Double summit explained

A double summit, double peak, twin summit, or twin peak is a mountain or hill that has two summits, separated by a col or saddle.

One well-known double summit is Austria's highest mountain, the Großglockner, where the main summit of the Großglockner is separated from that of the Kleinglockner by the Glocknerscharte col in the area of a geological fault.[1] Other double summits have resulted from geological folding. For example, on Mont Withrow in British Columbia, resistant sandstones form the limbs of the double summit, whilst the softer rock in the core of the fold was eroded.[2]

Triple peaks occur more rarely; one example is the Rosengartenspitze in the Dolomites. The Illimani in Bolivia is an example of a rare quadruple summit.

Well known double summits (selection)

Well known double summits are (roughly from east to west):

Europe

Central Alps

Other mountain ranges of Europe

Asia

Other mountain regions

Pilot peak and index peak in Wyoming

References

  1. Web site: Geologische Karte der Republik Österreich, 1:50.000, Blatt 153, Wien 1994 . . 29 March 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120608035514/http://www.geologie.ac.at/SEARCH/BASIS/gbadb1/db1www2/OK_50_1/DDW?W=OK_ID=%27153%27 . 8 June 2012 . dead.
  2. Web site: Mt. Withrow syncline . https://web.archive.org/web/20060404185911/http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/natmap/cf/intro_e.php . 2006-04-04 . 2009-05-12.