The Tallest Mountains in the World
⏱ 8 min read
Mountains are some of the most dramatic and beautiful places on Earth. They rise up from the ground like giant stone waves, often capped in snow that never melts. But how do mountains get so big in the first place — and which ones are the tallest? Let's climb the world's highest peaks together (without leaving home).
How are mountains made?
The Earth's outer shell is broken up into giant pieces called tectonic plates. These plates are always slowly moving — only a few centimetres a year, but over millions of years that adds up to a lot. When two plates push against each other, the land between them gets crumpled and pushed up into mountains. That is exactly how the Himalayas were formed: India crashed into Asia, and is still pushing today, which means Mount Everest grows about 4 millimetres taller every year!
Other mountains form from volcanoes. When hot lava erupts and cools, it builds up layer by layer until eventually you have a tall volcanic mountain like Mount Fuji in Japan or Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Mount Everest — 8,849 metres
Mount Everest is the highest point on Earth. It sits on the border between Nepal and Tibet (China) in the mighty Himalayan mountain range. Climbing it takes about two months, and even highly trained mountaineers risk their lives because the air at the top has only one third of the oxygen we have at sea level.
Local people in Nepal, called Sherpas, often help climbers reach the top. Many Sherpas have climbed Everest more than 20 times.
K2 — 8,611 metres
K2 is the second-highest mountain in the world. It sits in the Karakoram range on the border of Pakistan and China. Even though it is shorter than Everest, K2 is much harder and more dangerous to climb because the weather is wilder and the cliffs steeper. Many climbers call it the 'Savage Mountain'.
Kangchenjunga — 8,586 metres
Kangchenjunga, the third-highest peak, lies on the border of Nepal and India. Its name means 'The Five Treasures of Snow', because the mountain has five separate peaks. Local people consider it sacred, and climbers traditionally stop just short of the very top out of respect.
The Seven Summits
The 'Seven Summits' are the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. Many adventurers dream of climbing all seven in their lifetime. They are:
• Asia — Mount Everest (8,849 m)
• South America — Aconcagua (6,961 m), in Argentina
• North America — Denali (6,190 m), in Alaska, USA
• Africa — Kilimanjaro (5,895 m), in Tanzania
• Europe — Mount Elbrus (5,642 m), in Russia
• Antarctica — Vinson Massif (4,892 m)
• Australia/Oceania — Puncak Jaya (4,884 m), in Indonesia (or Mount Kosciuszko at 2,228 m if you count only mainland Australia)
Why are tall mountains so cold?
Even at the equator, the very tops of tall mountains are covered in snow all year round. That is because the higher you go, the thinner the air gets, and thinner air holds less heat. As a rough rule, the temperature drops about 6.5°C for every 1,000 metres you climb. So at the top of Everest it is often -30°C even in summer.
Mountains and people
Around 1 in every 10 people on Earth lives in or near mountains. Mountain rivers feed fields and cities far below. Mountain forests are home to rare animals like snow leopards, mountain gorillas, and the Andean condor — the largest flying bird in the world.
Mountains remind us how powerful and patient our planet is. Bit by bit, over millions of years, the Earth pushes up these giants — and they will keep growing, slowly, for millions more.