The ever-charismatic Mt. Fuji (3776 m), one of Japan’s three sacred peaks.
Mountains inspire awe not only because of their size and rugged nature. With the help of a “supporting cast” of sunlight, mist, frost, and snow, mountains reveal their sculptural beauty and colors in ways that are not easily forgotten, especially if you have witnessed them up close. Scroll below for a photo gallery of some of the world’s most majestic peaks, taken at different times of the year in images that remind us of the reasons why mountains have been immortalized in our collective memory.
Mt. Kailash in Tibet, seen at sunrise.
Located in Western Tibet, Mount Kailash (6638m) is sacred to over a billion Buddhists, Hindus and Jains, attracting pilgrims from all over Asia to pay homage to the gods by walking around the sacred mountain.
Mt. Kailash in the day, seen from the north face.
Any peaks in the Himalayas will take your breath away, especially at sunrise.
A view of the Himalayas from Everest Base Camp.
Jomsorn Airport, Nepal, with Mt. Dhaulagiri (8167m) as backdrop. Dhaulagiri is the seventh highest mountain in the world.
Tapovan base camp glows under Mt. Shivling (6543m) in the Garhwal Himalayas. Tapovan, which lies in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, is a popular pilgrimage site for Hindus.
No matter how many times you’ve seen pictures of Everest, this giant of a mountain always has some surprises up its sleeves. Watching the fading pink light illuminate the world’s tallest peak is truly an unforgettable experience.
Ama Dablam (6812m), a mountain in the Eastern Himalayas, is often referred to as the “Matterhorn of the Himalayas.”
The real Matterhorn, a near symmetrical pyramidal peak in the Swiss-Italian border that stands at 4,478m, seen here at sunrise in autumn.
Alpe di Siusi is the largest high-alpine pasture in the Dolomites region of northern Italy. Covering a surface area of 56 square kilometers, it is also the largest meadow in all of Europe.
Magical sunset in the Dolomites reflected in the golden glow of the Tri Cime di Laveredo in northern Italy. Tri Cime translates to three chimneys, referring to the three limestone peaks that soar to a height of nearly 10,000 feet.
A morning view of Mt. Fitz Roy (3045m) from the village of El Chaltén in southern Patagonia on the border between Argentina and Chile.
Fitz Roy in Patagonia, rising like a rose quartz in the light of the morning sun.
A beauty in pink. Mt Denali (formerly known as Mt. McKinley) is one of the most striking features on the entire planet. At 20,310 feet, it is the crowning peak of the Alaska Range and the highest mountain on the continent. The pink color of the mountain derives from pink quartz monzonite.
The primordial look of mountain cliffs in the Nāpali Coast State Park, Hawaii. Spanning 17 miles along Kauaʻi’s North Shore, the Nāpali Coast is a sacred place defined by extraordinary natural beauty. These emerald-hued cliffs with razor-sharp ridges tower above the Pacific Ocean, revealing beautiful beaches and waterfalls that plummet to the lush valley floor.
Rainbow Mountains, Gansu province, China.
The Zhangye Danxia National Park in China’s northern Gansu province is home to the Rainbow Mountains, so-named because of their otherworldly colors that mimic the hues of a rainbow. Their striking palette comes from exposed iron and trace minerals that were deposited with the sand and silt that make up the mountains bulk some 55 million years ago.
By its own nature it towers over the tangle of rivers. Don’t say it’s a lot of dirt piled high. Without end the mist of dawn the evening cloud draw their shadows across it. From the four directions you can look up and see it, green and steep and wild.
