Elevation
8,485 m (27,837 feet)
Country
China
Mountain Range
Mahalangur Himal
Prominence
2,378 m
Coordinates
27.8892, 87.0886
Makalu, 8,485 meters and fifth-highest globally, rises 19 kilometers southeast of Everest on the Nepal-China border. Its distinctive four-sided pyramid shape makes it one of the most recognizable peaks in the Himalayas. Named after the Hindu god Shiva (Sanskrit for Great Black), Makalu is considered extremely difficult due to knife-edge ridges and exposed terrain. First climbed in 1955 by a French expedition where all nine members remarkably reached the summit.