Adventure

Photos of the world's most spectacular mountains

12 April 2019

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