Written By Aarav Pandey (Grade 8)
Mountains are nature at its best. They pose a significant challenge. Climbing a mountain is not only a physical challenge but also a mental one, as it tests your willpower and courage never to give up. Many people believe that mountains are a means to connect to God.
There are many famous mountains worldwide, such as Mount Everest, the Alps, Mount Fuji, etc. Mountains are formed when two continental plates collide. For example, when the subcontinent of India collided with Eurasian (Europe and Asia) tectonic plates, Mount Everest was formed. Only a few people live in hilly areas or mountains as the conditions are not ideal for buildings. People in hilly areas or mountains use Bamboo pipes to get water. Transportation is difficult as roads and railway tracks have to be built around or through the mountain which takes a lot of workforce and money. Yet people live in the hilly areas because they are connected to nature. Their ancestors lived in hilly areas and mountains and had a rich, deep history. There is some evidence that there are mountains on other planets, such as the moon and Mars. Mount Everest’s highest mountain is 8,848 meters above sea level, 8.8 kilometers above sea level while the most miniature mountain is Mount Wycheproof at 42 meters above sea level.
Mountains can be covered with snow in the tundra, lush green vegetation in the valleys, or scorching hot sand in the deserts. They are essential to humans as they provide water for agriculture, food, hydroelectric power, shelter, and fresh water.
Shiwaliks is the youngest mountain chain, 16-5.2 million years old. Even though there is a lack of fertile soil in the mountains, terrace farming has become popular. Terrace farming is also called step farming; in terrace farming, mountains are cut into flat slopes so that when it rains, the soil’s nutrients are not washed away but go down to the next level for the other crops. The first male person to climb the highest mountain was Edmund Hillary from New Zealand, While the first woman was Junko Tabei from Japan. Mount Everest is home to many animals such as the snow leopard, Himalayan bear, red panda, Himalayan Tahr, etc. Snow leopards and red pandas are endangered because of poaching, habitat loss, retaliatory killing resulting from human-wildlife conflicts and human interference. Many religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism are inspired by mountains. Many climbers have left religious symbols or photos of their gods and goddesses on mountains. For example – H.P.S Ahluwalia left a picture of Guru Nanak, Rawat left a picture of the Goddess Durga, Phu Dhorji left a relic of Buddha, and Endumund Hillary buried a cross under a cairn. These are not symbols of conquests but of reverence. Someone who has been to the summit of a mountain becomes aware of his smallness in the universe.
Featured Image Courtesy – Veranda
