The lordly Himalayas—separating the Indian subcontinent from the vast Tibetan plateau—contain Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak. Readers of this “Mountains Around the World” series will discover that the Himalayan chain includes Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet within its boundaries. Formed about fifty million years ago, this range contains towering summits like K2 and sacred Machapuchare (closed to climbers) as well as lakes, deep gorges, and glaciers that provide fresh water to major rivers including the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, and the Indus.