How it works
These are the parts of a mountain as hikers and geographers name them, on one mountain range seen from the valley below. Start with the 7 main parts.
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From the top down
The summit is the highest point. Ridges run out from it along the skyline, and a pass, or saddle, is a low area on a ridge between two peaks. The slopes run down to the base, where the mountain meets the valley and the foothills beyond.
Carved by ice
A glacier grinds out a bowl, the cirque, below the summit. Where two cirques meet, the ridge between is left as a knife-edged arête. Spurs run down from the main ridges, and gullies are narrow channels worn into the slopes.
- A cirque often cradles a small pond, called a tarn, at the foot of its steep back wall.
Questions and answers
What is the top of a mountain called?
The summit, or peak: the highest point. A long line of high ground running from it is a ridge.
What is the difference between a pass and a saddle?
Nothing: both name the low area on a ridge between two peaks. Col is another name for the same dip, and it is often the easiest way over a range.
What is a cirque?
A bowl-shaped hollow scooped out at the base of a mountain's steep face by a glacier. It often holds a small pond called a tarn.