Four-thousander
Encyclopedia
A four-thousander is a mountain summit
that is at least 4,000 metres above sea level. Because the highest peaks in Europe
fall into this category, the summits of four-thousanders are popular in Europe with climbers and mountaineers as climbing goals. Although climbing these peaks does not require an expedition to be mounted, unlike the highest peaks in other continents, knowledge and experience of high altitude climbing is a pre-requisite for attempting these peaks.
Four-thousanders are the highest mountains and summits in Europe and are all found in the Alps
. There is no agreement over where the boundary is between Europe and Asia
which is why there is a dispute over which continent the over 5,000 metres high Caucasus
range is in. In the Alps the highest four-thousander is Mont Blanc
at 4,810 metres, the lowest, at exactly 4,000 metres is the eastern summit of Les Droites
.
The exact number of Alpine four-thousanders is unclear, because there are no commonly agreed criteria for mountains, summits and subpeaks. Officially, the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation, UIAA, has declared 82 peaks as four-thousanders and 46 as four-thousander subpeaks, which are spread across three countries. In all 55 peaks lie entirely within one country, over 27 straddle a border but none is located at a tripoint
. By the UIAA's definition, Switzerland has 48 four-thousanders, Italy
has 35 and France
26.
The four-thousanders are found mainly in the Western Alps, in the ranges of the Bernese Alps
(9), Dauphiné Alps
(2) Graian Alps
(29) and Pennine Alps
(41). The only four-thousander in the Eastern Alps
is Piz Bernina
(4,049 m) in the Bernina Group.
(Toubkal
: 4,167 m), in the Ethiopian Highlands
(Ras Daschan: 4,620 m), in the foothills of the Adamaoua Mountains (Mount Cameroon
: 4,070 m), in the Virunga Volcanoes (Karisimbi
: 4,507m) and in the shape of the 4,565 m high Mount Meru in Tanzania. In Africa there is a total of 38 four-thousanders.
there is a large number of four-thousanders, especially in the state of Colorado (Mount Elbert
: ) and Wyoming (Gannett Peak
: ). In addition the Sierra Nevada rises well above ; its highest peak is Mount Whitney
at . On Hawaii
the volcano of Mauna Kea
lies above sea level and has an overall height of above the seabed. The US-American equivalent of the four-thousanders are the fourteener
s, which include all mountains that are higher than 14,000 feet (4,267.2 m).
in the Trans-Antarctic Mountains or Mount Jackson
on the Palmerland peninsula.
Summit
Summit may refer to:*Summit , the highest point of a mountain, hill, road, or railway.-Locations:United States* Summit, Arizona* Summit, Arkansas* Summit, California** Summit, Butte County, California** Summit, Kern County, California...
that is at least 4,000 metres above sea level. Because the highest peaks in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
fall into this category, the summits of four-thousanders are popular in Europe with climbers and mountaineers as climbing goals. Although climbing these peaks does not require an expedition to be mounted, unlike the highest peaks in other continents, knowledge and experience of high altitude climbing is a pre-requisite for attempting these peaks.
Europe
→ See: List of Alpine four-thousandersFour-thousanders are the highest mountains and summits in Europe and are all found in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. There is no agreement over where the boundary is between Europe and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
which is why there is a dispute over which continent the over 5,000 metres high Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
range is in. In the Alps the highest four-thousander is Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
at 4,810 metres, the lowest, at exactly 4,000 metres is the eastern summit of Les Droites
Les Droites
Les Droites is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps and is the lowest of the 4000-metre peaks in the Alps. The mountain has two summits:* West summit , first ascent by W. A. B...
.
The exact number of Alpine four-thousanders is unclear, because there are no commonly agreed criteria for mountains, summits and subpeaks. Officially, the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation, UIAA, has declared 82 peaks as four-thousanders and 46 as four-thousander subpeaks, which are spread across three countries. In all 55 peaks lie entirely within one country, over 27 straddle a border but none is located at a tripoint
Tripoint
A tripoint, or trijunction , is a geographical point at which the borders of three countries or subnational entities meet....
. By the UIAA's definition, Switzerland has 48 four-thousanders, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
has 35 and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
26.
The four-thousanders are found mainly in the Western Alps, in the ranges of the Bernese Alps
Bernese Alps
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Lucerne, Obwalden, Fribourg and...
(9), Dauphiné Alps
Dauphiné Alps
The Dauphiné Alps are a group of mountain ranges in southeastern France, west of the main chain of the Alps. They are separated from the Cottian Alps in the east by the Col du Galibier and the upper Durance valley; from the western Graian Alps in the north-east by the river Arc; from the lower...
