Portal:Mountains

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Introduction

Uluguru Mountains, in Tanzania

A mountain is an elevated portion of the surface of a planet, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher than a hill, typically rising at least several hundred metres (a few thousand feet) above the surrounding land. A few mountains are isolated summits, but most occur in mountain ranges.^{[page needed]}

Mountains are formed through tectonic forces, erosion, or volcanism,^{[page needed]} which act on time scales of up to tens of millions of years. Once mountain building ceases, mountains are slowly leveled through the action of weathering, through slumping and other forms of mass wasting, as well as through erosion by rivers and glaciers.

High elevations on mountains produce colder climates than at sea level at similar latitude. These colder climates strongly affect the ecosystems of mountains: different elevations have different plants and animals. Because of the less hospitable terrain and climate, mountains tend to be used less for agriculture and more for resource extraction, such as mining and logging, along with recreation, such as mountain climbing and skiing.

The highest mountain on Earth is Mount Everest in the Himalayas of Asia, whose summit is 8,850 m (29,035 ft) above mean sea level. The highest known mountain on any planet in the Solar System is Olympus Mons on Mars at 21,171 m (69,459 ft). The tallest mountain including submarine terrain is Mauna Kea in Hawaii from its underwater base at 9,330 m (30,610 ft); some scientists consider it to be the tallest on earth. (Full article...)

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Selected mountain-related landform

A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both human and animal migration throughout history. At lower elevations it may be called a hill pass. A mountain pass is typically formed between two volcanic peaks or created by erosion from water or wind. (Full article...)

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Selected mountain range

The Dartmouth Range as seen looking west from the first cap of Mount Jefferson, Coos County, New Hampshire

The Dartmouth Range is a mountain range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. The range lies in the township of Low and Burbank's Grant and the town of Carroll in Coos County.

The Dartmouth Range is a wooded ridge which runs east-west from Jefferson Notch just west of Mount Jefferson in the Presidential Range to Mount Deception in Carroll, overlooking Bretton Woods and the Mount Washington Hotel. No trails currently traverse the range. (Full article...)

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The Dammersfeldkuppe, a *kuppe* or domed hill in the Rhön

A Kuppe is the term used in German-speaking central Europe for a mountain or hill with a rounded summit that has no rock formation, such as a tor, on it. A range of such hills is called a Kuppengebirge. In geology the term also refers to corresponding stratigraphic forms. The term is similar to the English topographical and geological terms, knoll and dome. It is also analogous to the French word ballon which means a mountain with a rounded summit.

In cartography in German-speaking countries, the term is used more widely to refer to all eminences (biaxially convex landforms) i.e. including those with a more pointed appearance. (Full article...)

