Languid seashores, pastoral hills, wildflower-spangled plains, fertile river bottoms—these are all well and good, but, for sheer majesty, nothing can really match a mountain range. A sawtooth ridge, a line of volcanic cones, a nest of glacier-swaddled summits: Few would argue that such country, the true roof of the world, doesn’t also represent the pinnacle (so to speak) of earthly scenery.
Mountains appeal on other levels beyond an appreciation of primal beauty. They’re bastions of wilderness, given the obstacle their rough heights and thin air inherently pose to civilization. These risks and rewards have long drawn spiritual seekers, who find rich metaphor in the switchback trail and the “bagged” peak.
Mountain ranges mark belts of tectonic upheaval, outpourings of lava, or simply blocks of rock that have better resisted the forces of weathering and erosion than the earth around them. They represent push-and-pull struggles between geological uplift and the incessant power of flowing water or crushing ice.
Due to intricacies of geography, ecology, and human culture, every mountain chain has its own special atmosphere. From the prayer-flag-strewn Himalayas to the rainforest-swathed Central Cordillera of New Guinea, from the ethereal Rwenzoris (central Africa’s “Mountains of the Moon”) with their wild Afromontane gardens to the sharp and severe Brooks Range of Arctic Alaska, the ambience of the high country invariably skews toward the magisterial.
Appreciating great mountain ranges can be as adventurous as you wish it to be. Their topographic prominence means you can often savor the stony, snowy heights from the comfort of the lowlands: Take in the Swiss Alps, for instance, from a friendly valley inn, or feast on the grandeur of the Cascades from the refined vantage of a Willamette Valley vineyard.
A trek into the highlands, though, is often the adventure of a lifetime. Whether it’s a guided outing or a self-organized backpacking trip, prepare for such an outing by appreciating the thin-air rigors of upper elevations and the thigh-punishing demands of seemingly unending switchbacks.
It’s not cliché to say that mountains stir the soul: rough jags, sudden snow squalls, plummeting waterfalls, rock gardens, isolated lake basins—these are sights of incomparable beauty. Strike upslope and savour what you see!
Making it Happen
The Alaska Range
With temperatures never rising above 0 degrees Fahrenheit at the upper slopes, this range contains hundreds of glaciers. Denali is the highest peak and a popular mountain to climb.
The Alps
The ice-covered Alpine peaks are among Europe’s greatest natural treasures, and are considered the birthplace of mountaineering.
The Andes
The Andes are the longest mountain system in the entire world, stretching from South America to Panama. Many of its mountains are actually active volcanoes interspersed with glaciers at the peaks, creating a fascinating and unusual landscape.
The Himalaya
The highest mountains in the world, extending across Asia and containing almost every type of climate. With locations sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus, a trip to the Himalaya can be a uniquely spiritual experience.
The Hindu Kush
A chain of mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Hindu Kush were used by Alexander the Great during his invasion of India. Its particularly treacherous high-altitude passes likely account for the name “Kush,” which means “death” or “slaughter” in Sanskrit.
The Pyrenees
Forming a natural border between France and Spain, the Pyrenees is an especially majestic range. From glacier fields to lush pine, fir, and oak forests and picturesque waterfalls, this range promises stunning landscapes.
The Rockies
Running through Western America, these snow-covered, jagged peaks start in New Mexico and end in Northern Alaska. The Rockies were famously explored by Lewis and Clark and are an iconic part of American heritage.
The Rwenzori
This stunning African range is located between Uganda and the The Democratic Republic of the Congo. Particularly fascinating are the dramatically different ecosystems existing in close proximity. Here glacial ice can be found just a few miles from dense tropical jungle.
The Sierra Nevada
Extending 400 miles through California, this range contains Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and Sequoia National Parks. Considered by many to be the most beautiful landscape in California, if not the entire United States.
The Urals
The Urals are an ancient and rich mountain range. Silver, gold, salt, minerals, and precious gems have been mined from this mountain system since the 16th century, and it is home to brown bears, wolves, foxes, lynxes, wolverines, and elk.
Tanzania
Nepal