Location: Nepal

As the first 8,000-meter peak ever climbed, Annapurna is a very special feat. In 1950, the first summit was completed by Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, members of a French team which included many other great climbers. Both suffered severe frostbite from the expedition.

Location: Pakistan

The legendary Austrian climber Hermann Buhl completed the first ascent of Nanga Parbat in 1953. After his companions turned back, he continued up to summit where he had to bivouac standing up on a narrow ledge with one hand clasped to a handhold.

Location: Nepal

In 1956, a Japanese expedition led by Yuko Maki finally reached summit with Toshia Imanishi and Sherpa Gyalzen Norbu. The steep, sharp peak has a high fatality rate with higher avalanche dangers on the lower slopes.

Location: Nepal

Four members of a Swiss-Austrian team and two sherpas climbed the normal route up the Northeast Ridge to complete the first ascent in 1960. The expedition was led by Max Eiselin and was successfully completed by Kurt Diemberger, P. Diener, E. Forrer, A. Schelbert, Sherpa Nyima Dorje, and Sherpa Nawang Dorje.

Location: Nepal and Tibet, China border

The first ascent of Cho Oyu was completed by an illegal Austrian expedition in 1954 that crossed over Nangpa La to access it. The climbers included Joseph Jöchler, Herbert Tichy, and Sherpa Pasang Dawa Lama. This peak is on the easier side of those listed, with no technical climbing and little obvious danger, often the first of most climbers 8,000 meter peaks.

Location: Khumbu, Nepal and Tibet, China border

In a French expedition led in 1955 nine climbers, including one sherpa were placed on summit after climbing the north face and northeast ridge. Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy were of the first to summit.

Location: Nepal and China Border

Lhotse Main was first climbed during a Swiss expedition in 1956 by Ernst Reiss and Fritz Luchsinger. It was first climbed as an alternative route towards Everest’s summit.

Location: India and Nepal border

The first ascent completed in 1955 was by a famed British rock climber Joe Brown and George Band. Beginning a tradition that still lives on today, they stopped just below the sacred summit as a promise to the Maharaja of Sikkim to keep the summit undefiled by human feet.

Location: Baltistan, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China border

The Savage Mountain has one of the most difficult ascents. The first successful expedition was in 1954 led by Ardito Desio with Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni.

Location: Nepal and Tibet, China border

While some debate that George Mallory and Andrew Irvine should be credited the first to make the climb in 1924, the first official ascent was completed by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary using the southeast ridge route in 1953.