Mountain climbers are adventurers who always look for a bright new challenge. Whether one particular mountain climber is a professional or a hobbyist, most if not all of them all look forward to conquering a peak that is more difficult than their previous one. All mountain climbers have the same goal – to reach the top of the mountain, no matter how high it is or how dangerous the journey.
Because they all have the same goal, mountain climbers usually set the standard of climbing the world’s tallest mountain sometime within their lifetime, although only a few brave and expert mountain climbers attempt to do so, because of the great risks involved. What is being referred to is Mt. Everest, perhaps the world’s most famous mountain. Since it is nearly 30,000 feet high, the air near the top of the mountain is really thin, which makes it difficult to breathe, in addition to occasional snowstorms and the unrelenting icy weather.
Mt. Everest, located in Nepal, was first conquered in 1953. There are more that have done so since then, but sadly, there have also been a few who have lost their lives. In some cases, a limb or two have been lost, but one thing is for sure – mountaineers aren’t the same after an Everest experience.
With Mt. Everest being the most famous and perhaps most difficult mountain to conquer, there are other mountains that are famous for mountain climbing, some of them in the same mountain range or nearby, such as Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Makalu. The United States has two famous high-altitude mountains for climbers – Mt. McKinley and Mt. Ranier, while neighboring Canada boasts of Mt. Logan.
Some of the most famous mountains also include the ones that were climbed centuries ago. Mt. Ranier is one, as the first successful climb was recorded in 1870. In Mexico, Mt. Popocatepetl was first conquered as early as 1519! Another famous mountain on the list is located in Africa, which is Mt. Kilimanjaro. This Tanzanian mountain was first climbed in 1889.
The most famous mountains for mountain climbing are the tallest mountains. In the mountains previously mentioned here, the shortest mountain is Mt. Ranier with around 14,000 feet in height. Needless to say, these mountains are definitely not recommended for beginners, since they are too high and beginning mountain climbers require some experience first.