Top 10 alpinism facts

Name of the Karakoram Range. The name K2 is derived from the notation used by the Great Trigonometric Survey. Thomas Montgomerie numbered the most prominent peaks of Kararkoram K1 to K35. Next, these were replaced by local names, but K2 appeared not to have acquired a local name, possibly due to its remoteness.

68°C (154.4°F). The boiling point of water depends on the pressure. On top of Mount Everest, the pressure is about 260 mbar (26.39 kPa) and the boiling point of water is 69 °C. (156.2 °F). In contrast, water can still remain liquid near deep hydrothermal vents, even if the temperature is very high.

Russia. Two characteristic peaks of Mt Elbrus have two volcano craters. The eastern peak has an enormous crater 250m in diameter.

It is not known. After the success, journalists persistently repeated the question which of the two men had the right to the glory of being the first one, and who was merely the second, the follower. Colonel Hunt, the expedition leader, declared: "They reached it together, as a team."

Eiger. The most notable feature of the Eiger is its 1,800-metre-high (5,900 ft) north face of rock and ice, named Eigerwand or Nordwand, which is the biggest north face in the Alps. The Eiger has been highly publicized for the many tragedies involving climbing expeditions.

K2 is the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest, at 8,611 metres above sea level. K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the extreme difficulty of ascent. It has the second-highest fatality rate among the eight thousanders and has never been climbed during winter.

Annapurna. The Annapurna peaks are among the world's most dangerous mountains to climb, although in more recent history, using only figures from 1990 and after, Kangchenjunga has a higher fatality rate. By March 2012, there had been 191 summit ascents of Annapurna I Main, and 61 climbing fatalities on the mountain. This fatality-to-summit ratio (32%) is the highest of any of the eight-thousanders. On October 2014, at least 43 people were killed as a result of snowstorms and avalanches on and around Annapurna, in the Nepal's worst ever trekking disaster.

Matterhorn. Sometimes referred to as the Mountain of Mountains, the Matterhorn has become an iconic emblem of the Swiss Alps and of the Alps in general. Since the end of the 19th century, when railways were built in the area, the mountain has attracted increasing numbers of visitors and climbers. Each year, numerous mountaineers try to climb the Matterhorn.

China and Pakistan. K2 is the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest,It is on the border between China and Pakistan. K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the extreme difficulty of ascent. It has the second-highest fatality rate among the eight thousanders. With around 300 successful summits and 77 fatalities, about one person dies on the mountain for every four who summit.

Nepal and China. Mount Everest, known in Nepali as Sagarmāthā and in Tibetan as Chomolungma, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The international border between China (Tibet Autonomous Region) and Nepal runs across its summit point.