--- title: This is the DEADLIEST Mountain Peak in the World... description: "In May 1996, a terrible disaster occurred on the slopes of Mount Everest.\n\nThe combination of adverse weather conditions, overcrowding, miscommunication and circumstantial mishaps resulted in no less than eight people dying on the mountain in a single day. Practically all the victims were experienced climbers, several of them having already made it to the summit of the famous mountain at least once before. What has since been referred to as the Everest Disaster was immortalised by author Jon Krakauer - who was part of the fateful expedition - in the bestselling book Into the Air. The events were also later depicted in the harrowing 2015 Hollywood movie Everest.\n\nIt might surprise you, then, that the deadliest mountain in the world - and the subject of today's video - is not Mount Everest.\n\nOne of the individuals who lived through the tragedy that day was famous mountaineer Anatoli Boukreev. Boukreev had been a leader on the Mountain Madness team, and his experience and strength allowed him to not only to survive the tragedy, but to rescue three climbers by dragging them off the slopes to safety. But in spite of his experience and skill, Boukreev met his end only one year later, on another peak further west in the Himalaya range. This was Annapurna, the true single most deadly mountain in existence. The avalanche that killed Boukreev on Christmas Day 1997 also took the life of his climbing partner Dimitri Sobolev, and only six years before, a similar event took the lives of two South Korean climbers and four Nepalese guides. One year after Boukreev's death, yet another avalanche killed one more South Korean climber and two more Nepalese guides. In the space of only a couple of years, dozens of lives were lost to the unforgiving elements of the mountain.\n\nAnd even these disasters don't come close to the single most costly loss of life occurring on the mountain which - in terms of casualties - stands as the single worst mountain disaster in Nepal, and one of the very worst in history.\n\n## The Call of the Annapurna Massif\n\nNow, even just this introduction might beg the question: why would climbers put themselves through summiting a peak as perilous as Annapurna?\n\nPart of the answer - as with many mountains - lies in its unquestionable beauty. The Annapurna range is a breathtaking location, a 55-kilometre long massif - or group of peaks - renowned for its mystique and glorious landscapes. Annapurna's name is derived from the Sanskrit \"Anna\" (meaning food) and \"Purna\" (meaning filled), and can be understood to mean 'everlasting bounty'. The surrounding 7,600 square-kilometre Annapurna Conservation Area attracts not only climbers, but trekkers, conservationists, and nature enthusiasts alike, through its unique blend of grandeur and scenic sights.\n\nMoreover, Annapurna - in theory - is more achievable for ambitious mountaineers than some of the other summits of the Himalayan 'eight-thousanders'. Its highest point is Annapurna I Main, standing at 8,091 meters (or 26,545 feet) - making it the 10th tallest mountain in the world, and one of the shortest from the prestigious \"eight-thousander\" family. It was actually the first of the fourteen mountains 8,000 metre-plus peaks to be successfully summited, a feat accomplished by a French mountaineer Maurice Herzog and his team in 1950.\n\nThe Annapurna massif itself includes a number of other prominent peaks such as Annapurna II (which, at 7,937 meters, is the tallest mountain outside the eight-thousanders), as well as Annapurna III (7,555 meters), and Annapurna South (7,219 meters). The range therefore offers a variety of milestones for seasoned and novice climbers alike. Another famous site is Machapuchare, or Fishtail Mountain, which stands at a little under 7,000 meters. But this peak is considered sacred by locals and is therefore prohibited for climbing.\n\nAnd there's another reason still for venturing to Annapurna: it is cheap. To attempt to climb Everest warrants a permit worth at least 15,000 dollars alone, in addition to travel fees, accommodation, food supplies, guide fees and equipment, which can collectively accumulate to around 50,000 dollars. But a trek on Annapurna can be done for as little as one thousand dollars per person for a twelve-day route, with minimal climbing gear or even guided accompaniment necessary. The advance of \"cheap tourism\" however, has led to criticism and disaster, as we shall see a little later.\n\nAnnapurna's surrounding region is a jewel of topography, with subalpine woodlands and lowland meadows, as well as snowfields and glaciers at higher altitudes. It is the largest protected area in Nepal and features a wide array of wildlife, including snow leopards, Tibetan wolves and Himalayan tahrs - a type of wild goat. The area is so beautiful that an entire aviation industry has developed which offers fly-bys over the picturesque mountains.\n\nBut the enduring beauty of Annapurna has a lethal dark side.