Read on for a complete rundown of the world’s 10 most dangerous mountains for climbing, listed in no particular order. Most death statistics for Himalayan mountains come from The Himalayan Database, which collected data from 1950 to 2019, or 8000ers.com. Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2008. It has been updated for clarity and accuracy.  1. Nanga Parbat in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan (26,657 Feet) Fairy Meadows below Nanga Parbat; (photo/Imrankhakwani) Known as “Killer Mountain,” this craggy monster in Pakistan is an enormous ridge of rock and ice. Nanga Parbat is ..read more

The longtime Yosemite climber had been convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact, according to a news release. All three incidents occurred at Yosemite National Park in 2016, said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “Barrett’s long history of sexual violence supports the imposition of a life sentence,” Talbert said in the news release. “He used his status as a prominent climber to assault women in the rock climbing community, and when his victims began to tell, Barrett responded by lashing out publicly with threats and intimidation. This case is ..read more

Petzl released the new GRIGRI Neox today, and it looks just like the dominant assisted-braking belay device so many climbers use and trust. However, information from the French brand reveals that although the familiar form and rope locking cam are intact, the Neox has significant differences from the GRIGRI line. How a GRIGRI Works An official Petzl diagram depicting how to pay out slack to a lead climber on a GRIGRI; (image/Petzl) The current third-generation GRIGRI and GRIGRI + use a cam that engages due to increased rope friction placed on it by a falling or “taking” climber. The rope drag ..read more

The National Park Service has confirmed the death of Malaysian climber Zulkifli Bin Yusof, whose team sent an SOS signal near the summit of Denali on May 28. Yusof, 36, likely succumbed to exposure and altitude sickness on May 29 while sheltering in a snow cave at an elevation of 19,600 feet, park officials said. The climber’s body showed signs of exhaustion and dehydration — a result of the team’s strenuous attempt to reach the summit of North America’s highest mountain. As for Yusof’s two teammates, one of them was able to descend to Denali High Camp at 17,200 feet on May 28, where he was r ..read more

Two women have gone on the record to accuse famed mountaineer Nirmal “Nims” Purja, of serious sexual misbehavior, according to reporting by The New York Times. While the story mentions several cases of women who have suffered from sexual abuse in outdoor sports, it presents Purja’s case in the most detail through the testimonies of experienced climber and former Miss Finland, Lotta Hintsa, and American doctor April Leonardo. Both describe “experiences in recent years in which he [Purja] kissed them without consent, made aggressive advances, or touched them sexually against their wishes,” repo ..read more

The summit of Great Trango Tower was bleeding close. But even once they reached it, Christina “Lusti” Lustenberger, Jim Morrison, and Chantel Astorga would only be halfway to their goal — to make a historic first ski descent of this revered granite tower. Just below the summit, at the top of the ridge leading to it, the party stopped before a large bergschrund crevasse. In 2023, this crux had foiled Lustenberger, Morrison, and Nick McNutt’s first attempt to ski the hanging glacier on Great Trango. This time, however, The North Face athletes would not be stopped so close to their goal. They ha ..read more

Did someone cut the fixed rope used by hundreds of climbers to ascend Mount Everest? That’s the claim made by Nirmal “Nims” Purja, an expedition leader who said his team members discovered the sliced rope during a summit push on Monday. Later that day, another team successfully reached the summit using the fixed ropes, leading to accusations that Purja had invented the story for personal gain. On Monday, the Nepalese government announced an investigation into Purja for “disseminating misinformation with the intention of getting popularity.” But Purja fired back with some fresh video evidence ..read more

“El Matador” is a 5.10d classic endurance stemming route on Devils Tower. Many trad climbers find it challenging, but imagine if you headed up without using your eyes. British climber Jesse Dufton did just that last week, recording the first blind trad lead on the iconic formation. Dufton led all the hard pitches, placing his own gear, and he took several leader falls on his way to the summit. Placing the optimal piece of gear, correctly sized and secure, is hard enough with vision. Astonishingly, Dufton does this “in the dark.” Jesse Dufton Climbing History Dufton has retinitis pigmentosa, a ..read more

Climbers understand that there is inherent risk in their beloved activity. But when an experienced, and especially a professional, climber falls to their death inside a gym, it can be even more shocking and feel more tragic. On Tuesday, May 21t, Lee Hansche, 46, of Allenstown, N.H., fell to his death while climbing in the Vertical Dreams climbing gym in Manchester, N.H., the gym confirmed in a Facebook post. A local news report on Patch.com said police confirmed that a man fell from 50 to 60 feet without the aid of any safety equipment. The report said Manchester Fire and AMR responded and re ..read more

IFMGA guide Vinayak Malla summited Mount Everest at 6 a.m. on the morning of May 21, the busiest summit day, with Elite Exped clients. On their way back, they videoed just after the snow cornice couldn’t stand the weight of hundreds of climbers and gave in, dragging a number of people into the void. This article was originally published on ExplorersWeb. The video doesn’t show the actual collapse but its aftermath. Still, the footage is mind-blowing for its clarity and for depicting the mad sight of an overcrowded summit ridge. Dozens of climbers inch across a narrow snow arete, which couldn’t ..read more