Posts filed under 'Mountain of the Week'
Imja Tse (Island Peak) - (20, 305 ft - 6,189 m)
Any major gear companies want to sponsor a Himalayan peak? This would be a good way to do it on the cheap. Imja Tse, or Island Peak as it is known to many is located just next to Everest. It sits in the shadow of the tallest mountain of the world. Even though it is a whopping 20, 305 feet it looks small next to it’s big brother. It is taller than 4 of the 7 summits.
From Wikipedia…
“Imja Tse, better known as Island Peak, is a mountain in the Himalaya of eastern Nepal. The peak was named Island Peak in 1951 by Eric Shipton’s party since it appears as an island in a sea of ice when viewed from Dingboche. The peak was later renamed in 1983 to Imja Tse but Island Peak remains the popular choice. The peak is actually an extension of the ridge coming down off the south end of Lhotse Shar.
Imja Tse was first climbed in 1953 by a British team as a training exercise in preparation for Mount Everest. Tenzing Norgay was one of the members of this first ascent team.”
So, who wants to sponsor me in the 2008 Imja Tse climb?… North Face? No… Patagonia… No? Somebody? Anybody? 
SummitClimb.com has a good deal on a trek/climb up this peak if you’re interested.
December 27th, 2007
Mountain of the Week - Lyskamm - 14,852 FT (4,527 M)
Lyskamm is located on the Italian/Swiss border in the Alps. It has a double peak, one lying in Italy and one in Switzerland. The peak in Switzerland is the higher of the two. Many us Zermatt as a jumping off point to climb this mountain.
From Wikipedia - The mountain is often climbed as a traverse from the Felikjoch (West), to the Listjoch (East) or vice versa. The traverse consists mostly of a narrow, snow-covered ridge, with some scrambling over rocks. In good conditions, this route is fairly easy and objectively safe, however in bad snow conditions and/or bad visibility, the ridge can be challenging because of large, sometimes double, cornices, mainly on the southern side of the ridge.
The eastern and highest of the two peaks is 4,527 m high, and was first ascended in 1861 by a 14-man team (eight Englishmen and six Swiss guides) led by J. F. Hardy and including William Edward Hall, up the east ridge. The ridge as a whole was first traversed three years later by Leslie Stephen, Edward Buxton, Jakob Anderegg and Franz Biener.
October 11th, 2007
I try to stick to less popular mountains with the “Mountain of the Week” feature. Mt Vesuvius is very well known, but I’m not too sure how many of us think of climbing it. No matter how you look at it, it’s a cool one fo shizzle.
Mountain of the Week - Mt Vesuvius
Image courtesy of Discovery Channel and Crew Creative, Ltd.
Mt Vesuvius
From Wikipedia:
Mount Vesuvius (Italian: Monte Vesuvio, Latin: Mons Vesuvius) is a volcano east of Naples, Italy. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting. The only other two such volcanoes in Italy (Etna and Stromboli) are located on islands.
Vesuvius is on the coast of the Bay of Naples, about nine kilometres (six miles) east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is conspicuous in the beautiful landscape presented by the Bay of Naples, when seen from the sea, with Naples in the foreground. Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. It has erupted many times since and is today regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the population of 3,000,000 people now living close to it and its tendency towards explosive eruptions.
Mount Vesuvius was regarded by the Greeks and Romans as being sacred to the hero and demigod Heracles/Hercules, and the town of Herculaneum, built at its base, was named after him.
Climbing
There is access by road to within 200 metres of the summit (measured vertically), but thereafter access is on foot only. There is a spiral walkway around the mountain from the road to the crater.
September 13th, 2007
I just returned from Peru (just before the big quake… wow). And since the center piece of my trip there was to trek through the Andes and up over a high pass which skirts the glaciers on Mt. Salkantay, I thought this was a good opportunity to showcase this beautiful mountain. Not the highest in the Andes, but certainly a beautiful mountain that is apparently rarely climbed due to its difficulty according to our guide.
