The highest Mountain Peaks of the world are found in the Southern and Central Asian region. Most of them are located in the Himalaya and Karakoram Mountain ranges. There are fourteen mountain peaks on the mother earth which have the elevation of more than 8,000 meters. We have added separate articles for each of the 14 highest Mountain peaks in our website. You can browse for them in the “Natural Wonders” or “Places” categories.

A Mountain Peak is a solid mass which is normally steeper in its shape and which has an upward dimension covering a specific area of the land. They are made of rocks and other earth materials. The taller mountains of the world live in the colder parts of the world and their tops remain snow covered through out the year. The other chatacteristics of the mountain are their elevation, volume, relief, steepness, spacing and continuity.  Some of the Mountain Peaks are so high that the plantation hardly grow on their higher elevations. Normally, the most of the mountains are not found fit for the human inhabitation due to their harsher climate so they are naturally preserved. However, they are threatened being used for logging, mining and grazing.

Following are some images of the lovely mountain peaks of the lovely planet ;

1- Khunyang Chhish: Second-highest mountain in the Hispar Muztagh ( Karakoram ) Pakistan 7823m. Ranking 21st in the world and 8th in Pakistan.

Khunyang Chhish Mountain Peak in Pakistan ( Image : M Atif Saeed )

 2- Ngadi Chuli : Also known as ”Peak 29″ is a high peak in the Mansiri Himal which is also called as the Gurkha Massif, in Nepal

Ngadi Chuli : Also known as "Peak 29" 2nd from the Left ( Image : Randomix )

 3- Gasherbrum IV: Gasherbrum IV is the 17th highest mountain on Earth and the 6th highest in Pakistan (7932m).

Gasherbrum IV in Pakistan ( Image by: TARIQ HAMEED SULEMANI )

 4- Masherbrum or K1:  Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan at 7,821 metres. The 22nd highest mountain in the world and the 9th highest in Pakistan.

Masherbrum (also known as K1) is located in the Gilgit Baltistan of Pakistan. Image : Mountain Photography

 5- Gyachung Kang : A Fearsome Peak which lies on the border between China and Nepal (  Fifteenth highest peak in the world at 7,952m – Himalaya

Gyachung Kang Peak on China Nepal Border ( Image : by Arjayempee )

 6- Annapurna II : The World’s 16th highest Mountain Peak in Nepal

Annapurna II Mountain Peak in Nepal ( Image: by "peteris e" )

 7- Himalchuli of Nepal : The second highest mountain in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas. 18th highest mountain of the lovely planet

Himalchuli Mountains of Nepal ( Mongoose Travel Image )

 8- Distaghil Sar Peak :  The highest mountain in the Hispar Muztagh, Karakoram in Gilgit-Baltistan. 19th highest mountain on the lovely planet and the 7th highest peak in Pakistan

Distaghil Sar Peak in Pakistsn ( Image : Dr Ahsan ) 7,884 M

 9- Nuptse 1 of Nepal : The Neighbour of Everest in the Khumbu region of the Mahalangur Himal, in the Nepalese Himalayas

Nuptse is a mountain of Nepal ( Image : Michael Bollino )

 10- Nanda Devi : The second highest mountain in India at 7,816m ( 23rd in ranking on the lovely planet )

Nanda Devi : The second highest mountain in India ( Image : Amardeep Singh )

11- Kanjut Sar in Pakistan : A mountain located in the Hispar Muztagh, Karakoram. (  Gilgit-Baltistan ) 26th highest mountain on the lovely planet and the 11th highest in Pakistan.

Kanjut Sar is a mountain located in Pakitan ( Image : Rizwan Siddique for Mountain Photography )

 12- Batura Mountain Range in Pakistan : Batura Sar or  Batura I at 7,795m. 25th highest mountain on the lovely planet and the 10th highest in Pakistan. It It forms the apex of the Batura Wall on Batura Muztagh.

Batura Mountain Range in Pakistan ( Image : Ch. Khawar )

13- Chomo Lonzo of Tibet : The main peak at 7,804m

Chomo Lonzo Mountain of Tibet ( Image : Stephen Negler )

 14- Rakaposhi of the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan : Rakaposhi means “Snow Covered” in the local language. The beautiful Rakaposhi is also known as Dumani (“Mother of Mist”). It is ranked 27th highest in the world and 12th highest in Pakistan.

Exquisite Rakaposhi is located in Pakistan ( Image : PHOTOROTA )

15- Namcha Barwa ( A spectacular mountain of China at 7,782m )

Namcha Barwa Mountain of China

 16- Kamet Peak of India : The second highest mountain in the Garhwal region of India at  7,756 m.

Kamet Peak of India in Sunrise ( Image : Lopamudra )

 17- Dhaulagiri II Peak in Nepal : At 7,751 m

Dhaulagiri I & II Peaks in Nepal ( Image : PKS50 )

 18- Saltoro Kangri or K10 of Pakistan : The highest peak of the Saltoro Mountains

Saltoro Kangri or K10 ( Highest in the Saltoro Mountain Range of Pakistan )

 19- Jannu or Kumbhakarna of Nepal:  32nd highest mountain in the lovely planet. An important Western outlier of Kangchenjunga

Jannu Peak of Nepal ( Image : Gordon Haff )

20- Tirich Mir : The highest mountain of the Hindu Kush Range located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Tirich Mir Pakistan @ 7,708 m ( An Arshad Ali's Image )

 21- Molamenqing Peak of Tibet : Its elevation is given as 7,661 m

Molamenqing Peak of China ( Image : John Town )

Cal Madow, the beautiful mountain range of the Northern Somalia is also suffering from environmental degradation. Normally, Somalia remains in the news for the horrific warfare and famine situation. But a very few of us know that Somalia is also a home of a unique flora comprising of more than 500 species of plants. Most of them grow in Cal Madow which is now a sparse and unprotected area of Somalia.

