Eight-thousanders compared

Makalu vs Annapurna I

Makalu (8,485 m, world #5) and Annapurna I (8,091 m, world #10) compared side by side — height, first ascent and danger. Makalu is 394 m taller.

	Makalu	Annapurna I
Height	8,485 m	8,091 m
World rank	#5	#10
Range	Mahalangur Himal (Makalu section)	Annapurna Himal
Location	Sankhuwasabha, Koshi	Kaski / Myagdi, Gandaki
Border	Nepal–China (Tibet) border	Entirely in Nepal
First ascent	15 May 1955	3 June 1950
First climbers	Jean Couzy & Lionel Terray (France)	Maurice Herzog & Louis Lachenal (France)
Standard route	Northwest Ridge (French route)	North Face (1950 French route); the immense South Face is one of alpinism's great test-pieces
Danger	≈390 summits and ≈40 deaths by ≈2019 — among the harder classic 8000ers (Himalayan Database-derived compilations).	Long the deadliest 8,000er: historical fatality rates exceeded 30%; with the surge in guided ascents the summits-to-deaths ratio fell to ≈13–14% by early 2025 (559 summits / 75 deaths) — still the highest of the fourteen.

Makalu

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

Full Makalu profile →

Annapurna I

The first eight-thousander ever climbed — and statistically the most dangerous. Annapurna I crowns a 55 km massif holdin…

Full Annapurna I profile →

Questions

Makalu vs Annapurna I, answered

Is Makalu taller than Annapurna I?+

Makalu stands 8,485 m and Annapurna I 8,091 m, so Makalu is 394 m taller. Makalu is the world's 5th-highest mountain and Annapurna I the 10th.

Which was climbed first, Makalu or Annapurna I?+

Makalu was first summited on 15 May 1955; Annapurna I on 3 June 1950.

Which is more dangerous, Makalu or Annapurna I?+

Makalu: ≈390 summits and ≈40 deaths by ≈2019 — among the harder classic 8000ers (Himalayan Database-derived compilations). Annapurna I: Long the deadliest 8,000er: historical fatality rates exceeded 30%; with the surge in guided ascents the summits-to-deaths ratio fell to ≈13–14% by early 2025 (559 summits / 75 deaths) — still the highest of the fourteen.

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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.