(2) Graian Alps
Graian Alps
The Graian Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in France , Italy , and Switzerland...
(29) and Pennine Alps
Pennine Alps
The Pennine Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland and Italy...
(41). The only four-thousander in the Eastern Alps
Eastern Alps
Eastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of the Splügen Pass in eastern Switzerland. North of the Splügen Pass, the Posterior Rhine forms the border, and south of the pass, the Liro river and Lake Como form the boundary line.-Geography:The...
is Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the Eastern Alps and the highest point of the Bernina Range the highest peak in south Rhetic Alps. It is also the farthest easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent...
(4,049 m) in the Bernina Group.
Africa
In Africa mountain ranges there are four-thousanders in the High AtlasHigh Atlas
High Atlas, also called the Grand Atlas Mountains is a mountain range in central Morocco in Northern Africa.The High Atlas rises in the west at the Atlantic Ocean and stretches in an eastern direction to the Moroccan-Algerian border. At the Atlantic and to the southwest the range drops abruptly...
(Toubkal
Toubkal
Toubkal is a mountain peak in southwestern Morocco, located in the Toubkal National Park. At 4,167 metres, it is the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains and in North Africa. It is located 63 km south of the city of Marrakesh, in the Toubkal National Park...
: 4,167 m), in the Ethiopian Highlands
Ethiopian Highlands
The Ethiopian Highlands are a rugged mass of mountains in Ethiopia, Eritrea , and northern Somalia in the Horn of Africa...
(Ras Daschan: 4,620 m), in the foothills of the Adamaoua Mountains (Mount Cameroon
Mount Cameroon
Mount Cameroon is an active volcano in Cameroon near the Gulf of Guinea. Mount Cameroon is also known as Cameroon Mountain or Fako or by its native name Mongo ma Ndemi ....
: 4,070 m), in the Virunga Volcanoes (Karisimbi
Karisimbi
Karisimbi is a commune of the city of Goma in Nord-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is named after the nearby Mount Karisimbi....
: 4,507m) and in the shape of the 4,565 m high Mount Meru in Tanzania. In Africa there is a total of 38 four-thousanders.
North America
In the Rocky MountainsRocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
there is a large number of four-thousanders, especially in the state of Colorado (Mount Elbert
Mount Elbert
Mount Elbert is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains of North America, at , the highest of the fourteeners in Colorado, and the high point of the Sawatch Range. It is located in Lake County, approximately southwest of Leadville...
: ) and Wyoming (Gannett Peak
Gannett Peak
Gannett Peak is the highest peak in the U.S. state of Wyoming and straddles the boundary between Fremont and Sublette Counties along the Continental Divide.- Overview :...
: ). In addition the Sierra Nevada rises well above ; its highest peak is Mount Whitney
Mount Whitney
Mount Whitney is the highest summit in the contiguous United States with an elevation of . It is on the boundary between California's Inyo and Tulare counties, west-northwest of the lowest point in North America at Badwater in Death Valley National Park...
at . On Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
the volcano of Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii. Standing above sea level, its peak is the highest point in the state of Hawaii. However, much of the mountain is under water; when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is over tall—significantly taller than Mount Everest...
lies above sea level and has an overall height of above the seabed. The US-American equivalent of the four-thousanders are the fourteener
Fourteener
In mountaineering terminology in the United States, a fourteener is a mountain that exceeds 14,000 feet above mean sea level. There are 547 fourteeners in the world. The importance of fourteeners is greatest in Colorado, which has the majority of such peaks in North America...
s, which include all mountains that are higher than 14,000 feet (4,267.2 m).
Antarctic
The highest mountain in Antarctica is Mount Vinson , which was thought to be a five thousander for a long time. In addition there are other peaks over 4,000 metres high, such as Mount KirkpatrickMount Kirkpatrick
Mount Kirkpatrick is a lofty, generally ice-free mountain in Antarctica's Queen Alexandra Range. Located 8 km west of Mount Dickerson, Mt. Kirkpatrick is the highest point in the Queen Alexandra Range, as well as in its parent range, the Transantarctic Mountains...
in the Trans-Antarctic Mountains or Mount Jackson
Mount Jackson (Antarctica)
Mount Jackson is a massive mountain that dominates the upland in the southern part of the Antarctic Peninsula. It rises to a majestic summit peak on south and east, while the north flank is occupied by a vast cirque. Alternate names for the mountain include Mount Andrew Jackson and Mount Ernest...
on the Palmerland peninsula.