Face–North Ridge route.
In 1993, 16 people summited. Briton Brent Bishop, Frenchman Jean-Marc Boivin, and American Dan Muse achieved a remarkable feat on the West Ridge route: a direct push from the high camp to the summit and back in just 32 hours.
A terrifying and bloody tragedy
1995 saw numerous fatalities. There were some successful climbs in July, but on the evening of August 13, six climbers summited and confirmed it via radio. As they descended, a fierce windstorm struck the summit, sending five to their deaths. That same year, a German commercial expedition failed on the North Ridge.
Climbers turned away
In 1998 and 1999, K2 rejected every trekker who made the arduous journey via the Baltoro Glacier. Although Hans Kammerlander was ambitious in 1999, attempting to ski down after summiting via the Basque Route, he only reached 8,400m and vowed to return.
    6. Manaslu (25.8% fatality rate on summit)
    Manaslu, standing at 8,156m with coordinates 84.56°E, 28.54°N, is the eighth highest peak in the world. Located in Nepal within the central Himalayas, it lies 30 miles west of Annapurna.
    The climbing season for Manaslu is April to May or September to October. It is extremely challenging to climb, and to date, there are six established summit routes, with the South Face route being one of the hardest in mountaineering history. As of 2003, 240 people had successfully summited Manaslu, while 52 had died, making it the fourth deadliest 8,000m peak after Annapurna, Nanga Parbat, and K2.
    Climbing history:
On May 9, 1956, four people — two members of a Japanese expedition and two Nepali guides — made the first ascent of Manaslu via the north slope.
On May 9, 1971, a Japanese team opened a new route via the northwest slope to reach the summit.
On April 10, 1972, a Korean team encountered an avalanche while climbing the northeast slope of Manaslu, resulting in the deaths of all 16 team members.
On April 25, 1972, Australians successfully climbed Manaslu via a new route on the southwest slope.
In 1974, a Japanese all-female mountaineering team reached the summit of the peak, becoming the first women's team to successfully climb it.
From April to May 1996, the "China Tibet 14 Peaks Over 8,000m Expedition" climbed Manaslu and succeeded.
On May 12, 1996, Mexican mountaineer Carlos Carsolio summited the peak, completing his ascent of all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters in 10 years. He was the fourth climber in the world to achieve this feat. He advocated for the "Alpine style," which involves forming a very small climbing team of only 2 to 4 people and climbing without fixed ropes.