\n\nThe region experiences a volatile variety of climatic conditions caused by its location and altitude. Its weather is influenced by the monsoon rains, which occur between June and September each year. The heavy rainfall helps nurture Annapurna's lush vegetation but also makes outdoor activity challenging, in what would be prime trekking and mountaineering season for most Northern Hemisphere peaks. The Winter, meanwhile - like on other mountains - brings with it heavy snowfall and below-freezing temperatures.\n\nAs such, the ideal conditions for trekking are the Spring (from March to May), and a brief window in the Autumn - usually October to November. The rest of the year can be perilous, without even touching upon the obvious challenge of scaling the peak itself. Moreover, at higher altitudes, the weather on Annapurna is notoriously unpredictable all year-round, irrespective of season. Sudden snowstorms, avalanches, and high winds are common, and Annapurna I Main just so happens to be the most prone to unpredictability of them all.\n\nIt is by no accident, therefore, that the mountain happens to have the highest fatality rate of any in the world.\n\n## A Dance with the Devil\n\nNow, even assuming perfect weather conditions, to attempt to summit Annapurna Main is not for the faint-hearted.\n\nThe mountain features a steep south face, which rises 3,000 meters from base camp to summit and which is considered one of the most dangerous climbs in the world. Climbers are forced to navigate the terrain while keeping an eye out for sudden rockfalls and avalanches, all while carrying heavy packs and supplementary oxygen to deal with sudden weather changes and the threat of altitude sickness.\n\nScaling the mountain also requires a high level of technical and physical skill. Climbers must be proficient in ice and rock climbing, and must also have the fitness to endure both the long push to the summit and a successful descent.\n\nAs if that weren't enough, rescue endeavours on Annapurna are hampered by its isolation and inaccessibility. To reach base camp alone can take as much as a week. Helicopter evacuations are difficult and are rarely effectuated, and unlike Everest with its large population of local sherpas, the locals around Annapurna are not dedicated mountaineers, able to assist adventurers in moments of jeopardy.\n\nThe combination of these factors has contributed to a string of tragic deaths on Annapurna.\n\nAside from Anatoli Boukreev, other notable mountaineers who have succumbed to their attempt to climb Annapurna include Finnish climber Samuli Mansikka and Italian Christian Kuntner - both of whom successfully summited all thirteen other eight-thousanders but died while striving to conquer Annapurna Main. Another famous case is Kang Ki-Seok, a South Korean who had helped forge a new route to the summit of Everest - known as the Korean Route - but who was killed in a suspected rockfall in his attempt to do the same thing on Annapurna. Kang died alongside his climbing partner Park Yeong-Seok, a veteran mountaineer who had once successfully summited Annapurna (and every other eight-thousander), but was killed along with Kang on his second summit in 2011.\n\nYet it is not only mountaineers who have fallen victim to the mountain, as would come to pass three years after the deaths of Kang and Park.\n\n## The 2014 Annapurna Disaster\n\nMaya was twenty-one years old when she set out to trek Annapurna with her friends in October 2014.\n\nThey were not alone, and the number of trekkers around Annapurna Main and the nearby Dhaulagiri mountain that season was in the hundreds. Trekking and mountaineering are two quite distinct activities carried out in the Himalayas - the former tracing mountain paths around the peaks, the latter scaling upwards to their summits. In Nepal, both occur at high altitude and neither are free of hazard, being exposed to unforgiving weather and unpredictable avalanches. Still, although trekking on Everest is impossible, trekking on Annapurna is common, and the brief Autumn window - considered high season - can attract thousands of adventurers keen to experience the region's irresistible sights.\n\nMaya and her group were undeterred by a tragic disaster that had occurred several months earlier on Everest, and set out on a three-hour route toward the Thorong La, the highest point on the Annapurna trekking circuit, at around 5,400 metres altitude.\n\nThe group was largely inexperienced, but as revealed in a later article by physician and adventurer Stephen Fabes, even seasoned trekkers and mountain guides were hamstrung by the ferocious elements on the mountainside that day. As it happened, the entire region was racked by the devastating storm effects of Cyclone Hudhud, a tropical cyclone which had formed off the coast of Thailand on October 6th and travelled north soon after. By October 12th, it hit landfall and laid waste to the northern India state of Uttar Pradesh, causing massive infrastructural damage and killing 18 people. Cyclone Hudhud crossed into Nepal the following day and reached the Himalayas on the 14th of October, by which time the storm was so powerful that it caused 1.5 metres of snow to fall within 12 hours. Maya and her group had set out for Thorong La the same morning.