Mount Everest, Nepal

Elevation: 29,035 ft.

Hi guys, my name is Kate. One of my favorite things in the world is going to the mountains so I wanted to tell you a little bit more about various mountains throughout the world!

Mountains look a lot like this one, but they come in all shapes and sizes. I love mountains because you can do so many things with them. You can climb, hike, ski, photograph, and admire them.

This book will tell you about the many different aspects of mountains. We will talk about elevation, tectonic plates, faces, and many more words relating to mountains...

So if you see an italicized word, just know it is a crucial part of what goes into the many different parts of a mountain. There is a glossary in the back if you need a more detailed description.

Before we get to the good stuff, I want to tell you how mountains are formed.

To start, you have to know a little bit about what the world is made up of. The earth consists of many layers of various forms of rock. The layer closest to the earths surface is called the continental crust. The layer just below the continental layer is the lithosphere. The movement of this layer is what creates mountains.

Scientists across the world have broken up the lithosphere into tectonic plates. There are 7 major plates in the world.

When these plates move towards each other, it is called plate convergence. They move towards each other and force the ground upward forming mountain ranges.

Now I am going to give you some information about the tallest mountains in the world. Most of them reside in the Himalayn mountain range. I will give you some fun facts about each mountain because I think they are so cool!

Annapurna, Nepal

Elevaltion: 26,545 ft.

This is Annapura, it is known as the most difficult and dangerous mountain to climb in the world. It's jagged peaks and steep incline make it very scary to climb. It is located in Nepal, a small country in southern Asia. It's elevation is 26,545 ft, making it the 10th tallest mountain in the world!

Nanga Parbat, Pakistan

Elevation: 26,660 ft.

This is Nanga Parbat, it is located in Pakistan. It is also very difficult to climb. The most dangerous part of Nanga Parbat is the Rupal Face, which rises 15,091 ft. from bottom to top. The Rupal Face, located on the mountain’s south side, is often referred to as the highest mountain face in the world.

It's elevation is 26,660 ft, making it the 9th tallest mountain in the world!

Manaslu, Nepal

Elevation: 26,781 ft.

This Manaslu, the first successful ascent of Manaslu occurred in 1956, when Japanese climber Toshio Imanishi and Nepalese Sherpa Gyalzen Norbu made it to the summit. The mountain is a significant part of Japan’s mountaineering history.

It's elevation is 26,781 ft, making it the 8th tallest mountain in the world!

Dhaulagiri, Nepal

Elevation: 26,795 ft.

Dhaulagiri is the seventh highest mountain in the world. It’s located in Nepal, and was first summited in 1960 by a combined Swiss/Austrian/Nepalese effort.

It's elevation is 26,795 ft, making it the 7th tallest mountain in the world!

Cho Oyu, Nepal and China

Elevation: 26,864 ft.

Cho Oyu is considered to be the “easiest” of the mountains over 26,000 ft. to climb due to its accessibility and less steep slopes.

Cho Oyo, which means “Turquoise Goddess”, stands on the Chinese-Nepalese border. 

It's elevation is 26,864 ft, making it the 6th tallest mountain in the world!

Makalu, Nepal and China

Elevation: 27,838 ft.

Makalu is a fairly isolated mountain, which leaves it exposed to the elements, and numerous knife-edge ridges make it one of the world’s most difficult climbs.

The latter stages of the ascent, in particular, involve some extremely technical rock and ice climbing.

It's elevation is 27,838 ft, making it the 5th tallest mountain in the world!