Stretched across five countries — Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal, and China — the Himalayan mountain range is home to some of the highest mountain peaks in the world. Mount Everest, which is the highest mountain on earth, is nestled within the Himalayas along with 110 other peaks with elevations that rise 7,300m above sea level. In fact, all the 14 mountains which make the mighty eight-thousanders are located in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges.
While the challenging conditions of the Himalayas and the accolades associated with climbing them attract seasoned mountaineers from all over the world, it’s no news that the Himalayas have claimed several lives over the years. Statistics show a deadly ratio of deaths for every climber that makes it to the summits of Himalayan mountain peaks, and here are the hikes that are the most dangerous of them all.
10 Stok Kangri Trek
Stok Kangri is one of the highest mountain peaks in the world that can be climbed. At an elevation of 20,100 ft, it beats the likes of Mt. Elbrus and Mt. Kilimanjaro, making the hike to its peak incredibly challenging. The 40km stretch to the summit takes over eight days of hiking in freezing temperatures of the Himalayas. Steep slopes with an inclination of 70 degrees and sweeping cold winds of the high altitude mean that the Stok Kangri trek has seen its fair share of fatalities over the years.
9 Kalindi Khal Trek
The Kalindi Khal Trek packs in the essence of hiking in the Himalayas in a stretch of 100kms, and it certainly isn’t a climb for the faint-hearted. The terrain is rugged and filled with glaciers, the weather can be unpredictable, and the climbing window is very small. The trek also requires the use of ice axes and crampons. The Kalindi Trek tests the physical and mental endurance of climbers, and the trek isn’t for those not used to the challenges that come with climbing in the Himalayan mountain range.
8 Kang La Pass
It is highly recommended that only those who have previously climbed mountains between 4,700m and 5,000m attempt to hike through the Kang La Pass. A long and physically tasking trek, the Kang La Pass, involves hiking through one of the longest glaciers in the Himalayas, which is the hike’s most trying part. The 24km long glacier over the pass is infested with dangerous crevices. To add to that, the Kang La Pass is an extremely remote and unexplored trek that isn’t frequented by climbers too often.
7 Auden’s Col Trek
Located in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas — which itself is notorious for being a tasking region to master — Auden’s Col trek is considered to be among the toughest and deadliest hikes in the mountain range. The high-altitude trek involves passing through the hidden crevasses of the Khatling glacier and takes climbers from 10,000 ft to 18,050 ft in five days, meaning being able to acclimatize quickly is key. Auden’s Col Trek is also an incredibly hostile hike that is prone to changing terrain with landslide-prone areas and sliding grounds.
6 Pin Parvati Trek
While the Pin Parvati trek is certainly for no hiker new to the world of mountaineering, the trek is risky enough that some climbing expeditions decide not to run treks in Pin Parvati. The trek has three major risk-prone areas that have been responsible for several deaths: the furious Parvati river that flows 50ft below, narrow trails barely wide enough to fit one climber at a time, and vertical rocks with dangerously small footholds. On top of the dangers that are peculiar to the Pin Parvati trek, there are also the dangers associated with most treks on the Himalayas: deadly river crossings, glaciers with deep crevasses, landslide-prone areas, and patches where one wrong step can prove fatal.
5 Nanda Devi Trek
The Nanda Devi mountain peak in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas is the second highest in India and the 23rd highest one in the world. The trek to reach the Nanda Devi peak begins with easy patches and progressively becomes tougher. Patches of the trek dramatically gain and drop altitude, making it a tricky climb even for seasoned mountaineers. Some parts of the hike are extremely steep and involve narrow ridges that require technical knowledge and skill to navigate. In 2019, the dead bodies of an expedition of eight led by British climber Martin Moran were found on the mountain after they were reported to have deviated from the hike that they were granted permission for, indicating just how deadly mistakes on the mountain can be.
4 Chadar Trek
When compared with the other, more treacherous hikes in the Himalayas filled with crevices, snowstorms, and ice falls, the Chadar trek deceivingly seems like a piece of cake. But other treks being far more deadly doesn’t make the Chadar trek any less dangerous. The Chadar trek is a flat hike flanked by mountains meaning there are no steep slopes to climb. The risky bit here, however, is the fact that climbers are walking over the frozen Zanskar River in Ladakh.
Those climbing the Chadar trek must not only be experienced in walking on snow-covered slippery ice, but they must also beware of changing temperatures and the effect they can have on the temperamental layer of ice beneath their feet. Only two years ago, 107 hikers had to be rescued from the Chadar trek as some parts of the frozen river unexpectedly melted!
3 Khimloga Pass
Khimloga is a high-altitude pass that sits at 5,712 meters in the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas between Uttarakhand and the Kinnaur district of India. Though breathtakingly beautiful with forests and glacier fields, The Khimloga Pass is not an easy hike to take on, and the trail is rarely ever used by locals either. Considered to be among the most dangerous hikes in India, the 48km stretch with its steep walls and dangerous glaciers has been responsible for several fatalities.
In two separate incidents last year, 10 climbers were reported dead, 12 injured, and two missing on the Khimloga Pass. Only recently, on September 4, nine climbers were involved in a mishap in which the deceased body of one was found later, and several remain missing. Following the spike in fatalities, all treks on the Khimloga Pass have been banned by authorities.
2 The Annapurna Circuit
A collection of small trails make up the great Annapurna Circuit which is one of the most dangerous hikes in the whole world, let alone the Himalayas. Certain patches of the circuit are even thought to be riskier than the notoriously difficult K2 and Everest mountains, and there’s one major reason for it: unpredictable weather. In a deadly incident in 2014, severe snowstorms and avalanches that weren’t anticipated resulted in the estimated death of 30 mountaineers who were climbing the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal that day, with even more that were injured and had to be rescued. Needless to say, the Annapurna Circuit should not be underestimated, even by experienced mountaineers.
1 Khumbu Icefall Trek
There’s no question that Mt Everest is amongst the most rewarding but also one of the most dangerous mountains to climb on earth. Movies have been made, and books have been written about the many disasters that have taken place on Mt Everest, that’s given the highest peak in the world another name: the world’s highest open graveyard. Bodies of deceased mountaineers remain deep inside the mountain even today. But of all its lethal patches, Khumbu Icefall is the most dangerous hike on Mt Everest. Why? Because it moves.
Those who want to climb Mount Everest without attempting to summit often trek to just the Khumbu Icefall. But the Khumbu Icefall moves an estimated three to four feet down the mountain every day, opening sudden crevasses and causing giant ice towers (seracs) to fall unpredictably. While the section vulnerable to these dangers are small, it requires mountaineers to work through the Khumbu Icefall fast to reduce exposure and know safe spots to take shelter in. It’s also advised that people climb through the Khumbu Icefall at night when the sun isn’t warming the ice and making it fall faster.