Photos of the world's most spectacular mountains

Published 12 Apr 2019, 13:16 BST, Updated 16 Oct 2019, 17:12 BST

Due to rockslide and subsequent erosion, the height of Mount Cook slowly decreases.

Photograph by Michael Melford, Nat Geo Image Collection

Grand Teton National Park offers opportunities for fishing, hiking, camping, and mountaineering not far from Yellowstone National Park.

Photograph by Raul Touzon, Nat Geo Image Collection

Divided into four summits, Annapurna in Nepal is considered a massif, or a group of compacted mountains.

Photograph by Marcin Dobas, Nat Geo Image Collection

Cotopaxi erupted more than 60 times since the 16th century, making it one of the most active volcanoes in Ecuador.

Photograph by Jeff Mauritzen, Nat Geo Image Collection

Once an active volcano, Ben Nevis erupted and collapsed inward on itself millions of years ago.

Photograph by David Speight, Nat Geo Image Collection

Mount Fitz Roy features sky-puncturing peaks on the border of Argentina and Chile.

Photograph by Beth Wald, Nat Geo Image Collection

Mount Kilimanjaro contains three volcanic cones—Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira—and is the highest mountain in Africa.

Photograph by David Pluth, Nat Geo Image Collection

Surrounded by beaches, Iceland's Kirkjufell (or “church mountain") holds bird and fish fossils.

Photograph by Raul Touzon, Nat Geo Image Collection

In 79 C.E., Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the city of Pompeii under ash.

Photograph by Robert Clark, National Gegraphic Creative

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Pitons hold the water source for the hot springs of Absalon in Saint Lucia.

Photograph by Heeb, Redux

Uluru is a tor, an isolated mass of weathered rock, and is the second largest monolith in the world after Mount Augustus in Australia.

Photograph by Babak Tafrreshi, Nat Geo Image Collection

Popocatépetl is an active stratovolcano located in the Trans-Mexican volcano belt.

Photograph by Raul Touzon, Nat Geo Image Collection

The stunning pyramidal peak of Alpamayo rises among several tropical-zone glaciers in the Cordillera Blanc mountain range of Peru.

Photograph by Peter Gebhard, Redux

Denali is the tallest mountain in North America, rising to 20,310 feet.

Photograph by Bob Smith, Nat Geo Image Collection

The highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest is over 60 million years old and grows about a half inch taller every year.

Photograph by Alex Treadway, Nat Geo Image Collection

This granite monolith in California features near-vertical walls and stands over 3,000 feet above sea level.

Photograph by Alex Treadway, Nat Geo Image Collection

The pyramid-shaped Matterhorn straddles the border of Switzerland and Italy in the Alps.

Photograph by Marcin Dobas, Nat Geo Image Collection

Mount Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps.

Photograph by Jarry and Tripleton, Redux

The five peaks of Mount Hua each hold Taoist teahouses and shrines.

Photograph by Silke Reenits, Redux

Mount Rainier is an active volcano and the highest peak in the Cascade Range.

Photograph by Mark Stone, Nat Geo Image Collection

Overlooking Cape Town, South Africa, Table Mountain gets its tubular shape from horizontal layers of sandstone, eroded away by vigorous water and wind.

Photograph by Riccardo Venturi, Redux

Mount Sinai is historically significant for Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and is said to be the site where God gave the Ten Commandments.

Photograph by Karen Kasmauski, Nat Geo Image Collection

The location, elevation, and harsh climate make K-2—the second-highest mountain in the world—one of the most challenging to climb.

Photograph by Tommy Heinrich, Nat Geo Image Collection

An active volcano that last erupted in the 18th century, Japan's Mount Fuji has been a pilgrimage site for centuries.

Photograph by Christoph Popschi, Redux

Although Mount Olympus is snowcapped and often covered in clouds, Homer’s Odyssey depicted the peak as "basking in cloudless pure air."

Photograph by Hercules Milas, Alamy

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