There was a time before 1980’s, when Cal Madow was an important tourist destination but after that, this area was not developed by the Somali authorities. The mountain range of Cal Madow extends from several miles in the west of Bosaso to the North West of Erigavo. The highest peak of Cal Madow mountain range is 2500m at Shembir beris in the North West of Erigavo. The thick mountain forests are spread at an altitude of between 700–800 m above sea level, and has a mean annual rainfall of 750–850 mm.

Somali Golden-winged Grosbeak . Image : Angie Pattison

There is no detailed botanic and biological research conducted in this area so exact statistics of the endemic species are unknown. The area of Cal Madow owes wonderful ecology and natural environment. There is a big concern for the proper conservation and protection of this area. The local people are also cutting the splendid juniper and boodar trees from the evergreen forests of Cal Madow. We must also remember that this is also causing a bog problem for the fauna of this area, as Cal Madow of Somalia is a natural habitat of many rare wild species.

Let’s come to the Gasherbrum massif again for knowing about the the 13th highest mountain on Earth. We call it as Gasherbrum II which is also known as K4. Gasherbrum II or K4 is located on the Pakistan and China border in the Gilgit Baltistan province of Pakistan. In the great Karakorum range of the Himalaya , Gasherbrum II has the elevation of 8,035 meters (26,362 ft).

Gasherbrum II - K4

Gasherbrum II is the second last mountain peak in rank of the eight-thousander list and the first successful expedition of this great mountain was made by an Austrian team in 1956. The difficulty status of Gasherbrum II is of Major Mountain Expedition, as this peak lies at the latitude of 35.757831 and the longitude of 76.653028. The most suitable climbing route is via the southwest ridge as it is relatively free of objective hazards such as ice falls and avalanches.

A beautiful image of the climbers on Gasherbrum ( Banana Ridge )

The normal period for the expedition of Gasherbrum II, worlld 13th highest Mountain lasts about 7 to 8 weeks. Gasherbrum II is also called in the traditional Chinese language as Pinyin. The first winter ascent of Gasherbrum II was accomplished in 2011 by Simone Moro, Denis Urubko and Cory Richards in alpine style.

We have mentioned in our previous article on Gasherbrum 1 about the gigantic Gasherbrum massif. This massif also contains the 12th highest mountain on Earth which is known as Broad Peak.

Broad Peak- K3

This mountain is also called in the local Balti language as P’alchan Kangri Ri which is the translation of “Broad Peak”. Broad Peak is located almost 8 Kilometers from Mount Goodwin Austin ( K2 ) above the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram Range of northwestern Pakistan. This mountain has almost 1 mile long summit ridge, that is why, it is called as “Broad Peak”. Broad Peak has the elevation of 8,051 meters (26,414 ft).

Beautiful sunset on Broad Peak

In the famous mountains survey of 1856, T.G. Montgomerie named it as K3.  The first climb of “Broad Peak” was done in 1957  by a four-person Austrian expedition. Broad Peak is a climber friendly mountain which has very less death rate of the climbers as compared to other eight thousanders. But as we have described earlier that climbing an eight thousander is never an easy task. Like other high mountains , extreme weather conditions, Hypothermia and giant steep rocks are the threatening factors for the climbing of Broad Peak. Broad Peak although requires lesser technicalities, yet it is quite big mountain, which can be bigger beyond the expectations of the mountaineer.

Our countdown on the world highest mountains takes us on world no.11, which is located in Pakistan. Gasherbrum 1, the hidden beauty is located on the Pakistan-China border at the northeastern end of the Baltoro Glacier. Gasherbrum 1 is actually a part of a great massif having the elevation of 26,509 feet (8,080 m.).

Gasherbrum 1 - The Hidden Peak

The was first climb over Gasherbrum 1 was executed by Pete Schoening and Andy Kauffman who were the member of an American expedition led by Nicholas B. Clinch, on July 5, 1958. The massif on which Gasherbrum 1 is located is also known as  Gasherbrum massif which is a part of Karakorum range of the great  Himalaya. Gasherbrum 1 is a Balti word comes from “rgasha” (beautiful) + “brum” (mountain) in Balti, hence it actually means “beautiful mountain.”

The Golden Look of the Hidden Peak ( Gasherbrm 1 - K5 )

Gasherbrum 1, the hidden beauty was declared as K5 by T.G. Montgomery in 1856 which means the 5th peak of the Karakoram. Gasherbrum 1 is no doubt the most beautiful eight thousander, which is sometimes called as “Shining Wall” or “Hidden Beauty”. The peak was also the venue of the world’s first 8,000 meter climb in pure Alpine Style.  The most appropriate rout to climb Gasherbrum 1 is from the western side and all routes here leads to “The Japanese Couloir”, which is located on top of the north-west face.