Hobbies And Interests
Everest
At 29,035 feet, Everest is the highest mountain peak on the face of the planet. Located near the Nepal-Tibet border in the Himalayas, the height of Everest was confirmed by the space shuttle Columbia in 1983. The mountain is also known by its Tibetan name Chomolangma and its Nepali name Sagarmatha. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to successfully summit the mountain in 1953.
K2
K2 is the second highest peak in the world. Rising 28,250 feet, K2 is near the Pakistan-China border in the Karakoram. The mountain is known as the "Savage Mountain" because it is the second deadliest of the 8,000-meter peaks, in terms of its overall fatality rate. Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni were the first to summit K2 in 1954.
Kangchenjunga
The third highest peak in the world is Kangchenjunga at 28,169 feet. It actually features five peaks, with four over 27,700 feet. This is reflected in its name, which means "The Five Treasuries of the Great Snows." Located near the Nepal-India border in the Himalayas, George Band and Joe Brown first reached the top in 1955. While its overall fatality rate is lower than others, the mountain has become the deadliest of the 8,000-meter mountains in terms of post-1990 fatalities.
Lhotse
Lhotse, at 27,940 feet, is the fourth highest mountain on the planet. It is directly to the south of Everest, and the two mountains are connected by the South Col, a vertical ridge. The first to reach the summit were Ernst Reiss and Fritz Luchsinger in 1956. They climbed Lhotse as an alternate route to summit Everest.
Makalu
Makalu is the fifth highest mountain, rising 27,766 feet. The isolated peak is 14 miles east of Everest. The mountain is a four-sided pyramid, considered by many as one of the most difficult of the eight-thousanders to climb. Jean Couzy and Lionel Terray were the first to summit Makalu in 1955.
Cho Oyu
Cho Oyu, at 26,906 feet, is the sixth highest mountain. Located a short distance to the west of Everest, the mountain is visible to climbers on the north face of Everest. It is considered by many to be one of the easiest of the 8,000-meter peaks to climb. Herbert Tichy, Joseph Joechler and Sherpa Pasang Dawa Lama were the first to summit Cho Oyu in 1954.
Dhaulagiri
Rising 26,795 feet above sea level, Dhaulagiri is the seventh highest mountain. Located in north central Nepal, the mountain features a crest that stretches 30 miles. Along the crest are four pyramid-shaped peaks that rise to over 25,000 feet. A Swiss/Austrian expedition was the first to summit Dhaulagiri in 1960.