\n\nFabes, who was further down the mountain, described what happened next. While safely camped in the village of Manang and waiting to begin his own two-day trek toward Thorong La, he woke up to more than 60 centimetres of snow which had fallen in the night between the 13th and 14th of October. Fabes wrote:\n\n\"October in Manang means brochure-blue skies, not blizzards. We'd heard no weather warnings at any of the trekking permit checkpoints en route. My mind jumped to our impending climb: if there are 2 feet of snowfall here, then Thorong La must be impassable.\"\n\nHe was right. High up on the mountain, catastrophe had struck.\n\nMore than 200 hikers had made the journey to Thorong La, many of them anticipating mild weather and very few dressed appropriately for the powerstorm that was to come. As the storm struck, heavy snow fell, temperatures plummeted, and chaos erupted. Many trekkers were without guides, and were forced to cling together under what little cover they had, as Cyclone Hudhud raged. Some tried to turn back to avoid hypothermia; not all were successful. Maya, who'd by now reached the pass with her friends, reported:\n\n\"We didn't have much equipment, and we just dropped our bags and kept going through the storm … Everybody was saying if you stay, you are going to die… We couldn't see the way. There's no path. There's 150 centimetres of snow. We were walking between the bodies and bags, and we could see our dead friends and the bodies of the guides. It was horrible, a horror.\"\n\nOwing to the storm, electrical power, cell phone service, and internet connectivity failed in the Manang District, hampering relief efforts. Maya and her group were forced to huddle in a crowded cabin on the Thorong La pass for twenty hours, as the blizzard swirled furiously around them.\n\nBy October 15th, the day Fabes' group had intended to begin their trek, the storm largely passed, and rescue teams were in a better position to try to assist the stranded trekkers. What they encountered high up on the pass was devastation.\n\n32 people were immediately found to have died, including 17 alone on Thorong La. A huge rescue operation was launched by the Nepalese authorities, incorporating units of the army and military and civilian helicopters. More than 70 sorties and a sweep of the entire area were conducted, but it took days to be able to rescue some of the stranded trekkers. One British man survived having been stranded on the pass for 72 hours. Many others weren't so lucky. The dead were placed in body bags and flown to Manang, many of them dressed in little other than the jeans and trainers they'd set out on their trek wearing.\n\nAt least 43 people ultimately died on Annapurna that day, and a further 175 were treated for injuries such as severe frostbite, with some having limbs later amputated. In the wake of the disaster, the Nepalese authorities were criticised for insufficient advance meteorological warnings and for allowing the saturation of trekkers who'd journeyed to the Conservation Area in the years leading up to the tragedy. The government, on the other hand, clapped back: lambasting the emergence of \"cheap tourism\" and adventurers willing to risk the trek without paying for guides and sufficient equipment, thereby leaving themselves vulnerable to the inherent dangers of the mountain.\n\n## The Terrifying Tale of the Mountain\n\nBut while the 2014 tragedy was caused by an exceptionally-strong storm, and likely exacerbated by the inexperience of some trekkers, this doesn't mean that weathered and well-prepared thrill-seekers are much safer on the unforgiving mountain.\n\nA total of 73 climbers have succumbed to the treacherous elements on Annapurna Main. While this figure pales with the 332 people who have died on Everest, the tallest mountain on earth, in turn, withers if compared with Annapurna's sheer relative mortality.\n\nOnly 395 people are known to have summited Annapurna Main I, which - when held against the 73 deaths - leads to a fatality rate of roughly one for every five successful ascents. You will recall - from the introduction - that Annapurna was the first eight-thousander to be summited, a full three years before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay conquered Everest in 1953. That means that in the 75 years since Maurice Herzog and his teammates scaled Annapurna Main, a little over 5 people per year - on average - have managed to repeat the feat. Herzog wrote his name into history with his successful ascent, but suffered severe frostbite on the way back and returned to France having lost all his toes and most of his fingers.\n\nEverest - in stark contrast with Annapurna - has been successfully summited over 12,000 times by more than 7,000 individuals. In effect, a fatality rate of little over one death for every thirty-six ascents. Even the second-highest eight-thousander, K2, which is seen as technically the most challenging peak in the world and even by some as the riskiest, has been ascended by more than 800 people since 1954. 96 people have died, leading to a mortality of a little over one in eight. A terrifying figure, no doubt - but still significantly less than Annapurna's astonishing one in five. Moreover, the death rate on Annapurna has been dilated by a number of successful summits in 2022 and 2023 with only one fatality - and the fatality rate may have been as high as one in three by 2012.