Mountaineering
The best mountains to climb. These peaks are tough but as long as you have a decent level of fitness their summits are totally achievable.
You don’t have to be a climber to make it to the top of some of the world’s most noteworthy mountains – including two summits that are technically higher than Mount Everest.
From the relatively easy cruise to reach the lowest of the world’s Seven Summits, Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, to the challenging but trekkable ascent of the highest mountain outside of the Himalayas, Argentina’s Aconcagua, here are the best trek-able ascents to give any decent hiker serious mountain kudos.
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01
Mount Kosciuszko – 2,228m
- Where: Thredbo, Australia
- Why: Tick off one of the world’s Seven Summits and barely break a sweat
- How long: 1 day
- When: November-May (accessible but snow covered year round)
This is the easiest way to bag a big mountain prize thanks to the chairlift that goes most of the way, dropping hikers off just 303m below the Australian continent’s highest point.
It’s still a 13km round trip from the Kosciuszko Express Chairlift station to the summit and back, but the picturesque trail takes in alpine meadows, stark granite peaks, Australia’s highest lake and the rocky ridgeline summit itself, which offers 360-degree views over expansive mountain wilderness.
For those who want to do it all on foot, the 18.6km Summit Walk or the 22km Main Range loop both climb all the way from Charlotte Pass village – although that is only 100m lower than the chairlift station start point.
02
Mount Fuji – 3,776m
- Where: Chūbu region, Honshu, Japan
- Why: The most recognised and picture perfect volcano in the world
- How long: 1-2 days
- When: July-September (access by shuttle bus)
This short and well-signed climb has very few challenging sections but the altitude can take its toll on some. It is best done either overnight or split into two days to reach the top in time for a spectacular sunrise.
The climb can be done on four different routes, each from different starting points around the mountain.
The most popular is the Yoshida trail – the most accessible place on the side where the sun rises. To the south, the Fujinomiya trail starts higher but takes second best because the sunrise is hidden until the summit, although a side route to Hoeizan peak does offer bonus views of a distant Tokyo skyline. The Subashiri trail is less crowded and meets the Yoshida route partway up while the Gotemba trail is the lowest, longest and least popular.
03
Jbel Toubkal – 4,167m
- Where: Imlil, Atlas Mountains, Morocco
- Why: An easy-access 4,000m peak that can be summitted on a weekend
- How long: 2-3 days
- When: Year round (Crampons and ice expertise needed Nov to April)
The highest peak in North Africa is easily accessible from Marrakesh and offers a fun but challenging ascent across boulder fields and scree to a truly inspiring summit view over the High Atlas.
There is only one route, which begins with a 4km hike from the end of the road at Imlil through the Mizane Valley to Aroumd then climbs 1,400m over 8km to the Toubkal refuges. Most trekkers overnight there to acclimatise then take the South Circque trail to the summit in the early morning to avoid the clouds before heading back down.
04
Mauna Kea – 4,207m
- Where: Hawaii, USA
- Why: The world’s highest mountain from base to top (10,205m)
- How long: 1 day
- When: Year round
This is the world’s highest mountain from base to top – although 6,000m of its 10,205m is under the sea – but its summit can actually be reached by car using the access road to the telescopes at the top.
Those who want to get there on foot can take a 9km offroad trail, which starts 200m from the visitor’s information centre and comes out onto the road 1km from the top.
The route passes cinder cones, archaeological sites and the Pacific Basin’s highest lake and although the high altitude makes the 1,395m ascent a genuine challenge, the chance to view the desolate landscape without the crowds is well worth the effort.
05
Mount Kilimanjaro – 5,895m
- Where: Kilimanjaro NP, Tanzania
- Why: Africa’s highest mountain and the world’s tallest freestanding summit
- How long: 5-7 days, depending on route
- When: August-October (main season); January-March (fewer crowds)
Getting to the summit of this iconic peak is a true achievement, with its final scree slope ascent at extreme altitudes cutting success rates on some routes to below 50 percent.
Don’t let that put you off, though, because with good acclimatisation and the right route selection it is a genuinely amazing experience hiking in this region, reaching the crater edge to view the African plains at sunrise then trekking to the summit alongside the continent’s only remaining glacier.
There are six different routes but the most popular are the Marangu – a steady but extremely busy climb and the only one with hut accommodation; Machame – tougher but very scenic with good acclimatisation leading to good success rates; and Rongai – a less crowded, steady, scenic climb with good acclimatisation on Mawenzi Tarn.
06
Chimborazo – 6,268m
- Where: Cordillera Occidental, Ecuador
- Why: The furthest point on the planet from the centre of the Earth
- How long: 2-day summit climb + 10 days in/out/acclimatisation hikes
- When: November-February; May-July
The summit of this ice-capped volcano is the highest place on Earth, when measured from its centre – and with enough acclimatisation and some basic glacier hiking skills it can be reached without any climbing techniques.
Although Chimborazo is more than 2.5km lower than Mount Everest, the summit’s location on the Earth’s equatorial bulge – the planet is not a perfect sphere and is wider at its middle – puts it 6,384.4km from the Earth’s core, more than 2km further away than the summit of Everest.
For the best chance of success, it is recommended to acclimatise for around 10 days by climbing Ecuador’s lower volcanoes, such as Pasochoa and Cayambe, and to make the summit attempt with a local guide due to the potentially dangerous crevasses and rock falls on the route.
07
Mera Peak – 6,476m
- Where: Mahālangūr Himāl, Nepal
- Why: The highest trekking peak in the Himalayas
- How long: 3-day summit climb + 10+ days in/out/acclimatisation hikes
- When: May or October
This summit offers a stunning 360-degree view of five of the six highest mountains on Earth – Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu and, in the far distance on a clear day, Kanchenjunga.
Trekking in the Everest region of the Himalayas is spectacular, with its wild rhododendron forests, imposing monasteries and busy little villages providing interesting acclimatisation routes before reaching base camp.
The summit attempt is usually a 3-day ascent via Mera La and High Camp and although the getting to the true top requires a 60-degree rope climb, the 6,431m trekking summit can be reached with basic glacier hiking skills.
08
Aconcagua – 6,962m
- Where: Mendoza, Argentina
- Why: The highest mountain outside the Himalayas and the world’s highest trekking peak
- How long: 7-day summit climb + 8-10 days in/out/acclimatisation hike
- When: November-March
This is the big daddy of mountain treks and although the ‘Normal Route’ is a hike requiring no climbing skills it still demands the same kind of levels of preparation, clothing and equipment to a major Himalayan ascent.
The typical route reaches Base Camp in five days but then takes a further week of climbing between there and Camps I, II and III before the final trek up the North Ridge to reach the summit.
It’s the toughest trekking summit on Earth and around 3,500 people attempt the climb each year, but just 40 percent actually make it to the top.
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