The highest mountain isn't always the tallest, and the deadliest isn't the biggest. Ten questions on the peaks that draw climbers and myths alike.
Mountains are the planet showing its work: the slow collision of tectonic plates pushed up into rock and ice. This quiz covers the highest peaks, the great ranges, and the forces that raised them, along with a few facts that trip people up, like the difference between the tallest mountain and the one that reaches highest above sea level. Each answer is explained so the geology behind it makes sense rather than sitting as a bare statistic. Whether you are a hiker, a map-reader, or just curious about the roof of the world, it is a satisfying climb through the highest ground on Earth.
Every question in this quiz is listed below with its correct answer and the reasoning behind it. Play first if you would rather not see the answers — or read through as a study sheet.
Play it insteadAnswer: C. Everest
Why: Mount Everest reaches 8,849 m in the Himalayas, on the border between Nepal and China.
Answer: C. The Karakoram
Why: K2 (8,611 m) sits in the Karakoram on the China-Pakistan border and is far deadlier to climb than Everest.
Answer: A. Kilimanjaro
Why: Kilimanjaro in Tanzania rises to 5,895 m and is the tallest free-standing mountain on Earth.
Answer: A. South America
Why: The Andes stretch some 7,000 km along the western edge of South America.
Answer: C. The Alps
Why: Mont Blanc (4,808 m) straddles France and Italy and is the highest summit in the Alps.
Answer: C. Mauna Kea
Why: Hawaii's Mauna Kea rises over 10,000 m from its ocean floor base — taller than Everest measured that way.
Answer: A. United States
Why: Denali (6,190 m), formerly Mount McKinley, stands in Alaska in the United States.
Answer: A. Italy
Why: The Matterhorn (4,478 m) straddles the Swiss-Italian border and is one of the most photographed peaks in the world.
Answer: D. Kangchenjunga
Why: Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) is the third-highest mountain in the world and the highest entirely within the Himalayas after Everest.
Answer: B. Each continent
Why: The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven continents — a mountaineering rite of passage.
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