The geography of Norway is dominated by vast mountain ranges broken up by valleys and fjords. Less than 10% of the country's area is arable, and the rest is mountainous. Glaciers are the major cause for erosion, so the terrain in the Norwegian mountains consists of plateaus and lakes with peaks. These areas have an abundant and diverse fauna and flora.
The altitude of the treeline comes slowly down going to higher latitudes; in northern Finnmark, the treeline reaches sea level. The treeline is also lower near the coast, and higher on the eastern slopes of the mountains.
Mountain ranges also form the main boundaries among Norway's districts. They typically run north-south. Several of the ranges have had road and railroad passes since historical times; some are newer; and many close over the winter.
Norwegian mountain ranges provide some of the most attractive recreational areas, both during summer and winter. Cabins and trails are operated by the Norwegian Mountain Touring Association at intervals that allow for weeks of uninterrupted hiking or cross-country skiing in the mountains.
Guidebooks in languages other than Norwegian are few. The following is a list of current mountaineering and walking guidebooks in print in English.
Scafell Pike is a mountain in the Lake District region of Cumbria, England. It has an elevation of 978 metres (3,209 ft) above sea level, making it the highest and the most prominent mountain in England. The mountain is part of the Scafell massif, an inactive volcano, and is one of the Southern Fells.
Scrambling is a mountaineering term for ascending steep terrain using one's hands to assist in holds and balance. "A scramble" is a related term, denoting terrain that could be ascended in this way. It can be described as being between hiking and rock climbing.
Galdhøpiggen is the highest mountain in Norway, Scandinavia, and Northern Europe. The 2,469-metre-tall (8,100 ft) mountain is located in Lom Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is in the Jotunheimen mountains within Jotunheimen National Park. The mountain sits about 25 kilometres (16 mi) southwest of the village of Fossbergom and about 45 kilometres (28 mi) northeast of the village of Øvre Årdal. The mountain is surrounded by several other notable mountains including Keilhaus topp to the east; Store Styggehøe to the southeast; Svellnosbreahesten, Midtre Tverråtinden, and Store Tverråtinden to the south; Storjuvtinden and Skardstinden to the west; Veslpiggen, Storgrovtinden, and Storgrovhøe to the northwest; and Galdhøi and Juvvasshøi to the northeast.
MacGillycuddy's Reeks is a sandstone and siltstone mountain range in the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. Stretching 19 kilometres, from the Gap of Dunloe in the east, to Glencar in the west, the Reeks is Ireland's highest mountain range, and includes most of the highest peaks and sharpest ridges in Ireland, and the only peaks on the island over 1,000 metres in height.
The Ansel Adams Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada of California, United States. The wilderness spans 231,533 acres (93,698 ha); 33.9% of the territory lies in the Inyo National Forest, 65.8% is in the Sierra National Forest, and the remaining 0.3% covers nearly all of Devils Postpile National Monument. Yosemite National Park lies to the north and northwest, while the John Muir Wilderness lies to the south.
Kebnekaise is the highest mountain in Sweden. The Kebnekaise massif, which is part of the Scandinavian mountain range, has two main peaks. The glaciated southern peak used to be the highest at 2,120 metres (6,960 ft) above sea level, but has shrunk by 24 meters during the last 50 years, making the northern icefree peak at 2,096.8 metres (6,879 ft) the highest. Kebnekaise lies in Swedish Lapland, about 150 kilometres (93 mi) north of the Arctic Circle and west of Kiruna near the Kungsleden hiking trail between Abisko and Hemavan.
Mount Baw Baw is a mountain summit on the Baw-Baw Plateau of the Great Dividing Range, located in Victoria, Australia. The name is from the Woiwurrung language spoken by Eastern Kulin people. It is of uncertain meaning, but possibly signifies, echo, or ghost.
Glittertind or Glittertinden is a mountain in Lom Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The 2,452-metre (8,045 ft) tall mountain is the second highest mountain in Norway. It is located in the Jotunheimen mountains within Jotunheimen National Park. The mountain sits about 22 kilometres (14 mi) southeast of the village of Fossbergom and about 38 kilometres (24 mi) southwest of the village of Vågåmo. The mountain is surrounded by several other notable mountains including Trollsteineggje, Trollsteinrundhøe, and Svartholshøe to the north; Grotbreahesten to the northeast; Veslekjølen to the east; Austre Hestlægerhøe and Nautgardstinden to the southeast; Steinbukampen and Veopallan to the south; and Galdhøpiggen to the west.
