Mountains An Introduction

Mountains

• An Introduction

What do you know ?

• Write down anything that comes to mind when you think of the word ‘Mountain’

• Have you ever visited or climbed one ?

• What sorts of things would you expect to see on a mountain ?

• Where are mountains ?

Let’s look at some mountains

Himalayan Range, Mount Everest, Nepal. 8850m

• Himalayan Range, Mount Everest, Nepal. 8850m

• Highest peak in the world

• GPS was used in 1999 to verify its height.

• First scaled in 1958.

• 600 climbers from 20 countries have reached the peak.

• 100 have died.

K2 – Karakoram Range Chinese/Pakistan border

• World’s 2nd highest mountain at 8612m.

• Named using surveyors notation.

• A giant pyramid of sheer ice with a maze of precipices

• Ultimate climbers peak.

• Between 1900-50 many unsuccessful attempts made.

• Finally scaled 1954.

Annapurna – Himalaya, Nepal

• 8091meters high, 10th highest in world.

• Name means ‘The Provider’

• Giant glaciers empty into the Kali Gandaki river.

8462m, 5th highest.

• 8462m, 5th highest.

• Very isolated Pyramid shape

• 4 sharp ridges

• Picture taken from Everest.

Aconcagua - Andes, Argentina.

• At 6962m – the highest peak in Western Hemisphere.

• Death tolls high, as climbers go up too fast.

• No respect for altitude or weather.

Mt. Elbrus – Caucauses, Russia.

• At 5642m, Europe’s highest peak

• A long extinct volcano with a distinct conical shape, gently sloping sides.

• Countless glaciers

• Mountain covers 56 miles.

The Eiger - Swiss Alps.

• At 3970m, one of Europe’s most fearsome

• Peaks – extremely difficult to climb.

• Its name means‘Ogre’, and it has a severely towering North face.

• Has claimed the lives of many Climbers.

This is what a mountain looks like on a map.

So – what have we learnt ?

• There are mountains all over the world, and they come in all different shapes and sizes.

• They often have mystical significance for local people.

• Not much grows or survives up high on the mountains given the weather conditions

• Mountains have proved to be fascinating to men who wish to scale them despite the obvious dangers.

• The creation of Mountains is to do with forces below the earth’s surface

• That the temperature at the bottom of the mountain is different from that at the top.

• That it is important to preserve these environments as they play a key role in the water cycle, energy creation, and biodiversity.