\n\nTo put the scale further into perspective, the very worst incident on Everest to date - albeit, perhaps, not the most well-known - occurred in April 2014, when a freak ice avalanche killed sixteen Nepalese sherpas in one swoop. But as awful as that event was, it paled in comparison to the disaster on Annapurna and Dhaulagiri later the same year, with the 43 dead and 175 wounded constituting the single worst mountain tragedy in Nepal, and one of the very worst in history.\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n- Annapurna is the deadliest mountain in the world, with a fatality rate of one death for every five successful ascents.\n- The 2014 Annapurna disaster, caused by Cyclone Hudhud, resulted in 43 deaths and 175 injuries, making it Nepal's worst mountain tragedy.\n- Annapurna's unpredictable weather and technical challenges make it a perilous climb, even for experienced mountaineers.\n- The mountain's isolation and inaccessibility hinder rescue efforts, adding to the danger for climbers.\n- Despite its risks, Annapurna attracts climbers due to its beauty, relative accessibility, and lower cost compared to Everest.\n\n## Frequently Asked Questions\n\n### What was the deadliest day on Mount Everest?\n\nIn May 1996, eight people died on Mount Everest in a single day due to adverse weather conditions, overcrowding, miscommunication, and circumstantial mishaps.\n\n### Who is Anatoli Boukreev?\n\nAnatoli Boukreev was a famous mountaineer who survived the 1996 Everest disaster and rescued three climbers. He died in an avalanche on Annapurna in 1997.\n\n### What is the fatality rate of Annapurna Main?\n\nThe fatality rate of Annapurna Main is approximately one death for every five successful ascents.\n\n### What is the highest point of the Annapurna massif?\n\nThe highest point of the Annapurna massif is Annapurna I Main, standing at 8,091 meters (26,545 feet).\n\n### What is the best time to trek in the Annapurna region?\n\nThe ideal conditions for trekking in the Annapurna region are during the Spring (from March to May) and a brief window in the Autumn (usually October to November).\n\n### What was the 2014 Annapurna disaster?\n\nThe 2014 Annapurna disaster was caused by Cyclone Hudhud, which resulted in heavy snowfall and extreme weather conditions. At least 43 people died, and 175 were injured.\n\n### What is the Annapurna Conservation Area known for?\n\nThe Annapurna Conservation Area is known for its unique blend of grandeur and scenic sights, attracting climbers, trekkers, conservationists, and nature enthusiasts.\n\n### Why is Annapurna considered more dangerous than Everest?\n\nAnnapurna is considered more dangerous due to its high fatality rate of approximately one death for every five successful ascents, compared to Everest's fatality rate of one death for every thirty-six ascents.\n\n### What are some of the other prominent peaks in the Annapurna massif?\n\nOther prominent peaks in the Annapurna massif include Annapurna II (7,937 meters), Annapurna III (7,555 meters), and Annapurna South (7,219 meters).\n\n### What is the significance of Machapuchare in the Annapurna region?\n\nMachapuchare, or Fishtail Mountain, is considered sacred by locals and is therefore prohibited for climbing.\n\n## Sources\n\n- [Original Places video: This is the DEADLIEST Mountain Peak in the World...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFFl_zv6mOM)\n- [https://www.londondaily.news/annapurna-base-camp-trek-everything-to-know-before-you-go/](https://www.londondaily.news/annapurna-base-camp-trek-everything-to-know-before-you-go/)\n- [https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18596](https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18596)\n- [https://www.backpacker.com/survival/inside-nepals-deadly-blizzard/](https://www.backpacker.com/survival/inside-nepals-deadly-blizzard/)\n- [https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4581195,00.html](https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4581195,00.html)\n- [https://cdn-s-www.estrepublicain.fr/images/A86FEF8C-462E-4F7A-AAA7-235CE3A4E437/NW_raw/maurice-herzog-1355489070.jpg](https://cdn-s-www.estrepublicain.fr/images/A86FEF8C-462E-4F7A-AAA7-235CE3A4E437/NW_raw/maurice-herzog-1355489070.jpg)\n- [https://www.greenvalleynepaltreks.com/annapurna-circuit-trek](https://www.greenvalleynepaltreks.com/annapurna-circuit-trek)\n- [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/17/nepal-cheap-tourists-snow-disaster](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/17/nepal-cheap-tourists-snow-disaster)\n- [https://www.greenmatters.com/living/annapurna-death-rate](https://www.greenmatters.com/living/annapurna-death-rate)\n- [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29679773](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29679773)\n- [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nepal-hikers/death-toll-in-nepals-worst-trekking-disaster-reaches-43-idUSKCN0IA1XU20141021/](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nepal-hikers/death-toll-in-nepals-worst-trekking-disaster-reaches-43-idUSKCN0IA1XU20141021/)\n- [Hero image source](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Chaukhambha_%283641812744%29.jpg) by dr ashok kolluru / openverse, cc0.