Eight-thousanders compared

Mount Everest vs Makalu

Mount Everest (8,848.86 m, world #1) and Makalu (8,485 m, world #5) compared side by side — height, first ascent and danger. Mount Everest is 364 m taller.

	Mount Everest	Makalu
Height	8,848.86 m	8,485 m
World rank	#1	#5
Range	Mahalangur Himal	Mahalangur Himal (Makalu section)
Location	Solukhumbu, Koshi	Sankhuwasabha, Koshi
Border	Nepal–China (Tibet) border	Nepal–China (Tibet) border
First ascent	29 May 1953	15 May 1955
First climbers	Edmund Hillary (NZ) & Tenzing Norgay Sherpa (Nepal)	Jean Couzy & Lionel Terray (France)
Standard route	Southeast Ridge via South Col (Nepal); Northeast Ridge (Tibet)	Northwest Ridge (French route)
Danger	339 deaths against 13,737 summits through December 2025 — ≈1.06 deaths per 100 summits (Himalayan Database via Alan Arnette, 2026).	≈390 summits and ≈40 deaths by ≈2019 — among the harder classic 8000ers (Himalayan Database-derived compilations).

Mount Everest

The highest mountain on Earth at 8,848.86 m (2020 Nepal–China joint survey). Known as Sagarmatha in Nepali and Chomolung…

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Makalu

A four-sided granite pyramid 19 km southeast of Everest, often called the most aesthetically perfect of the eight-thousa…

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Questions

Mount Everest vs Makalu, answered

Is Mount Everest taller than Makalu?+

Mount Everest stands 8,848.86 m and Makalu 8,485 m, so Mount Everest is 364 m taller. Mount Everest is the world's 1st-highest mountain and Makalu the 5th.

Which was climbed first, Mount Everest or Makalu?+

Mount Everest was first summited on 29 May 1953; Makalu on 15 May 1955.

Which is more dangerous, Mount Everest or Makalu?+

Mount Everest: 339 deaths against 13,737 summits through December 2025 — ≈1.06 deaths per 100 summits (Himalayan Database via Alan Arnette, 2026). Makalu: ≈390 summits and ≈40 deaths by ≈2019 — among the harder classic 8000ers (Himalayan Database-derived compilations).

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Sources & data note

Heights follow the 2020 Nepal–China Everest survey and UIAA figures. Ascent and fatality statistics derive from the Himalayan Database (via Alan Arnette, 2026) and reported press figures; see each peak's profile for full sourcing.