Portal:Mountains

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Uluguru Mountains, in Tanzania

A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, 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 300 metres (980 ft) above the surrounding land. A few mountains are isolated summits, but most occur in mountain ranges.

Mountains are formed through tectonic forces, erosion, or volcanism, 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). (Full article...)

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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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The Organ Mountains seen from the west

The Organ Mountains (also known as La Sierra de los Órganos) are a rugged mountain range in southern New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument was declared a national monument on May 21, 2014. They lie 10 mi (16 km) east of the city of Las Cruces, in Doña Ana County. (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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John Bachar, in Tuolumne Meadows, mid 1980s

John Bachar (March 23, 1957 – July 5, 2009) was an American rock climber. Noted for his skill at free soloing, he ultimately died during a free solo climb. A fitness fanatic, he was the creator of the climbing training device known as the Bachar ladder. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Alpine landscape below Malyovitsa Peak, Rila Mountain, Bulgaria (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 2Tropical montane forest at around 2,000 m in Malaysia (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 3Montes Apenninus on the Moon was formed by an impact event. (from Mountain range)
Image 4Car of Horská služba (Czech Republic) (from Mountain rescue)
Image 5Edward Whymper (1840–1911), painting by Lance Calkin (from Mountaineering)
Image 6Mountaineers climbing in South Tyrol (from Mountain)
Image 7The 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 8Choppering out the injured – with Mt. Forbes in the background (from Mountain rescue)
Image 9Chimborazo, Ecuador, whose summit is the point farthest away from the Earth's center (from Mountain)
Image 10Fuji volcano (from Mountain)
Image 11Antique climbing tools (from Mountaineering)
Image 12Everest 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 13Illustration of mountains that developed on a fold that has been thrust (from Mountain)
Image 14Mountain rescue team members and other services attend to a casualty in Freiburg Germany. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 15Fixed lines and ladders are distinguishing characteristics of expedition style mountaineering (from Mountaineering)
Image 16The Ocean Ridge, the world's longest mountain range (chain) (from Mountain range)
Image 17The northern Urals at high latitude and elevation have an alpine climate and barren ground. (from Mountain)
Image 18Climber approaching the summit of Manaslu at 8,163 metres (from Mountaineering)
Image 19A subalpine lake in the Cascade Range, Washington, United States (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 20The Catskills in Upstate New York represent an eroded plateau. (from Mountain)
Image 21Stretcher box in Cumbria, England, prepositioned equipment saves mountain rescue teams having to trudge up mountains with it. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 22The city of La Paz reaches up to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) in elevation. (from Mountain)
Image 23Temperate montane forest in Bavaria, Germany (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 24Mountaineers, c. 1900 (from Mountaineering)
Image 25Pirin Mountain, Bulgaria, part of the fault-block Rila-Rhodope massif (from Mountain)
Image 26A mountain rescue team in Iran moving a casualty. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 27British 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 28The Namcha Barwa Himal, east part of the Himalayas as seen from space by Apollo 9 (from Mountain range)
Image 29Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain (from Mountain)
Image 30A stand of mountain birch at around 750 m in Trollheimen, typical of Scandinavian subalpine forests (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 31Climbers ascending Mount Rainier looking at Little Tahoma Peak (from Mountaineering)
Image 32This 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 33Winter campers bivouaced in the snow (from Mountaineering)
Image 34Edelweiss, a plant associated with mountain sports (from Mountaineering)
Image 35Iranian oak scrub in the Zagros Mountains (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 36An alpine mire in the Swiss Alps (from Mountain)
Image 37Mountaineers proceed across snow fields on South Tyrol; other climbers are visible further up the slopes. (from Mountaineering)
Image 38Alpine flora near Cascade Pass (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 39Waimea Canyon, Hawaii, is known for its montane vegetation. (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 40Cabane du Trient, a mountain hut in the Swiss Alps (from Mountaineering)