4. Lhotse
Elevation: 8,516 meters
As only 42 climbers have been successful in climbing Lhotse, and 21 others have died in their attempts, the odds are not good. This mountain is linked to Everest by the South Col, which is Everest’s highest camp. Reaching the South Col can only be done by scrambling over a 4,000-meter ice-covered face. Perhaps the difficulty factor can explain why it was not until 1956 when two Swiss explorers (Ernst Reiss and Fritz Luchsinger) finally managed to conquer this peak – and the purpose of this expedition was only as an alternative route to reaching Everest’s summit. Not one for the faint-hearted!