\n\n## Related Coverage" url: https://places.site/article/deadliest-mountain-peak-in-the-world.md canonical: https://places.site/article/deadliest-mountain-peak-in-the-world datePublished: 2026-07-01 dateModified: 2026-07-01 author: - name: Simon Whistler url: https://places.site/author/simon-whistler publisher: Places image: "https://media.places.site/cdn-cgi/image/width=1600,height=900,fit=cover,quality=80,format=auto/articles/UFFl_zv6mOM/hero.jpg" type: NewsArticle contentHash: bbe9826c7ee62f1b13722794e69cd79959015e53642d13a0f2c6a7ebdc391284 tokens: 5167 summaryUrl: https://places.site/article/deadliest-mountain-peak-in-the-world.md.summary.md --- In May 1996, a terrible disaster occurred on the slopes of Mount Everest. The combination of adverse weather conditions, overcrowding, miscommunication and circumstantial mishaps resulted in no less than eight people dying on the mountain in a single day. Practically all the victims were experienced climbers, several of them having already made it to the summit of the famous mountain at least once before. What has since been referred to as the Everest Disaster was immortalised by author Jon Krakauer - who was part of the fateful expedition - in the bestselling book Into the Air. The events were also later depicted in the harrowing 2015 Hollywood movie Everest. It might surprise you, then, that the deadliest mountain in the world - and the subject of today's video - is not Mount Everest. One of the individuals who lived through the tragedy that day was famous mountaineer Anatoli Boukreev. Boukreev had been a leader on the Mountain Madness team, and his experience and strength allowed him to not only to survive the tragedy, but to rescue three climbers by dragging them off the slopes to safety. But in spite of his experience and skill, Boukreev met his end only one year later, on another peak further west in the Himalaya range. This was Annapurna, the true single most deadly mountain in existence. The avalanche that killed Boukreev on Christmas Day 1997 also took the life of his climbing partner Dimitri Sobolev, and only six years before, a similar event took the lives of two South Korean climbers and four Nepalese guides. One year after Boukreev's death, yet another avalanche killed one more South Korean climber and two more Nepalese guides. In the space of only a couple of years, dozens of lives were lost to the unforgiving elements of the mountain. And even these disasters don't come close to the single most costly loss of life occurring on the mountain which - in terms of casualties - stands as the single worst mountain disaster in Nepal, and one of the very worst in history. ## The Call of the Annapurna Massif Now, even just this introduction might beg the question: why would climbers put themselves through summiting a peak as perilous as Annapurna? Part of the answer - as with many mountains - lies in its unquestionable beauty. The Annapurna range is a breathtaking location, a 55-kilometre long massif - or group of peaks - renowned for its mystique and glorious landscapes. Annapurna's name is derived from the Sanskrit "Anna" (meaning food) and "Purna" (meaning filled), and can be understood to mean 'everlasting bounty'. The surrounding 7,600 square-kilometre Annapurna Conservation Area attracts not only climbers, but trekkers, conservationists, and nature enthusiasts alike, through its unique blend of grandeur and scenic sights. Moreover, Annapurna - in theory - is more achievable for ambitious mountaineers than some of the other summits of the Himalayan 'eight-thousanders'. Its highest point is Annapurna I Main, standing at 8,091 meters (or 26,545 feet) - making it the 10th tallest mountain in the world, and one of the shortest from the prestigious "eight-thousander" family. It was actually the first of the fourteen mountains 8,000 metre-plus peaks to be successfully summited, a feat accomplished by a French mountaineer Maurice Herzog and his team in 1950. The Annapurna massif itself includes a number of other prominent peaks such as Annapurna II (which, at 7,937 meters, is the tallest mountain outside the eight-thousanders), as well as Annapurna III (7,555 meters), and Annapurna South (7,219 meters). The range therefore offers a variety of milestones for seasoned and novice climbers alike. Another famous site is Machapuchare, or Fishtail Mountain, which stands at a little under 7,000 meters. But this peak is considered sacred by locals and is therefore prohibited for climbing. And there's another reason still for venturing to Annapurna: it is cheap. To attempt to climb Everest warrants a permit worth at least 15,000 dollars alone, in addition to travel fees, accommodation, food supplies, guide fees and equipment, which can collectively accumulate to around 50,000 dollars. But a trek on Annapurna can be done for as little as one thousand dollars per person for a twelve-day route, with minimal climbing gear or even guided accompaniment necessary. The advance of "cheap tourism" however, has led to criticism and disaster, as we shall see a little later. Annapurna's surrounding region is a jewel of topography, with subalpine woodlands and lowland meadows, as well as snowfields and glaciers at higher altitudes. It is the largest protected area in Nepal and features a wide array of wildlife, including snow leopards, Tibetan wolves and Himalayan tahrs - a type of wild goat. The area is so beautiful that an entire aviation industry has developed which