Sometimes called the world's easiest 20,000-foot peak, Island Peak is the most popular trekking peak in Nepal — summits classified as attainable by climbers with some mountaineering experience. The climb isn't a walk-up, though. It still requires an alpine start (2 a.m.) and use of crampons and an ice axe.

The title of the "easiest" 20,000-foot peak is often a toss-up between Island Peak (Imja Tse) in Nepal and Mera Peak, also in the Himalayas. Island Peak (20,305 ft) is frequently cited by mountaineers as the most accessible because, while it requires the use of crampons and ice axes for a final headwall, it is a non-technical "trekking peak" that can be climbed by fit beginners with basic training. However, Mera Peak (21,247 ft) is arguably "easier" in terms of technicality, as it is primarily a long, high-altitude glacier walk without the steep technical finish found on Island Peak. Outside of Nepal, Chachani in Peru (19,872 ft—just shy of 20k) is often called the easiest because you can drive to a high camp and simply hike to the summit in a single day. Regardless of technical ease, the "real" challenge of any 20,000-foot mountain is altitude; the thin air at 6,000+ meters requires weeks of acclimatization and physical stamina, making even the "easiest" peak a significant and potentially dangerous undertaking for the unprepared.