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Selected climbing article

Climbing is a major US-based rock climbing magazine first published in 1970. In 2007, it was bought by Skram Media, the publisher of Urban Climber Magazine. The headquarters of the magazine is in Boulder, Colorado. It is published nine times a year. Climbing was purchased by Outside in 2021. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various mountain-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1A stand of mountain birch at around 750 m in Trollheimen, typical of Scandinavian subalpine forests (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 2K2, the second-highest mountain in the world, is revered for its isolation, difficulty, and the profound sense of awe it inspires among climbers. Many alpinists describe ascents of peaks like K2 as deeply spiritual experiences, combining physical challenge with introspection and transcendence. (from Mountaineering)
Image 3Climber approaching the summit of Manaslu at 8,163 metres (from Mountaineering)
Image 4Illustration of mountains that developed on a fold that has been thrust (from Mountain)
Image 5Treeline elevation by latitude (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 6Mountaineers climbing Ortler in South Tyrol, Italy (from Mountain)
Image 7Montes Apenninus on the Moon was formed by an impact event. (from Mountain range)
Image 8Climbers ascending Mount Rainier looking at Little Tahoma Peak, United States (from Mountaineering)
Image 9An alpine mire in the Swiss Alps (from Mountain)
Image 10Winter campers bivouaced in the snow (from Mountaineering)
Image 11The Namcha Barwa Himal, east part of the Himalayas as seen from space by Apollo 9 (from Mountain range)
Image 12A subalpine lake in the Cascade Range, Washington, United States (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 13Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain (from Mountain)
Image 14The Dolomite Mountains, Italy, in summer. The climate of the Dolomites is characterized by short but warm and mild summers, while winters are long and very cold. (from Mountain)
Image 15Tropical montane forest at around 2,000 m in Malaysia (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 16The northern Urals at high latitude and elevation have an alpine climate and barren ground. (from Mountain)
Image 17Car of Horská služba (Czech Republic) (from Mountain rescue)
Image 18Edelweiss, a plant associated with mountain sports (from Mountaineering)
Image 19Antique climbing tools (from Mountaineering)
Image 20This 1848 "Sketch showing the actual elevation of the Snow Line in different Latitudes" by Alexander Keith Johnston shows the snow lines of mountains in America, Europe and Asia (from Snow line)
Image 21Mountaineers, c. 1900 (from Mountaineering)
Image 22Alpine flora near Cascade Pass (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 23Distribution of mountains by location and elevation (from Mountain)
Image 24British mountaineer William Cecil Slingsby became known as the father of Norwegian mountaineering and contributed greatly to its popularization with his classic book Norway, the Northern Playground (from Mountaineering)
Image 25Stretcher box in Cumbria, England, prepositioned equipment saves mountain rescue teams having to trudge up mountains with it. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 26Cabane du Trient, a mountain hut in the Swiss Alps (from Mountaineering)
Image 27The Ocean Ridge, the world's longest mountain range (chain) (from Mountain range)
Image 28Everest is highest from sea level (green), Mauna Kea is highest from its base (orange), Cayambe is farthest from Earth's axis (pink) and Chimborazo is farthest from Earth's centre (blue) (from Mountain)
Image 29The city of La Paz reaches up to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) in elevation. Mount Illimani dominates the city's skyline. (from Mountain)
Image 30Mountaineers proceed across snow fields on South Tyrol; other climbers are visible further up the slopes. (from Mountaineering)
Image 31Iranian oak scrub in the Zagros Mountains (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 32Fuji volcano (from Mountain)
Image 33Apennine Mountains and Trebbia river, Italy (from Mountain)
Image 34Fixed lines and ladders are distinguishing characteristics of expedition style mountaineering (from Mountaineering)
Image 35Mont Blanc on the border between Aosta Valley, Italy, and Haute-Savoie, France, the highest point in the European Union (from Mountain)
Image 36The Andes, the longest mountain range on the surface of the Earth, have a dramatic impact on the climate of South America (from Mountain range)
Image 37Chimborazo, Ecuador, whose summit is the point farthest away from the Earth's center (from Mountain)
Image 38Choppering out the injured – with Mt. Forbes in the background (from Mountain rescue)
Image 39Edmund Hillary (left) and Tenzing Norgay after successfully completing the first ascent of Mount Everest, 29 May 1953
Image 40Temperate montane forest in Bavaria, Germany (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 41Pirin Mountain, Bulgaria, part of the fault-block Rila-Rhodope massif (from Mountain)
Image 42Alpine landscape below Malyovitsa Peak, Rila Mountain, Bulgaria (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 43Waimea Canyon, Hawaii, is known for its montane vegetation. (from Montane ecosystem)
Image 44Edward Whymper (1840–1911), painting by Lance Calkin (from Mountaineering)

Selected skiing article

The Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) is a nonprofit education association involved in ski instruction. PSIA-AASI establishes certification standards for snowsports instructors and develops education materials.

PSIA-AASI supports instructional programs in alpine skiing, snowboarding, telemark skiing, cross-country skiing, and para-alpine skiing. (Full article...)

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