offers fly-bys over the picturesque mountains. But the enduring beauty of Annapurna has a lethal dark side. The region experiences a volatile variety of climatic conditions caused by its location and altitude. Its weather is influenced by the monsoon rains, which occur between June and September each year. The heavy rainfall helps nurture Annapurna's lush vegetation but also makes outdoor activity challenging, in what would be prime trekking and mountaineering season for most Northern Hemisphere peaks. The Winter, meanwhile - like on other mountains - brings with it heavy snowfall and below-freezing temperatures. As such, the ideal conditions for trekking are the Spring (from March to May), and a brief window in the Autumn - usually October to November. The rest of the year can be perilous, without even touching upon the obvious challenge of scaling the peak itself. Moreover, at higher altitudes, the weather on Annapurna is notoriously unpredictable all year-round, irrespective of season. Sudden snowstorms, avalanches, and high winds are common, and Annapurna I Main just so happens to be the most prone to unpredictability of them all. It is by no accident, therefore, that the mountain happens to have the highest fatality rate of any in the world. ## A Dance with the Devil Now, even assuming perfect weather conditions, to attempt to summit Annapurna Main is not for the faint-hearted. The mountain features a steep south face, which rises 3,000 meters from base camp to summit and which is considered one of the most dangerous climbs in the world. Climbers are forced to navigate the terrain while keeping an eye out for sudden rockfalls and avalanches, all while carrying heavy packs and supplementary oxygen to deal with sudden weather changes and the threat of altitude sickness. Scaling the mountain also requires a high level of technical and physical skill. Climbers must be proficient in ice and rock climbing, and must also have the fitness to endure both the long push to the summit and a successful descent. As if that weren't enough, rescue endeavours on Annapurna are hampered by its isolation and inaccessibility. To reach base camp alone can take as much as a week. Helicopter evacuations are difficult and are rarely effectuated, and unlike Everest with its large population of local sherpas, the locals around Annapurna are not dedicated mountaineers, able to assist adventurers in moments of jeopardy. The combination of these factors has contributed to a string of tragic deaths on Annapurna. Aside from Anatoli Boukreev, other notable mountaineers who have succumbed to their attempt to climb Annapurna include Finnish climber Samuli Mansikka and Italian Christian Kuntner - both of whom successfully summited all thirteen other eight-thousanders but died while striving to conquer Annapurna Main. Another famous case is Kang Ki-Seok, a South Korean who had helped forge a new route to the summit of Everest - known as the Korean Route - but who was killed in a suspected rockfall in his attempt to do the same thing on Annapurna. Kang died alongside his climbing partner Park Yeong-Seok, a veteran mountaineer who had once successfully summited Annapurna (and every other eight-thousander), but was killed along with Kang on his second summit in 2011. Yet it is not only mountaineers who have fallen victim to the mountain, as would come to pass three years after the deaths of Kang and Park. ## The 2014 Annapurna Disaster Maya was twenty-one years old when she set out to trek Annapurna with her friends in October 2014. They were not alone, and the number of trekkers around Annapurna Main and the nearby Dhaulagiri mountain that season was in the hundreds. Trekking and mountaineering are two quite distinct activities carried out in the Himalayas - the former tracing mountain paths around the peaks, the latter scaling upwards to their summits. In Nepal, both occur at high altitude and neither are free of hazard, being exposed to unforgiving weather and unpredictable avalanches. Still, although trekking on Everest is impossible, trekking on Annapurna is common, and the brief Autumn window - considered high season - can attract thousands of adventurers keen to experience the region's irresistible sights. Maya and her group were undeterred by a tragic disaster that had occurred several months earlier on Everest, and set out on a three-hour route toward the Thorong La, the highest point on the Annapurna trekking circuit, at around 5,400 metres altitude. The group was largely inexperienced, but as revealed in a later article by physician and adventurer Stephen Fabes, even seasoned trekkers and mountain guides were hamstrung by the ferocious elements on the mountainside that day. As it happened, the entire region was racked by the devastating storm effects of Cyclone Hudhud, a tropical cyclone which had formed off the coast of Thailand on October 6th and travelled north soon after. By October 12th, it hit landfall and laid waste to the northern India state of Uttar Pradesh, causing massive infrastructural damage and killing 18 people. Cyclone Hudhud crossed into Nepal the following day and reached the Himalayas on the 14th of October, by which time the storm was so powerful that it caused 1.5 metres of snow to fall within 12 hours. Maya and her group had