Asia

Asia, the largest continent, is home to the highest mountians on the planet. Every single peak over 23,000'/7000m in the world rises in the vast complex of ranges dominated by the Himalaya, culminating, of course, in Mt. Everest (29,028'/8848m).

For lack of a better term, I am calling the system of high ranges in central Asia the "Greater Himalaya", although the Himalaya is merely one of seven major ranges that throw peaks up above 7000m. The vortex of this galaxy of mountains is the Pamir: from it the Hindu Kush radiates southwest, the Tien Shan northwest, the Kunlun to the east, and the Karakoram to the southeast. The Himalaya starts across from the Karakoram, and at its eastern end merges into the high ranges of south-central China.

Click here to see detail map of the Greater Himalaya/Central Asia area.

Outside of these ranges Asian mountains are not very impressive. Siberia, southern India, southeast Asia, the Malay archipelago, and east Asian islands like Japan and Taiwan all harbor mountains of varying significance, occasionally rising just above 4000m, but next to the greater Himalaya they pale in significance. (The Middle East, Including Iran and points west and southwest, is boken off into a separate continent).

Individual Peak Information

More coming soon!

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