Interesting Facts About The Highest Mountains In The World

• By: globewanderer
• Mar 15, 2025

Mountains are not just majestic—they hold terrifying secrets, deadly mysteries, and unbelievable challenges. Here are some shocking and lesser-known facts about these 8 mountains that will leave you stunned!

1. Nanda Devi (India) – The Nuclear Disaster That Never Happened… Or Did It?

💥 Did You Know? In 1965, the CIA and India’s intelligence agency tried to plant a nuclear-powered spying device on Nanda Devi to monitor China. But a violent storm hit, and the radioactive device was lost in the glacier! To this day, the nuclear core remains missing.

🛑 Forbidden to Climbers: Since 1982, the Indian government has banned climbing Nanda Devi, officially to protect the ecosystem.

2. Dhaulagiri (Nepal) – The Mountain That Disappeared from Maps

🗺️ Did You Know? In 1808, Dhaulagiri was declared the tallest mountain in the world and held the title for 30 years—until Kangchenjunga and Everest were measured. For decades, maps labeled it as the highest point on Earth before realizing it wasn’t even in the top five!

💀 The “White Mountain” of Death: Nicknamed the “White Mountain,” Dhaulagiri is infamous for deadly avalanches and sheer ice walls. Its “Pear Buttress” route has one of the highest failure rates, with entire teams disappearing into the abyss.

3. Gyachung Kang (Nepal-Tibet) – The Forgotten Giant

😲 Did You Know? At 7,952 meters (26,089 feet), Gyachung Kang is the highest mountain outside the 8,000-meter club—yet almost no one talks about it! Why? Because it is overshadowed by its neighbors, Everest and Cho Oyu.

🧗 Almost Impossible to Climb: Only a handful of climbers have ever attempted it due to extreme difficulty, unpredictable storms, and dangerously loose ice ridges.

4. Annapurna I (Nepal) – The Deadliest Mountain in the World

💀 Did You Know? With a shocking 32% fatality rate, Annapurna I is statistically the most dangerous 8,000-meter peak. More climbers die here than on Everest and K2 combined!

🌪️ Avalanche Zone: Annapurna is known for massive avalanches that have wiped out entire teams in seconds. In 2014, one of the worst mountaineering disasters in history hit Annapurna, killing 43 trekkers and climbers in a single storm.

5. Trisul (India) – Home to India’s “Skeleton Lake”

☠️ Did You Know? Trisul, named after Lord Shiva’s trident, is located near the mysterious Roopkund Lake, also called “Skeleton Lake”. Hundreds of ancient human skeletons were found here, believed to be from the 9th century, possibly killed by a sudden hailstorm.

🚀 First 7,000m Peak Climbed: Trisul was the first mountain over 7,000 meters to be successfully climbed in 1907—a record at the time!

6. Gankhar Puensum (Bhutan) – The Tallest Unclimbed Mountain

🚫 Did You Know? At 7,570 meters (24,836 feet), Gankhar Puensum is the highest mountain that no one has ever climbed! Bhutan banned climbing in 2003, as locals believe the peak is home to sacred spirits and deities.

🧭 A Cartographer’s Nightmare: Maps of Gankhar Puensum have been notoriously inaccurate, with early surveys placing it over 10 miles away from its actual location!

7. Mount Everest (Nepal-Tibet) – The World’s Highest Graveyard

☠️ Did You Know? Everest is littered with over 300 frozen bodies of climbers who never made it back. Due to the extreme cold, these bodies are perfectly preserved and remain visible on the climbing route.

🟢 “Green Boots” Mystery: One of the most famous bodies is known as “Green Boots”, a climber whose remains have been lying in a cave on Everest since 1996. His body serves as a chilling landmark for other climbers.

8. Masherbrum (Pakistan) – The “Ghost Mountain”

👻 Did You Know? Masherbrum (K1) is known as the “Ghost Mountain” because its steep slopes prevent snow from settling, giving it an eerie, dark appearance.

🎭 The Forgotten K1: Masherbrum was the first peak in the Karakoram to be mapped and originally named K1, but it lost the spotlight when K2 was discovered as the second-highest mountain in the world.