set out for Thorong La the same morning. Fabes, who was further down the mountain, described what happened next. While safely camped in the village of Manang and waiting to begin his own two-day trek toward Thorong La, he woke up to more than 60 centimetres of snow which had fallen in the night between the 13th and 14th of October. Fabes wrote: "October in Manang means brochure-blue skies, not blizzards. We'd heard no weather warnings at any of the trekking permit checkpoints en route. My mind jumped to our impending climb: if there are 2 feet of snowfall here, then Thorong La must be impassable." He was right. High up on the mountain, catastrophe had struck. More than 200 hikers had made the journey to Thorong La, many of them anticipating mild weather and very few dressed appropriately for the powerstorm that was to come. As the storm struck, heavy snow fell, temperatures plummeted, and chaos erupted. Many trekkers were without guides, and were forced to cling together under what little cover they had, as Cyclone Hudhud raged. Some tried to turn back to avoid hypothermia; not all were successful. Maya, who'd by now reached the pass with her friends, reported: "We didn't have much equipment, and we just dropped our bags and kept going through the storm … Everybody was saying if you stay, you are going to die… We couldn't see the way. There's no path. There's 150 centimetres of snow. We were walking between the bodies and bags, and we could see our dead friends and the bodies of the guides. It was horrible, a horror." Owing to the storm, electrical power, cell phone service, and internet connectivity failed in the Manang District, hampering relief efforts. Maya and her group were forced to huddle in a crowded cabin on the Thorong La pass for twenty hours, as the blizzard swirled furiously around them. By October 15th, the day Fabes' group had intended to begin their trek, the storm largely passed, and rescue teams were in a better position to try to assist the stranded trekkers. What they encountered high up on the pass was devastation. 32 people were immediately found to have died, including 17 alone on Thorong La. A huge rescue operation was launched by the Nepalese authorities, incorporating units of the army and military and civilian helicopters. More than 70 sorties and a sweep of the entire area were conducted, but it took days to be able to rescue some of the stranded trekkers. One British man survived having been stranded on the pass for 72 hours. Many others weren't so lucky. The dead were placed in body bags and flown to Manang, many of them dressed in little other than the jeans and trainers they'd set out on their trek wearing. At least 43 people ultimately died on Annapurna that day, and a further 175 were treated for injuries such as severe frostbite, with some having limbs later amputated. In the wake of the disaster, the Nepalese authorities were criticised for insufficient advance meteorological warnings and for allowing the saturation of trekkers who'd journeyed to the Conservation Area in the years leading up to the tragedy. The government, on the other hand, clapped back: lambasting the emergence of "cheap tourism" and adventurers willing to risk the trek without paying for guides and sufficient equipment, thereby leaving themselves vulnerable to the inherent dangers of the mountain. ## The Terrifying Tale of the Mountain But while the 2014 tragedy was caused by an exceptionally-strong storm, and likely exacerbated by the inexperience of some trekkers, this doesn't mean that weathered and well-prepared thrill-seekers are much safer on the unforgiving mountain. A total of 73 climbers have succumbed to the treacherous elements on Annapurna Main. While this figure pales with the 332 people who have died on Everest, the tallest mountain on earth, in turn, withers if compared with Annapurna's sheer relative mortality. Only 395 people are known to have summited Annapurna Main I, which - when held against the 73 deaths - leads to a fatality rate of roughly one for every five successful ascents. You will recall - from the introduction - that Annapurna was the first eight-thousander to be summited, a full three years before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay conquered Everest in 1953. That means that in the 75 years since Maurice Herzog and his teammates scaled Annapurna Main, a little over 5 people per year - on average - have managed to repeat the feat. Herzog wrote his name into history with his successful ascent, but suffered severe frostbite on the way back and returned to France having lost all his toes and most of his fingers. Everest - in stark contrast with Annapurna - has been successfully summited over 12,000 times by more than 7,000 individuals. In effect, a fatality rate of little over one death for every thirty-six ascents. Even the second-highest eight-thousander, K2, which is seen as technically the most challenging peak in the world and even by some as the riskiest, has been ascended by more than 800 people since 1954. 