Top 5 Mountains to Climb

HowStuffWorks "Top 5 Mountains to Climb"HowStuffWorksSearch HowStuffWorks and the webVideoPodcastsBlogsQuizzesGamesForumsAdventureAnimalsAutoCultureEntertainmentHealthHome & GardenLifestyleMoneyScienceTechOutdoor ActivitiesSurvivalDestinations Home?>?Adventure?>?Outdoor Activities?>?Climbing Top 5 Mountains to Climbby Sarah Winkler

?Cite This!Close?Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks article:

Winkler, Sarah.? "Top 5 Mountains to Climb"? 13 July 2009.? HowStuffWorks.com. ?01 July 2011.CiteFeedback Winter Sports Image Gallery


Darryl Leniuk/Getty Images
A hiker surveys the slope. See more pictures of winter sports.

There are only 14 mountains with summits that tower more than 26,247 feet (8,000 meters) [source: Forbes Traveler]. Today's technological advances and a crop of guide companies that are geared toward extreme travel and mountain climbing allow thrill seekers to explore some of the world's remotest peaks.

Some of these mountains top out at heights of more than 11,000 feet (3,352 meters), and they're difficult to summit. You'd need a jet plane to drop you there. While such peaks would be completely inaccessible for most recreational mountaineers, professional climbers seek them out to escape the crowds and climb in solitude. Other mountain ranges are easier to hike and make great weekend getaways for those who want adventure without such extreme conditions.

So where are these five outstanding peaks? Our list includes mountains that suit novice climbers as well as experienced mountaineers.

? Popular Articles5 Ways to Attract Bears to Your CampsiteTop 5 Surf SpotsTop 5 Tackiest Tourist Traps10 Best Places for Outdoorsy Types to Live10 Classic Amusement Park RidesSee All Lists ? Going Off-roadTop 5 Tips for Mountain Bike TrainingThe Ultimate Dune Buggies QuizThe Ultimate ATV Safety QuizHow dangerous is off-roading? Do You Dare?10 Things That Can Go Wrong in Air SportsFact or Fiction: DaredevilsDefying Gravity: the Ultimate Human Cannonball Quiz OUR SITESAnimal PlanetDiscovery ChannelDiscovery KidsDiscovery Fit & HealthHD TheaterInvestigation DiscoveryMilitary ChannelOprah Winfrey NetworkPlanet GreenScience ChannelTLCTurboConsumer Guide AutoConsumer Guide ProductsDiscovery EducationDiscovery NewsHowStuffWorksPetfinderStudent CompetitionsTreeHuggerVIDEOTLC VideoFull EpisodesMOBILEMobile ApplicationsWallpaper & RingtonesMobile VideoMobile WebGames & ApplicationsText AlertsSHOPTLC StoreDVDs & BooksCustom GearToys & GamesGift SetsJon & Kate Plus 8SaleDiscovery AdventuresStudent AdventuresDiscovery TSXDiscovery Corporate SalesSTAY CONNECTEDEmail NewslettersRSSTwitterFacebookCORPORATEDiscovery Communications, LLCViewer RelationsAdvertisingCareers @ DiscoveryPrivacy PolicyVisitor AgreementCopyright c 2011?Discovery Communications, LLC. The number-one nonfiction media company.

?