h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I like this vista! Those mountains look barren … but not bad! I like the look of rocks ...

I have a feeling they ought to be covered in trees.

Much of the British Isles was, except for the Shetlands, which are too windy. I think the loss of trees started early but was helped along by the need for oaks to build ships with.

The Black Mountaisn are in North carolina
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mountains_(North_Carolina)
and also in Wales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mountains,_Wales

They provide an easy way for people to cross the Atlantic: just start your hike in either range, and you will soon find yourself in the other. From the top of Waun Fach in Wales, you can see North Carolina highway 128 as it approaches Mount Mitchell. In the area where the two mountain chains intersect, you can find he deservedly forgotten village of Wozzat, where the natives speak an indecipherable blend of Old Welsh and Southern U.S. dialect. No visitor ha ever figured out what any of the natives are saying to each other. This came in handy in World war II, when the dialect of this village was used for military codes. The Axis countries never figured out what the codes meant. Unfortunately, neither did the Allies....

I have once been on Waun Fach, but I can't remember seeing North Carolina from there.

Welcome to the very strange worlds that I drift through.

As strange as they are, I prefer them to the strange world that I *do* live in.

What I found strange at the time was why anyone would call the highest summit in the area "small moor". That doesn't sound very heroic on the bragging scale of "Our hill/mountain is bigger than yours!"

Well, at least it is better than "Your finger, you fool..." as a name. (Explorer points at mountain and asks a local what it is called)

The logical explanation in this case could be that the big moor only fitted in a flatter area.

I do see that they have a Waun Fawr to the East of Aberystwyth. Now we just have to measure to see if that one is actually bigger than the small one…

There's also a Waunfawr higher up in Wales. Could be bigger, that one.

Still, on a scale of one to the solar system, it probably doesn't matter all that much anyway.

What I do remember is that somewhere in the Black Mountains, the golden rule of the Cambrian way didn't hold. (If you are on a summit, seek out the next summit and go there) Unaware of that, we voluntarily climbed an extra, unnecessary summit .

I won't throw in a link to the obvious song from "Sound of Music."

Interestingly, there's not many places where you can climb a mountain and walk on the beach within 2 hours and on foot, like in Wales.

As for fording streams: As long as the stream depth does not exceed 8 inches, I should have dry feet afterwards.

Following streams up- or downstream is much more fun than just your everyday perpendicular fording.

I totally agree . I've followed many a stream upstream.

I once went on vacation along the Oregon coast. There was very tall hill or mountain right on the coast. My family climbed it, and were rewarded with a view that extended far out to sea.

Cristoforo Coln Peak, in Colombia, is 18,700 feet above sea level, and is about 30 miles from the sea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pico_Crist%C3%B3bal_Col%C3%B3n

I could probably find mountains that are closer to the sea, but I doubt they would be as tall.

That is a great landscape and skyscape - thanks to Robbie for sharing it with us