96 people have died, leading to a mortality of a little over one in eight. A terrifying figure, no doubt - but still significantly less than Annapurna's astonishing one in five. Moreover, the death rate on Annapurna has been dilated by a number of successful summits in 2022 and 2023 with only one fatality - and the fatality rate may have been as high as one in three by 2012. To put the scale further into perspective, the very worst incident on Everest to date - albeit, perhaps, not the most well-known - occurred in April 2014, when a freak ice avalanche killed sixteen Nepalese sherpas in one swoop. But as awful as that event was, it paled in comparison to the disaster on Annapurna and Dhaulagiri later the same year, with the 43 dead and 175 wounded constituting the single worst mountain tragedy in Nepal, and one of the very worst in history. ## Key Takeaways - Annapurna is the deadliest mountain in the world, with a fatality rate of one death for every five successful ascents. - The 2014 Annapurna disaster, caused by Cyclone Hudhud, resulted in 43 deaths and 175 injuries, making it Nepal's worst mountain tragedy. - Annapurna's unpredictable weather and technical challenges make it a perilous climb, even for experienced mountaineers. - The mountain's isolation and inaccessibility hinder rescue efforts, adding to the danger for climbers. - Despite its risks, Annapurna attracts climbers due to its beauty, relative accessibility, and lower cost compared to Everest. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What was the deadliest day on Mount Everest? In May 1996, eight people died on Mount Everest in a single day due to adverse weather conditions, overcrowding, miscommunication, and circumstantial mishaps. ### Who is Anatoli Boukreev? Anatoli Boukreev was a famous mountaineer who survived the 1996 Everest disaster and rescued three climbers. He died in an avalanche on Annapurna in 1997. ### What is the fatality rate of Annapurna Main? The fatality rate of Annapurna Main is approximately one death for every five successful ascents. ### What is the highest point of the Annapurna massif? The highest point of the Annapurna massif is Annapurna I Main, standing at 8,091 meters (26,545 feet). ### What is the best time to trek in the Annapurna region? The ideal conditions for trekking in the Annapurna region are during the Spring (from March to May) and a brief window in the Autumn (usually October to November). ### What was the 2014 Annapurna disaster? The 2014 Annapurna disaster was caused by Cyclone Hudhud, which resulted in heavy snowfall and extreme weather conditions. At least 43 people died, and 175 were injured. ### What is the Annapurna Conservation Area known for? The Annapurna Conservation Area is known for its unique blend of grandeur and scenic sights, attracting climbers, trekkers, conservationists, and nature enthusiasts. ### Why is Annapurna considered more dangerous than Everest? Annapurna is considered more dangerous due to its high fatality rate of approximately one death for every five successful ascents, compared to Everest's fatality rate of one death for every thirty-six ascents. ### What are some of the other prominent peaks in the Annapurna massif? Other prominent peaks in the Annapurna massif include Annapurna II (7,937 meters), Annapurna III (7,555 meters), and Annapurna South (7,219 meters). ### What is the significance of Machapuchare in the Annapurna region? Machapuchare, or Fishtail Mountain, is considered sacred by locals and is therefore prohibited for climbing. ## Sources - [Original Places video: This is the DEADLIEST Mountain Peak in the World...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFFl_zv6mOM) - [https://www.londondaily.news/annapurna-base-camp-trek-everything-to-know-before-you-go/](https://www.londondaily.news/annapurna-base-camp-trek-everything-to-know-before-you-go/) - [https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18596](https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18596) - [https://www.backpacker.com/survival/inside-nepals-deadly-blizzard/](https://www.backpacker.com/survival/inside-nepals-deadly-blizzard/) - [https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4581195,00.html](https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4581195,00.html) - [https://cdn-s-www.estrepublicain.fr/images/A86FEF8C-462E-4F7A-AAA7-235CE3A4E437/NW_raw/maurice-herzog-1355489070.jpg](https://cdn-s-www.estrepublicain.fr/images/A86FEF8C-462E-4F7A-AAA7-235CE3A4E437/NW_raw/maurice-herzog-1355489070.jpg) - [https://www.greenvalleynepaltreks.com/annapurna-circuit-trek](https://www.greenvalleynepaltreks.com/annapurna-circuit-trek) - [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/17/nepal-cheap-tourists-snow-disaster](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/17/nepal-cheap-tourists-snow-disaster) - [https://www.greenmatters.com/living/annapurna-death-rate](https://www.greenmatters.com/living/annapurna-death-rate) - [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29679773](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29679773) - [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nepal-hikers/death-toll-in-nepals-worst-trekking-disaster-reaches-43-idUSKCN0IA1XU20141021/](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nepal-hikers/death-toll-in-nepals-worst-trekking-disaster-reaches-43-idUSKCN0IA1XU20141021/) - [Hero image source](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Chaukhambha_%283641812744%29.jpg) by dr ashok kolluru / openverse, cc0. ## Related Coverage