Four-thousanders
Four-thousand-meter is a name for peaks that are at least 4000 but less than 5000 meters above sea level. As the highest peaks in Europe fall into this category, four thousand are under (Hobby) mountaineers as objects of prestige for an ascent. This does not require an expedition as for the highest peaks on other continents, but such ascents also have the character of high-altitude tours .
Europe
→ See: List of four thousand meter peaks in the Alps
Four thousand meter peaks represent the highest mountains and peaks in Europe and are located in the Alps . There is no agreement about the border between Europe and Asia , which is why the affiliation of the 5000 meter high Caucasus peaks Elbrus, Shchara and Kazbek is controversial. The highest four-thousand-meter peak in the Alps is Mont Blanc at 4810 m and the lowest at 4000 m is the eastern summit of Les Droites .
The exact number of four-thousand-meter peaks in the Alps has not been clarified, as there are no consistent delimitation criteria for mountains, peaks and secondary peaks. Officially, the mountaineering association UIAA has declared 82 peaks to be four-thousanders and 46 to be sub-peaks of four-thousanders, which are spread over three countries. A total of 55 peaks lie completely in one national territory, a national border runs over 27, with no three countries bordering on each other. This results in the following distribution: Switzerland has 48 four-thousand-meter peaks, Italy 35 and France 25.
With one exception, the four-thousand-meter peaks are located in the Western Alps , the Bernese Alps (9), the Dauphiné Alps (2), the Graian Alps (29) and the Valais Alps (41). The only four-thousand-meter peak in the Eastern Alps is the Piz Bernina ( 4049 m above sea level ) in the Bernina group . Of the 41 four-thousand-meter peaks in the Valais Alps, 36 tower around the Mattertal , which is the largest concentration of main four-thousand-meter peaks in the Alps.
Map with all coordinates of the section | Northernmost four-thousand-meter peaks in the Alps: | Schreckhorn | 4078 m | Switzerland | 46 ° 35 ′ 21 ″ N , 008 ° 07 ′ 07 ″ E |
| Easternmost four-thousand-meter peaks in the Alps: | Piz Bernina | 4049 m | Switzerland | 46 ° 22 ′ 56 ″ N , 009 ° 54 ′ 29 ″ E |
| Southernmost four-thousand-meter peaks in the Alps: | Barre des Écrins | 4102 m | France | 44 ° 55 ′ 20 " N , 006 ° 21 ′ 36" E |
| Most western four-thousand-meter peaks in the Alps: | Barre des Écrins | 4102 m | France | 44 ° 55 ′ 20 " N , 006 ° 21 ′ 36" E |
Africa
In African mountains there are four-thousanders in the High Atlas ( Toubkal : 4167 m), in the highlands of Abyssinia ( Ras Daschän : 4533 m), in the foothills of the Adamaoua Mountains ( Cameroon Mountain : 4070 m), in the Virunga volcanoes ( Karisimbi : 4507 m) as well in the form of the 4565 m high Mount Meru in Tanzania. There are a total of 38 four-thousand-meter peaks in Africa .
North America
There are a number of four-thousand-meter peaks in the Rocky Mountains , especially in the states of Colorado ( Mount Elbert : 4402 m ) and Wyoming ( Gannett Peak : 4210 m ). Furthermore, the Sierra Nevada rises well above 4000 m ; the highest peak is Mount Whitney with 4420 m . The Mauna Kea volcano is located in Hawaii with a height of 4214 m and a total height of 9705 m above the sea floor. The American equivalent of the four-thousanders are the Fourteener , which includes all mountains that are higher than 14,000 feet (4,267.2 m).
Antarctic
The highest mountain in Antarctica is Mount Vinson ( 4892 m ), which has long been thought to be a five-thousand - meter peak . There are also other elevations over 4000 m, such as Mount Kirkpatrick ( 4528 m ) in the Transantarctic Mountains .
Oceania
In Oceania there are four thousand meter peaks on the island of New Guinea. The highest is the Carstensz pyramid at 4884 meters.
Web links
- 4000m high in the Alps
- UIAA directory of the four-thousand-meter peaks in the Alps ( Memento from February 12, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- 4000 meters in Switzerland
Individual evidence
- ↑ The four thousand meter peaks of the Alps - Official UIAA directory . In: UIAA bulletin. UIAA, No. 145, March 1994 (PDF; 632.6 kB).
- ↑ Mattertal. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo, accessed on April 13, 2016 .