Mount Salkantay - (20,574 ft - 6,271M)
From Wikipedia -
Salcantay is a large, steep peak, “the most spectacular peak of the region”,[9] with great vertical relief, particularly above the low valleys to the north, which are tributaries of the Amazon River.
Salcantay was first climbed in 1952 by a French-American expedition comprising Fred D. Ayres, David Michael, Jr., John C. Oberlin, W. V. Graham Matthews, Austen F. Riggs, George I. Bell, Claude Kogan, M. Bernard Pierre, and Jean Guillemin. All except Oberlin, Riggs, and Guillemin made the summit.[9]
The standard route on the mountain is the Northeast ridge. Accessing the route typically involves three days of travel from Cusco. The climb involves about 1,800 m (5,900 ft) of vertical gain, on glacier, snow, ice, and some rock. The route is graded AD on the French adjectival scale.[4]
The name Salcantay is from salqa meaning wild, uncivilized, or savage, and was recorded as early as 1583.[10] The name is thus often translated as “Savage Mountain”.
Directly to the north of Salcantay lies Machu Picchu, which is at the end of a ridge that extends down from this mountain. Viewed from Machu Picchu, the Southern Cross is above Salcantay’s summit when at its highest point in the sky during the rainy season. The Incas associated this alignment with concepts of rain and fertility, and considered Salcantay to be one of the principal deities controlling weather and fertility in the region west of Cuzco. [11]
August 21st, 2007
In honor Outdoorzy member leighkmill’s first hiking trip last weekend, our mountain of the week is Clingman’s Dome. We’re still waiting on a trip report, Leigh, but here is some info while we’re waiting.
From clingmansdome.com:
At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s highest point. It is the highest point in Tennessee, and the second highest point east of the Mississippi.The peak is accessible after driving Clingmans Dome Road from Newfound Gap, and then walking a steep half-mile trail. A paved trail leads to a 54-foot observation tower. The Appalachian Trail crosses Clingmans Dome, marking the highest point along its 2,144 mile journey.
Wikipedia says:
Though not quite the outdoor adventure, it does provide the casual visitor with an excellent glimpse of the often hostile environment of highland Appalachia, and the fifty-foot high observation tower allows spectators a 360 degree panorama of the surrounding mountains, on the infrequent occasion of a clear, sunny day. Cantilevered signs, hanging from the rails of the tower, point out the various peaks that can be viewed in the distance.
For the more hardy hiker, the Appalachian Trail also crosses Clingman’s Dome, passing a very short distance behind the observation tower. The trail can be picked up from Newfound Gap and hiked for approximately 7½ miles to the tower, which offers the only opportunity to actually hike Clingman’s Dome. The entire distance is above 5,000 ft (1,524 m), and is perfumed with the fragrant scent of spruce.
In addition to Clingman’s Dome, Chimney Tops, Abrams Falls and Hen Wallow Falls trails were all used to help break in Leigh’s new hiking shoes.
Images from Wikipedia.
August 2nd, 2007
I recently visited Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina. This is an excellent place to get your mountain bike on… And if you like trout, there were hoards of trout fisherman. They would hike in a few miles on trails that followed the mountain streams and then cast their line. It looked like an excellent place to fish and our neighbors in the campground brought back several large trout to eat the first night we were there. The park is named after Mt. Pisgah which is the dominant peak in the area.
Mt. Pisgah - (5,721 ft - 1,744 m)
Mount Pisgah is a mountain in the Appalachian Mountain Range and part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, United States. The mountain’s height is 5,721 feet (1,744 metres) and it sits approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Asheville at the crossing of the boundaries of Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson and Transylvania counties. The mountain is easily accessible via the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Description from Wikipedia. Photo by Wikipedia user Badgettrg
July 26th, 2007
I love me a pyramidal peak. A pyramidal peak is a peak that has been weathered by glacial ice and shaped into a point or protruding shape. The famous Matterhorn is a pyramidal peak. Another term used for this type of mountain is a horn. Although, “horn” is usually only used for the most dramatically pointed peaks. Usually very difficult to climb, they make a beautiful backdrop for landscapes.
