cordilleras
Parallel mountain systems
Cordilleras are mountain ranges, especially parallel chains forming a larger mountain system.
The term comes from Spanish and typically refers to the extensive mountain systems of western North and South America: the cordilleras of the Andes, the North American Cordillera stretching from Alaska to Mexico.
In geography, cordillera often implies a complex of ranges rather than a single ridge.
Highest points attained
- ridgesNarrow elevated formations
- valleysLow areas between hills
- plateausElevated flat terrain
- escarpmentsSteep slope or cliff
summits · glaciers · volcanoes · canyons · gorges · massifs · foothills · cliffs
European mountain system
- HimalayasAsia's highest range
- RockiesNorth American mountain chain
- Sierra NevadaWestern U.S. mountain range
- AppalachiansEastern U.S. mountain chain
Andes · Cascades · Pyrenees · Carpathians · Karakoram · Altai · Urals · Caucasus
Andes' highest peak
- AltiplanoAndean elevated flatland
- QuechuaAndean indigenous language family
- IncaAncient Peruvian civilization member
- condorGiant New World vulture
llama · alpaca · Atacama · Patagonia · vicuña · Bolívar · Nazca Lines
Geological mountain formation
- tectonicsStudy of crustal deformation
- subductionPlate descending beneath another
- volcanismSubterranean magma expulsion process
- upliftRaise emotionally or physically
faulting · folding · lithosphere · stratigraphy · sedimentation · erosion · geomorphology · plate boundaries
Self-supported wilderness travel
- summitingReaching a mountain's top
- mountaineeringSport of climbing peaks
- trailheadHiking path entrance
- base campExpedition's operational hub
expedition · altitude sickness · acclimatization · porters · guides · camping · scrambling · high-altitude
peaks
Highest points attained
escarpments · summits · glaciers · volcanoes · canyons · gorges · massifs · foothills · cliffs · passes
Alps
European mountain system
- HimalayasAsia's highest range
- RockiesNorth American mountain chain
- Sierra NevadaWestern U.S. mountain range
Appalachians · Andes · Cascades · Pyrenees · Carpathians · Karakoram · Altai · Urals · Caucasus · Hindu Kush
Aconcagua
Andes' highest peak
- AltiplanoAndean elevated flatland
- QuechuaAndean indigenous language family
- IncaAncient Peruvian civilization member
condor · llama · alpaca · Atacama · Patagonia · vicuña · Bolívar · Nazca Lines
orogeny
Geological mountain formation
- tectonicsStudy of crustal deformation
- subductionPlate descending beneath another
- volcanismSubterranean magma expulsion process
uplift · faulting · folding · lithosphere · stratigraphy · sedimentation · erosion · geomorphology · plate boundaries · magma
backpacking
Self-supported wilderness travel
- summitingReaching a mountain's top
- mountaineeringSport of climbing peaks
- trailheadHiking path entrance
base camp · expedition · altitude sickness · acclimatization · porters · guides · camping · scrambling · high-altitude · switchbacks
- Cordillera CentralMajor Philippine highland system