Summit

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Climbers from the Dominican Republic on the world's highest summit, Mount Everest. Ivan Ernesto Gomez Carrasco en la cima del Monte Everest.jpg
Climbers from the Dominican Republic on the world's highest summit, Mount Everest.
View from the summit of Switzerland's highest peak, Monte Rosa Monte Rosa summit.jpg
View from the summit of Switzerland's highest peak, Monte Rosa

A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.

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The term top (mountain top) is generally used only for a mountain peak that is located at some distance from the nearest point of higher elevation. For example, a big, massive rock next to the main summit of a mountain is not considered a summit. Summits near a higher peak, with some prominence or isolation, but not reaching a certain cutoff value for the quantities, are often considered subsummits (or subpeaks) of the higher peak, and are considered part of the same mountain. A pyramidal peak is an exaggerated form produced by ice erosion of a mountain top. Summit may also refer to the highest point along a line, trail, or route.

The highest summit in the world is Mount Everest with a height of 8,848.86 m (29,031.7 ft) above sea level. The first official ascent was made by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary. They reached the mountain's peak in 1953. [1] [2]

Whether a highest point is classified as a summit, a sub peak or a separate mountain is subjective. The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation's definition of a 4,000 m peak is that it has a prominence of 30 metres (98 ft) or more; it is a mountain summit if it has a prominence of at least 300 metres (980 ft). [3] Otherwise, it is a subpeak.

Siskiyou Mountain Summit sign along Interstate 5, marking the highest point along the highway at 4,310 ft (1,310 m) SiskiyouSummit.jpg
Siskiyou Mountain Summit sign along Interstate 5, marking the highest point along the highway at 4,310 ft (1,310 m)

In many parts of the Western United States, the term summit can also be used for the highest point along a road, highway, or railroad, more commonly referred to as a pass . For example, the highest point along Interstate 80 in California is referred to as Donner Summit and the highest point on Interstate 5 is Siskiyou Mountain Summit. This can lead to confusion as to whether a labeled "summit" is a pass or a peak.

The summit of Mount Damavand, Iran Damavand-Iran-2018.jpg
The summit of Mount Damavand, Iran
Doso Doyabi, one of the highest peaks entirely within Nevada, United States View of Doso Doyabi from Wheeler Peak.jpg
Doso Doyabi, one of the highest peaks entirely within Nevada, United States
Mount Elbrus and its two peaks (Caucasus, Russia) Mt Elbrus Caucasus.jpg
Mount Elbrus and its two peaks (Caucasus, Russia)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presidential Range</span> Mountain range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fourteener</span> Mountain peak of at least 14,000 ft.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kala Patthar</span> Landmark near Pumori in the Nepali Himalayas

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topographic prominence</span> Vertical measurement of the independence of a summit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peak bagging</span> Goal to reach a collection of summits

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillary Step</span> Formerly one of the final and most challenging parts in summiting Mt Everest

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topographic isolation</span> Topography measuring minimum distance to a point of equal elevation

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lingtren</span> Himalayan mountain

Lingtren, 6,749 metres (22,142 ft), is a mountain in the Mahalangur Himal area of Himalaya, about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) distant in a direct line from Mount Everest. It lies on the international border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China and it was first climbed in 1935. A mountain nearby to the west was originally named Lingtrennup but is now more commonly called Xi Lingchain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Summit</span>

The South Summit is a subsidiary peak of Mount Everest in the Himalayas between the South Col and the main summit above sea level. Although the South Summit's elevation of 8,749 metres (28,704 ft) is higher than the second-highest mountain on Earth, it is not considered a separate mountain as its topographic prominence is only 11 meters.

References

  1. Lyons, Kate (2017-05-21). "Mount Everest's Hillary Step has collapsed, mountaineer confirms". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on Dec 31, 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  2. "Everest". National Geographic . Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  3. UIAA – International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation. "Mountain Classification: 4000m Summits in Alps" . Retrieved 2024-01-29.