Denali is the World’s tallest mountain, claims Denali National Park and Preserve.
Yep, you read that right.
The peak of Mt. Everest is 29,032 feet (8,849m) above sea level, making it the mountain with the highest elevation. However, the base of Mount Everest is estimated to be 17,000 feet (5,200m), making the vertical rise of the mountain roughly only 12,000 feet.
- Related: Looking for Your Next Big Mountain Adventure? Denali, AK, Is Now Open to Guided Ski Descents
On the other hand, Denali has a very low base height of about 2000 feet (610m) with a peak of 20,310 feet. This makes Denali’s vertical rise estimated at 18,000 feet (5,500m). Using this measurement qualifies Denali as the tallest mountain on land in the world. This difference in elevation makes Denali an extremely challenging mountain to summit from base to peak.
Combine that with the lack of foothills and a low point in the park at about 250 feet (76m) above sea level, and there are places in the park where you can stand and look up at a full 20,000 feet of the mountain. All these things play into the WOW factor of seeing Denali in all its glory.
According to Wikipedia, Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet (6,190 m) above sea level. With a topographic prominence of 20,194 feet (6,155 m)[3] and a topographic isolation of 4,621.1 miles (7,436.9 km), Denali is the third most prominent and third most isolated peak on Earth, after Mount Everest and Aconcagua. Located in the Alaska Range in the interior of the U.S. state of Alaska, Denali is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.
Aconcagua is the second highest? what about K2, number 1.5 highest?
The BBC GOON SHOW, had a episode about climbing the world’s tallest mountain that was beneath the sea surface. The climb would not be recognized because they had to first reverse climb from the peak to the base.
Maunakea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii actually holds the title of tallest mountain on Earth at 33,500 feet
It does! But most of that is in the sea, hence ‘the tallest mountain on land’ in this title.