The name of this elevated region means “suspended rock” and it is home to the second most important monastery for the Eastern Orthodox religion in Kalambaka, after Mount Athos. Located between the Peneios River and the Pindus Mountains, these monasteries stand against a spectacular series of sandstone rock pillars. UNESCO protects the area, with its complex of six monasteries, as a World Heritage Site.
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You've surely seen these images before, from the movie “Mission: Impossible,” where they appear at the beginning as Tom Cruise climbs them, or from the movie Thelma & Louise, where they also appear.
Located next to the Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park, this formation is of great topographic interest. The river bed's steep drop leaves a narrow strip of land where trees can be seen, though the area's extreme aridity means any visitor needs to come well stocked with food and water.
This incredible red sandstone monolith rises 244 meters high. It stands in Arizona's canyon within Canyon de Chelly National Monument. It formed roughly 230 million years ago from layers of wind-deposited sand cementing together. Its name comes from the Navajo legend of “Spider Woman,” who made it her home. The Navajo regard her as a “Savior” and worship her as a deity.
Formed by a volcanic eruption some 30 million years ago, it now stands as an unmatched basalt exposure of what was once the volcano's central chimney. Climbers reach the summit by first topping a series of lesser peaks. Locals refer to some of these wonderful examples of magma solidified into columns as the sacred “Tse Bitai” (the rock with wings). Even if you don't intend to climb it, you can see it from the middle of Shiprock from several kilometers away, since it measures 500 meters across and rises 600m. The area of the now-extinct volcano spans nearly 20,000 square kilometers across parts of Arizona, Utah, and Colorado.
The Devil's Needle gives its name to this impressive 2,050 m rock in Serra dos Órgãos National Park in Brazil. Even for professional climbers, reaching the top of this peak is no easy task, since the natural obstacles — the trail to base camp, the summit itself, the distance, and the time required — are all unique. Still, the views are breathtaking once the peak is reached. What makes this mountain unusual is that it's made up of blocks and towers that run the full two thousand meters. The first successful ascent was in 1940.
It's best not to judge this peak by photographs alone — seeing it in person dispels any doubt about its beauty. The Delago arête remains the most convenient route up this mountain. No matter what precautions are taken, the pitch of the Delagokante is sure to take even the best climbers' breath away.
The name of this 604-meter-high formation varies between Prekestolen and Preikestolen, whose literal translation would be Preacher's Pulpit or Pulpit Rock — a fitting name given its strange, flat 25-by-25-meter summit. It has long been one of Norway's natural treasures, drawing 95,000 visitors in 2006 alone. The Norwegian Trekking Association offers guided tours around Prekestolen that take about two to three hours to reach the plateau, a trip experienced hikers could do in far less time.
Standing in the northern part of the park, this 900 m granite monolith has baffled climbers from around the world. It's not so much its height as its sheer vertical face. It was named by the Mariposa Battalion in 1851. A trail runs alongside Yosemite Falls straight to the top, but the real challenge lies in crossing the granite face itself, said to be over 100 million years old and offering almost no holds. The quality of the granite changes as you climb toward the summit, which was shaped during the last ice age.
Located in Auyuittuq National Park, Thor Peak's west face rises 1,675 m above sea level and boasts the tallest vertical drop on Earth. Its remote location and its overhanging 105º angle make it one of every climber's favorite summits. The granite peak is part of the Baffin Mountains, first climbed by the Arctic Institute of North America in 1953. The longest rappel descent on record was made on this mountain on July 23, 2006, by a group of young Americans. Even non-climbers can admire the beauty of Mount Thor in the famous “No Quarter” sequence from the concert film “The Song Remains The Same”.
Forming the border between Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana, this mountain rises 2,810 m high. Located in Canaima National Park in Venezuela, it is one of the oldest geological formations in the region. Sir Everard im Thurn was the first to reach its summit, in 1884. It's believed to have inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous novel “The Lost World”, and it remains sacred to the Pemón people who live in the area.
Situated between the Vowell Glacier to the west and the Crescent Glacier to the east, this Alpine-style peak is one of Canada's most famous when it comes to climbing. Its name served as a landmark for miners, giving rise to Bugaboo Creek and Bugaboo Pass, both used since earlier eras. The word Bugaboo means “an object of obsession”, used to describe an exaggerated fear or anxiety — much like what Conrad Kain's team truly felt when they made the first ascent in 1916, while Canada was in the grip of World War I. This climb is remembered as one of the technically hardest ascents ever attempted.
In Chile's Torres del Paine Natural Park you'll find natural wonders such as mountains, glaciers, rivers and lakes that make the area a major tourist draw. Some 112 km north of Puerto Natales and 312 km north of Punta Arenas, the park also holds the Paine Massif, which commands the landscape from on high, standing out against the flat Patagonian steppe. While sightseers prefer to explore the surrounding area — Los Glaciares National Park and Bernardo O´Higgins National Park among them — a climber can hardly ignore the call of this “Spur” east of the Andes. Climbers will truly delight in the view of the countless interlocking valleys that separate the massif's various granite peaks and mountains.
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This is one of the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps, rising to an impressive 4,478 m. British mountaineer Edward Whymper and his team were the first to reach the summit, in July 1865, by a route so dangerous that three members of the party lost their lives during the descent.
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This towering granite mountain rises to 3,128 meters. Exposed to brutal weather conditions, it's a true challenge for even the best climbers on the planet, known for its incredibly steep walls. Italian alpinist Cesare Maestri and his ice-climbing partner Toni Egger worked their way around the snow cap surrounding the peak until they finally conquered it on January 31, 1959. It took them four days to reach the top, and with that achievement they put to rest its reputation as an unreachable summit for many climbers.
This is the alternate name for the majestic Trango Towers, located on the Baltoro Glacier in Baltistan, northern Pakistan. This ambiguity around the name adds mystery to a peak that reaches 6,239 meters on one of the Karakoram's spurs. Its vast, sprawling wall, spanning up to 1,000 meters, has fascinated climbers for years. The first mountaineer to leave his mark on the summit was Britain's Joe Brown, along with Martin Boysen, Mo Anthoine and Malcolm Howells. Today, eight different routes lead to the top, where an eternal flame keeps it a favorite among those who followed in Dan Osman's footsteps.
