Unveiling the Wonders of Mountains: A Comprehensive Guide for Adventure Seekers

So lets begin with a description. A mountain is a large landmass which extends from, under or above sea level ending at a peak.

Parts of a mountain

The basic parts of a mountain are the summit, foot, face and valley. However this is a guide so lets explore more of the parts and look at them in detail:

Starting with the summit, this is the top of the mountain which mainly has snow on it and is cold. This is because of the extreme height causes low atmospheric pressure resulting in decreased temperature. It is the place where most breathtaking views are sighted by climbers. The face is also another vital part of the mountain within the summit.

Next is the ridge, this is (in simple words) the top edge of a mountain. At a ridge, the two sides will drop leading to a straight path in front. This is similar to walking to a tightrope in extreme heights with no support. The snowline begins here up to the summit.

Now we move onto the slope, this is an incline or decline in the side of the mountain. In this place you might witness glaciers, large thick sheets of ice, and crevasses( huge cracks and openings in the ice as deep as 300ft).

After that we proceed to the plateau, it is a flat land located high in the mountain. Here houses could be built.

The tree line is the place where it is too cold for trees to grow and thrive up in this height and part of the mountain.

And lastly we cover the base, the lowest part of mountain (oops! I forgot to mention we were travelling tallest to lowest). The base is where most climbers proceed their journey of climbing a mountain. The basecamp is also a place where climbers take most of their time resting, planning, hydrating and preparing themselves.

Wildlife:

Now lets take a look at some animals that inhabit mountains.

The Yak, it is located at the base of most mountains and is one of the most toughest animals on this planet. The cousin of the cow has thick coated fur to keep it warm and is the prey of many snow leopards.

Next is the snow leopard (my favorite animal), it is a member of the cat family and can run up to very high speeds despite catching prey on uneven rocky terrains. The snow leopard has a diet which consumes ibex, yaks, goats and bighorn sheep.

Not to forget is the golden eagle, the second fastest animal in the planet and a deadly predator equal to the snow leopard but in the skies. Eagles have excellent eye vision, have talons 10 times stronger than a human hand and a wingspan of 2m.

Another deadly and fearless predator, the brown bear, the second largest carnivore has a thick coated fur to keep it cozy and it hibernates (meaning to sleep for the whole winter). They may huge, eating 1/4 of their body weight daily, but they are speedy up to 48kph (30mph).

The Himalayan tahr or tehrs are fury relatives of the goat but unlike its cousin, this fellow lives in Mount Everest ( Erath's highest mountain). It eats almost any vegetation available in the tree line of the mountain, including: grass shrubs and trees.

Equipment

Lets now take a look at the equipment mountaineers use to hike:

Crampons, these are the frame of which your shoe is fixed. It has sharp spikes helpful for gripping snow tightly.

Thick clothing, these include gloves, coats, scarfs and hats. This is very essential for wrapping up warm in your trip.

Oxygen mask, probably the most important apparatus in this gear, the oxygen mask is useful when crossing 8000m as with no oxygen at this point the person can pass out in 12 hours.

Climbing points

The journey to climb a mountain takes several days and mountaineers climb point to point.

Lets take a look at the climbing points of a particular mountain, Mount Everest.

Basecamp: this is the start of point where the mountaineer will lay out his equipment such as his tent and begins his journey. People who don't climb wait at this area.

Camp 1: The first point our climber will begin his hike from base camp. Usually mountaineers stay here for two nights. It is 6065m tall.

Camp 2: 6400m tall, this stage is a place where the oxygen masks will be required, preparing for camp 4. In this point mountaineers stay for at least one night.

Camp 3: 7300m tall, this is closer to camp 4 so oxygen masks will have to be worn.

How long to stay here will depend on your summiting plan.

Camp 4: At 8000m tall, this is also known as the death zone where oxygen is limited and the climber will pass out in 12 hours if not wearing an oxygen mask.

Summit: The top of the mountain where breathtaking sights will be there and usually mountaineers spend 12 hours here before climbing down.

Joke of the topic: Why do mountains never get tired?

Answer: Because they are at their peak condition!

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