Glyder Fawr is a mountain in Snowdonia, Wales, the highest peak in the Glyderau range at just over 1,000 metres. It is the fifth-highest mountain in Wales and has several walking and scrambling routes leading to its summit. According to Sir Ifor Williams, the word "Glyder" derives from the Welsh word "Gludair", meaning a heap of stones.
Mweelrea is a mountain on the Atlantic coast of County Mayo, Ireland. Rising to 814 metres (2,671 ft), it is the highest mountain in the western province of Connacht, and is noted for its southeastern cliff-lined corries, and its views. Mweelrea overlooks Killary Harbour and is at the heart of a "horseshoe-shaped" massif that includes the peaks of Ben Lugmore and Ben Bury. The massif is called the Mweelrea Mountains or the Mweelrea Range.
Mount Feathertop is the second-highest mountain in the Australian state of Victoria and is part of the Australian Alps and is located within the Alpine National Park. It rises to 1,922 metres (6,306 ft) and is usually covered in snow from June to September. Unlike most mountains in the Australian Alps, Mount Feathertop has steep summit slopes instead of a rounded summit dome. Snow remaining in the summit gullies until late spring gives the appearance of feathers, hence the name.
Snøhetta is the highest mountain in the Dovrefjell mountain range in Norway. At 2,286 metres (7,500 ft), it is the highest mountain in Norway outside the Jotunheimen range, making it the 24th highest peak in Norway, based on a 30-metre (98 ft) topographic prominence cutoff. At 1,675 metres (5,495 ft), its topographic prominence is the third highest in Norway.
Fannaråki is a mountain in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The 2,068-metre (6,785 ft) tall mountain is located in the Jotunheimen National Park, just south of the lake Prestesteinsvatnet and the Sognefjellsvegen road. This mountain is located about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of the Skagastølstindane mountains.
Jiehkkevárri is a mountain on the border of Lyngen Municipality and Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is the highest mountain in Troms and has the second highest prominence among Norwegian mountains. The 1,834-metre (6,017 ft) tall mountain sits about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northeast of the village of Lakselvbukt and about 17 kilometres (11 mi) southwest of the village of Lyngseidet.
Falketind is a mountain in Årdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the Jotunheimen mountain range inside the Utladalen Landscape Protection Area. The mountain is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) east of the old mountain farm, Vettismorki, and 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) northwest of the lake Tyin.
Hurrungane is a mountain range in the municipalities Luster and Årdal in Vestland county, Norway. The area is southwest in the larger mountain range Jotunheimen and is also part of Jotunheimen National Park.
Store Lenangstind or Store Lenangstinden is a mountain in Lyngen Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is within the Lyngen Alps mountain range and has the fourth-highest primary factor in Norway. It is located about 15.5 kilometres (9.6 mi) northwest of the village of Lyngseidet, just west of the Lyngenfjorden. The Strupbreen glacier lies along the southeastern side of the mountain.
Walking is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United Kingdom, and within England and Wales there is a comprehensive network of rights of way that permits access to the countryside. Furthermore, access to much uncultivated and unenclosed land has opened up since the enactment of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. In Scotland the ancient tradition of universal access to land was formally codified under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. In Northern Ireland, however, there are few rights of way, or other access to land.
Bengower at 664 metres (2,178 ft), is the 135th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin scale, and the 166th–highest peak on the Vandeleur-Lynam scale. Bengower is in the southern end of the Twelve Bens mountain range in the Connemara National Park in County Galway, Ireland, and is the 6th-tallest of the core Twelve Bens.
Ben Lugmore at 803 metres (2,635 ft) is the 29th-highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin scale, and the 37th-highest peak on the Vandeleur-Lynam scale. It is in a horseshoe-shaped massif that includes the slightly higher peak of Mweelrea at 814 metres (2,671 ft), the highest mountain in the Irish province of Connacht. The massif is between Killary Harbour and Doo Lough, in County Mayo.