Mount Wilbur - (9,321 ft - 2,841 m)
Mount Wilbur is a prominent peak located in the heart of Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. Plainly visible from the region of Many Glacier, the peak rises over 4,500 feet above Swiftcurrent Lake and is a steep pyramid on three sides. The west slopes of the peak join to ridges along the Continental Divide. Much of the climbing routes are rated at class 4 to 5, with some only used once. The sedimentary rock of the mountains makes for oftentimes poor anchoring points and enhances the difficulty.
June 28th, 2007
Much is known of this mountains bigger brother, Rainier. And all of us know his little brothers, Mt Hood and Mt St Helens. But most people not from the Washington/Oregon area couldn’t tell you anything of Mt Adams. Lewis and Clark “discovered” it, but thought it was St Helens. It seems that all of Mt Adams neighbors have much more notoriety than him. This is a shame because Mt Adams is a beautiful volcano that dominates it’s landscape and contains some great climbing and great views. I climbed to the summit a few years back via the South Spur. This is considered a non-technical route, but you must have an ice axe and crampons and know how to use them in order to cross the glaciers. There are a few steep pitches so know your self arrest moves. A volcano pass is required by the National Forest services and special permission is required on many of the routes in the Yakima reservation. A fun way to descend the South Spur is to glissade back down the glacier to the lunch counter. The lunch counter is a relatively flat area used as a camp for many people.
Mount Adams (12,276 ft - 3,742 m)
From Wikipedia - Mount Adams is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Range and the second-highest mountain in the state of Washington, USA. Adams is a member in the Cascade Volcanic Belt and is located in a remote wilderness approximately 35 miles (56 km) east of Mount St. Helens. The Mount Adams Wilderness comprises the upper and western part of the volcano’s cone. The eastern side of the mountain is part of the Yakama Nation.
Air travelers flying the busy routes above the area sometimes confuse Mt. Adams with nearby Mt. Rainier, which has a similar flat-topped shape. Adams’ asymmetrical and broad body rises a mile and a half (2.4 km) above the Cascade crest and its nearly flat summit looks as if the volcano was decapitated (which it in fact has not been). The Pacific Crest Trail traverses the west flank of the mountain.
June 21st, 2007
The beauty of Mt Leconte (the one in the Smoky Mountains) is that it is accessible to anyone of a reasonable fitness level. I’ve never been up Leconte, but I’ve heard great things about it. When the movement started to create the Smoky Mountain National Park, a tent city was set up on the summit of Mt Leconte to entertain dignitaries from Washington. Now Mt Leconte Lodge sits near the summit, where backpackers can find rustic accommodations if they like.
Mt Leconte - (6,593 ft/2,010 m)
This image is from mtleconte.com, a must view resource for anyone wanting to climb Leconte. There are five trails that can get you to the summit of Leconte. Alum Cave Trail, The Boulevard Trail, Bullhead Trail, Rainbow Falls, and Trillium Gap Trail. The best time to climb is May-September and many prefer September when the leaves are changing.
June 12th, 2007
What’s not to love about a mountain that hasn’t had a maintained trail to it in over twenty years! The easiest way to get to the mountain is by canoeing across two lakes and then bushwacking until you reach a suitable route up the peak. Talk about an adventure, where do I sign up?
Mt Moran - (12,605 ft/3,842 m)
From Wikipedia
Mount Moran is a mountain in Grand Teton National Park of western Wyoming, United States. The mountain is named for Thomas Moran, an American western frontier landscape artist. Mount Moran dominates the northern section of the Teton Range rising 6,000 feet (1,830 m) above Jackson Lake. Several active glaciers exist on the mountain with Skillet Glacier plainly visible on the monolithic east face. Like Middle Teton in the same range, Mount Moran’s face is marked by a distinctive basalt intrusion known as the Black Dike.
June 8th, 2007
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