Nov 21 2023
Cerro Torre Cerro Torre is one of the most extraordinary mountain spires on Earth. Rising from the glaciers and forests of southern Patagonia, its nearly vertical granite walls culminate in a summit frequently crowned by a strange overhanging mushroom of wind-sculpted rime ice. Powerful storms sweep across the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, clouds can engulf …
Nov 21 2023
Mount Roraima (Monte Roraima, Tepuy Roraima, Cerro Roraima) Mount Roraima looks less like a conventional mountain than an enormous stone fortress rising from the tropical landscape of northern South America. Vertical cliffs surround a broad, cloud-covered plateau where blackened sandstone formations, crystal-filled valleys, waterfalls, pools, carnivorous plants, and tiny endemic amphibians create one of the …
Nov 20 2023
Alpamayo (Shuyturaju) Alpamayo rises from Peru’s Cordillera Blanca as an almost impossibly elegant pyramid of snow and ice. Its southwest face is etched with deep vertical flutings that converge toward a narrow summit ridge, creating a mountain so geometrically striking that it has been celebrated for decades as one of the most beautiful peaks on …
Nov 20 2023
Tungurahua Rising steeply above the lush valleys of central Ecuador, Tungurahua is one of the country’s most recognizable volcanoes. Its symmetrical cone towers more than three vertical kilometers above the valleys around Baños de Agua Santa, creating a dramatic transition from subtropical vegetation and cloud forest to páramo, barren volcanic slopes, and the summit crater. …
Nov 19 2023
Haupu Mountain Rising abruptly above southeastern Kauaʻi, Haupu Mountain, more accurately written Hā‘upu, is one of the island’s most distinctive volcanic landmarks. Its rugged green walls separate the Līhuʻe Basin from the drier landscapes around Kōloa and Māhā‘ulepū, while its long ridgeline forms a dramatic backdrop to Nāwiliwili, Kīpū Kai, and Kauaʻi’s south shore. Hā‘upu …
Nov 19 2023
Waialeale | Waiʻaleʻale | Mount Waiʻaleʻale Deep in the mountainous heart of Kauaʻi, Waiʻaleʻale rises into a world of almost perpetual cloud, rain, moss, waterfalls, bogs, and native forest. The summit reaches approximately 5,148 feet (1,569 meters), making it the second-highest named summit on the island after nearby Kawaikini. Waiʻaleʻale is famous around the world …
Nov 19 2023
Kohala At the northern end of Hawaiʻi Island rises Kohala, the oldest of the five principal volcanoes that form the modern Big Island. Unlike the active landscapes of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, Kohala has been quiet for well over 100,000 years. Rain, landslides, streams, forests, and time have transformed its once-broad volcanic shield into a …
Nov 19 2023
Puʻu Kukui Rising above the deeply carved valleys of western Maui, Puʻu Kukui is the highest summit of the West Maui Mountains, also known as Mauna Kahālāwai. At 5,788 feet (1,764 meters) above sea level, the mountain is less than 60 percent as high as Haleakalā on the opposite side of the island, yet its …
Nov 19 2023
Hualālai Rising above the sunny Kona Coast of Hawaiʻi Island, Hualālai is an active shield volcano whose quiet appearance hides a surprisingly recent and potentially hazardous volcanic history. Its summit reaches approximately 8,271 feet (2,521 meters) according to Peakbagger, making it the fourth-highest major mountain in Hawaiʻi after Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Haleakalā. Unlike …
Nov 19 2023
Kamakou Rising above the rain-soaked forests and extraordinary sea cliffs of eastern Molokaʻi, Kamakou is the highest mountain on the island and one of the most ecologically important summits in Hawaiʻi. At 4,961 feet (1,512 meters) above sea level, it is modest compared with the enormous volcanoes of Hawaiʻi Island or Haleakalā on neighboring Maui, …
