Stacy Conradt
The Quick 14: The 14 Eight-Thousanders
by Stacy Conradt - June 2, 2008 - 2:21 PM

The Eight-Thousanders are the 14 mountains that are more than 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) above sea level. Suffice it to say I will never see the tops of any of these peaks in person.

The 14 Eight-Thousanders

1. Everest, China/Nepal – 8,848 m
2. K2, China/Pakistan – 8,611 m
3. Kanchenjunga, India/Nepal – 8,586 m
4. Lhotse, China/Nepal – 8,516 m
5. Makalu, China/Nepal – 8,463 m
6. Cho Oyu, China/Nepal – 8,201 m
7. Dhaulagiri, Nepal – 8,167 m
8. Manaslu, Nepal – 8,163 m
9. Nanga Parbat , Kashmir Pakistan – 8,125 m
10. Annapurna, Nepal – 8,091 m
11. Gasherbrum I, China/Pakistan – 8,068 m
12. Broad Peak, China/Pakistan – 8,047 m
13. Gasherbrum II, China/Pakistan – 8,035 m
14. Shishapangma, China – 8,027 m

In case you’re curious, Mount McKinley/Denali in Alaska is the highest point in the U.S. at 6,194 m.

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Comments (7)

  1. Why is K2 called K2? Does it stand for anything, perhaps two long and unpronounceable K words?

    posted by Ira on 6-2-2008 at 2:31 pm

  2. Typo Alert!

    The 10 Eight-Thousanders

    posted by adrienne on 6-2-2008 at 2:33 pm

  3. It’s the second peak of the Karakoram Range, thus K2. K1, K3, K4 and K5 also used to exist but ended up being renamed Masherbrum, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum II and Gasherbrum I respectively… the latter three are on the eight-thousander list.

    posted by Stacy Conradt on 6-2-2008 at 2:35 pm

  4. Huh. I thought that Kilimanjaro was one of the Eight Thousanders!

    K2 was the mountain Greg Mortenson was climbing when he became inspired to build girls’ schools in Pakistan. How’s that for a random fact? Yup. Three Cups of Tea, his autobiographical book, is excellent and I highly recommend it. :D

    posted by Allison on 6-2-2008 at 4:26 pm

  5. All in Asia, huh. That was a BIG crash when the Indian land mass hit the northern hemisphere!

    posted by Miss Cellania on 6-3-2008 at 7:11 am

  6. Does anyone have a problem with the fact that most of the borders say “China” when they should say “Tibet”? Numbers 1,4,5,6 and 14 would be more accurately placed in Tibet. I know this isn’t a political forum but if one of those mountains was in Taiwan we wouldn’t call it China.

    posted by Crispin on 6-3-2008 at 8:01 am

  7. I’ve climbed all 15 of these. Thanks.

    posted by Rufus T. Harlemberry on 6-3-2008 at 9:08 am

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