Go climb or hiking up a mountain...it's International Mountain Day!  Some of us dream of summiting some tall peaks and there's no question about the allure of the challenge.  Today is a day to create awareness about the importance of mountains in our lives.  Be safe & prepared for these adventures!  Here we are taking a Snow Safety Skills Course at Mt. Shasta:

And in case you're bent on summiting some peaks, here is a shortlist of the tallest three:

1. Mount Everest - 8,848 meters / 29,028 ft

South Base Camp, Nepal - 5,360 meters / 17,600 ft & North Base Camp, Tibet - 5,208 meters / 17,090 ft

2. K2 - 8,611 meters / 28,251 ft

K2 Base Camp, Pakistan - 5,585 meters / 18,322 ft

3. Kangchenjunga - 8,586 meters / 28,169 ft

Kangchenjunga Base Camp - 5,350 meters / 17500 ft

As here are the 7 tallest summits on 7 continents:

Asia: Mount Everest -  8,848 meters / 29,028 ft

North America: Mount McKinley / Denali - 6,194 meters / 20,320 ft

Europe: Mount Elbrus - 5,633 m / 18,481 ft

Africa: Mount Kilimanjaro - 5,892 metres / 19,331 ft

South America: Cerro Aconcagua - 6,962 meters / 22,840 ft

Australia: Carstensz Pyramid / Puncak Jaya - 4884 meters, 16,023 ft

Antartica: Mount Vinson - 4,892 metres / 16,067 ft