Apparently there is no universally-accepted definition of mountain. Elevation, volume, relief, steepness, spacing and continuity have all been used as criteria for defining a mountain. In the Oxford English Dictionary a mountain is defined as "a natural elevation of the earth surface rising more or less abruptly from the surrounding level and attaining an altitude which, relatively to the adjacent elevation, is impressive or notable.
But all this debate about what is or isn't a mountain is silly, we've all heard the phrase to make a mountain out of a molehill. Well a molehill could actually fulfil the criteria specified above. However I think a mountain has something special, whatever its height.
So let’s move on to my experience with mountains.
Firstly, having been born and subsequently grown up in the beautiful South Hams of south Devon, I am very used to hilly terrain where each hill leads to a valley and on to the next hill, flat land is either found at the bottom of the valley, at the top of the hill or it must be dug.
I then spent a reasonable amount of time walking on Dartmoor during my secondary school years, which enlarged my appreciation for large lumpy bits of land much of which could possibly be called mountainous.
In 2003 at the ripe age of 16 I visited Iceland with a school trip where we spent most of the time in the mountains, mapping glaciers, playing on snow slopes and admiring the scenery.
I’ve since visited Scotland and walked among the peaks of the Grampian Mountains around Ben Nevis.
Much more recently I’ve seen the mountains of Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, and Switzerland.
I realise this is in danger of becoming a long post but please hang in there.
The rolling hills and shapely valleys of Devon will always have an appeal to me simply because it is the place of my childhood (it’s also incredibly beautiful) but it lacks grandeur.
The snow slopes and glacial U valleys shaping the mountains of Iceland have grandeur, but are let down by the bleak grey and white colouring. The lack of trees leave the landscape stark and though beautiful it lacks a comfortable feeling.
Scotland UK: The majesty of the tallest mountains in “the best country in the world” cannot be denied. They rise from the sea in one sweeping line displaying beauty from the forested base to the rocky summit. However, actually they’re not all that tall.
Kosovo and Albania I will group together: Yes the mountains are twice the size of Ben Nevis and yes they are intersected with blue rivers and stunning mountain roads, but there is still a bare, rugged, coarseness about the whole thing.
Macedonia: gets a mention because we climbed (walked) to the summit of one which noticeably features a rather large cross. These mountains had been dwarfed by roads making them effortless and accessible to all, their majesty had been robbed.
Montenegro and Croatia: Unfortunately these places are merging in my memory, the mountains we passed and which towered from the sea and lakes were tall, majestic and cosy yet still they lacked something.
Austria & Slovenia: I’ve already written about driving these roads. But the mountains in and of themselves were magnificent. The winding road and sweeping corners took nothing from the glory of these towering rocks. As we drove higher the pressure was such that a crisp packet on the back seat burst open of its own accord. These were mountains as mountains should be; Tall, dark and Handsome with a snowy covering to crown them with glory.
But.
Switzerland: Tonight we were driven up a mountain by our host to watch the sunset over the Alps and to admire the glory of the horizon filled with peaks, some stretching effortlessly to over 4000 meters above sea level. The sun sets, the moon rises, the stars come out and we descend through the trees to the lake where the last of the light dances across the water and highlights the peaks on the other side.
These mountains have the grandeur of the Icelandic Mountains, the beautiful lines and forested base of the Scottish might, the majesty of the Croatian skyline, the magnificence and glory of the Austrian Alpine wonders and yet had more. They combined all these wonderful qualities and wrapped them together; they delivered a stunning sunset and then removed great gasps of breath as the trees and lake cushion them in a soft bed.
To Conclude: I love mountains, the taller, grander, more majestic, glorious and magnificent the better, but for them to be surrounded in soft idyll where a city comfortably rests is better than the icing on any cake I’ve tasted.
But all this debate about what is or isn't a mountain is silly, we've all heard the phrase to make a mountain out of a molehill. Well a molehill could actually fulfil the criteria specified above. However I think a mountain has something special, whatever its height.
So let’s move on to my experience with mountains.
Firstly, having been born and subsequently grown up in the beautiful South Hams of south Devon, I am very used to hilly terrain where each hill leads to a valley and on to the next hill, flat land is either found at the bottom of the valley, at the top of the hill or it must be dug.
I then spent a reasonable amount of time walking on Dartmoor during my secondary school years, which enlarged my appreciation for large lumpy bits of land much of which could possibly be called mountainous.
In 2003 at the ripe age of 16 I visited Iceland with a school trip where we spent most of the time in the mountains, mapping glaciers, playing on snow slopes and admiring the scenery.
I’ve since visited Scotland and walked among the peaks of the Grampian Mountains around Ben Nevis.
Much more recently I’ve seen the mountains of Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, and Switzerland.
I realise this is in danger of becoming a long post but please hang in there.
The rolling hills and shapely valleys of Devon will always have an appeal to me simply because it is the place of my childhood (it’s also incredibly beautiful) but it lacks grandeur.
The snow slopes and glacial U valleys shaping the mountains of Iceland have grandeur, but are let down by the bleak grey and white colouring. The lack of trees leave the landscape stark and though beautiful it lacks a comfortable feeling.
Scotland UK: The majesty of the tallest mountains in “the best country in the world” cannot be denied. They rise from the sea in one sweeping line displaying beauty from the forested base to the rocky summit. However, actually they’re not all that tall.
Kosovo and Albania I will group together: Yes the mountains are twice the size of Ben Nevis and yes they are intersected with blue rivers and stunning mountain roads, but there is still a bare, rugged, coarseness about the whole thing.
Macedonia: gets a mention because we climbed (walked) to the summit of one which noticeably features a rather large cross. These mountains had been dwarfed by roads making them effortless and accessible to all, their majesty had been robbed.
Montenegro and Croatia: Unfortunately these places are merging in my memory, the mountains we passed and which towered from the sea and lakes were tall, majestic and cosy yet still they lacked something.
Austria & Slovenia: I’ve already written about driving these roads. But the mountains in and of themselves were magnificent. The winding road and sweeping corners took nothing from the glory of these towering rocks. As we drove higher the pressure was such that a crisp packet on the back seat burst open of its own accord. These were mountains as mountains should be; Tall, dark and Handsome with a snowy covering to crown them with glory.
But.
Switzerland: Tonight we were driven up a mountain by our host to watch the sunset over the Alps and to admire the glory of the horizon filled with peaks, some stretching effortlessly to over 4000 meters above sea level. The sun sets, the moon rises, the stars come out and we descend through the trees to the lake where the last of the light dances across the water and highlights the peaks on the other side.
These mountains have the grandeur of the Icelandic Mountains, the beautiful lines and forested base of the Scottish might, the majesty of the Croatian skyline, the magnificence and glory of the Austrian Alpine wonders and yet had more. They combined all these wonderful qualities and wrapped them together; they delivered a stunning sunset and then removed great gasps of breath as the trees and lake cushion them in a soft bed.
To Conclude: I love mountains, the taller, grander, more majestic, glorious and magnificent the better, but for them to be surrounded in soft idyll where a city comfortably rests is better than the icing on any cake I’ve tasted.
