There are only 14 mountains in the world over 8,000 metres tall, and they are all located in two distinct parts of Asia, one being the Himalayas, and the other, known as Karakoram. Some of these mountains span the border between two nations, while others stand in a single country. In order of height, but not necessarily of climbing difficulty, these fourteen mountains are Everest (8,848 m), K2 (8,611 m), Kangchenjunga (8,586 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Makalu (8,485 m), Cho Oyu (8.188 m), Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Manaslu (8,163 m), Nanga Parbat (8,126 m), Annapurna (8,091 m), Gasherbrum I (8,080 m), Broad Peak (8,051 m), Gasherbrum II (8,035 m), and Shishapangma (8,013 m).
Technically speaking, Cho Oyu is the easiest mountain to climb, K2 is the most difficult, Everest is the most crowded, and Nanga Parbat is the most massive. Annapurna, on the other hand, is the most deadly, with an average fatality rate of between 30% and 40%, meaning that about 1 in 3 climbers die on this mountain, either while trying to reach the summit or on the way back down. It is no coincidence that the author’s motto is ‘getting to the top is optional; getting down is mandatory’, which reflects the importance of safety and responsibility in mountaineering, and emphasises the fact that reaching the summit is only half the journey.
The other half of the journey is the descent and returning to the base, which is when most deaths actually occur. Ed Viesturs always puts safety first, even if it means giving up on his goal to reach the summit. He has always tried to make conscious, responsible decisions, and to carefully assess every risk, in order to avoid endangering not only his own life, but of course that of his fellow climbers.
Climbing 8,000-metre mountains is an extreme challenge for anyone, even experienced high-altitude mountaineers. It is an extremely complex and hostile environment, where weather conditions can change rapidly, and human life constantly hangs in the balance. For many mountaineers, however, climbing these peaks is the ultimate challenge and can provide enormous personal satisfaction.
Mountaineers who climb such high peaks face many physical and mental challenges, such as altitude sickness, which can cause nausea, vomiting, headaches, insomnia, lack of appetite, dehydration, extreme exhaustion, dizziness, weakness, and so on. In the most severe cases, altitude sickness can develop into cerebral or pulmonary oedema, whereby fluid accumulates in the lungs or brain, and prevents them from functioning properly. Extremely low temperatures, high winds, avalanches, sliding into crevasses, or huge chunks of ice breaking off rocks are just a few of the other challenges that can prove equally fatal.
Extreme climbing therefore requires a great deal of physical and technical preparation. Climbers must have extensive knowledge of the best techniques and the equipment needed to cope with the conditions at such high altitudes. They must also be able to survive for days or even weeks in extremely harsh environments, with little food, water, and oxygen. At 5,000 metres, for instance, there is only 50% of the oxygen found in the air at sea level, and above 8,000 metres, this figure drops to 25%. In these conditions, it can take several hours to cover just a few hundred metres.
Despite the challenges, high altitude climbers often find great personal satisfaction in scaling such huge mountains; for them, it is a personal victory and a test of their skill and courage. These climbers are also usually driven by a desire to explore the unknown, to discover new places, and to test their own limits.
