2026 Mountain Trivia Challenge
This quiz was evening entertainment at the 14th ICA Mountain Cartography Workshop, Harrachov, Czechia. The winning team—Dušan Petrovič, Jim Meacham, Alex Fries, , and Katharina Deflorian—scored 18 out of 27 possible points.
Can you beat the mountain experts? Give yourself one point for each correct answer—your spelling need not be perfect. Answers are at the end.
1) The world’s most northerly mountain range, the Challenger Mountains, is on what Canadian island?
2) For a stunt in the 2023 movie, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Tom Cruise rode a motorcycle off a 1,266-meter cliff and then base jumped to the bottom. In what country was the stunt filmed?
3) The highest point on Mt. Kilimanjaro is Uhuru Peak, which means "Freedom Peak" in what language?
4) Who is this?
5) Identify the mountain range from these clues.
A. It spans an entire continent.
B. Only the highest peaks are visible.
C. Valleys within this range are the driest places on Earth.
6) Because of plate tectonics, the Caledonian Mountains of Scotland are related to two other distant mountain ranges. Name one of them.
7) How many countries do the Andes Mountains pass through?
8) What breed of mountain dog is this?
9) What scenic town in a Swiss valley inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictitious “Rivendell” in Lord of the Rings?
10) A team of 10 climbers reached the summit of K2, Earth’s second highest mountain, on January 16, 2021, the first-ever winter ascent. What country were the climbers from?
Hint: Nine of the ten climbers had the same last name.
11) What is transhumance? (multiple choice)
A. Seasonal pastoralism between valleys and mountains.
B. A deep meditative state achieved by Tibetan monks living alone in the mountains.
C. The physiological adaption to low oxygen levels by indigenous mountain dwellers.
12) What type of cloud is this?
13) A beak, lost arrow, knife blade, and bong are varieties of what type of device used for support by rock and ice climbers?
14) What African mountain range consisting of eight major volcanoes is home to critically endangered mountain gorillas?
15) The name of what outdoor clothing and equipment company was inspired by admiration for the author of Call of the Wild?
16) The massive ice sheet that covered much of eastern North America 20,000 years ago is named after what low mountains in Quebec and Labrador?
17) Identify the larger mountain in this photograph taken from Yerevan, Armenia.
18) Europe’s largest ice cap is on what crescent-shaped island group that is a northern extension of the Ural Mountains?
19) The often-quoted rationale for climbing mountains, “because it’s there,” was said by what British mountaineer who perished on Mt. Everest in 1924?
20) The likely last refuge for Neanderthals 42,000 years ago were seaside caves in what famous Mediterranean landmark with an Arabic name?
21) Identify the mountains marked on the map.
ANSWERS
1) Ellesmere Island, Canada, has the most northern mountain range.
2) Norway, the country where Tom Cruise rode off a cliff.
3) Swahili or Kiswahili, the laguage from which Uhuru originates.
4) Marie Tharp was a famous ocean floor mapper.
5) Transantarctic Mountains, as described by the clues.
6) Appalachian and Atlas mountains, related to the Caledonian Moutains
7) Seven. The Andes go through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.
8) Great Pyrenees, the breed of mountain dog.
9) Lauterbrunnen, Switzeland, was the inspiration for Rivendell.
10) Nepal. Sherpa was their shared last name.
11) A. Transhumance is seasonal pastoralism between valleys and mountains
12) Lenticular, a type of cloud that forms over mountains.
13) Pitons, the type of climbing aid.
14) Virunga Mountains, where endangered mountain gorillas live.
15) Jack Wolfskin, the company named after author, Jack London.
16) Laurentian Mountains, from which the ice sheet took its name.
17) Mount Ararat, Turkey, viewed from nearby Yerevan, Armenia.
18) Novaya Zemlya, northern extension of the Urals with a big ice cap.
19) George Mallory, who said "because it is there."
20) Rock of Gibraltar, last refuge of Neanderthals.
21) Western Ghats, India, the mountains marked on the map.
22) Santa Monica Mountains, where TV shows were filmed.
23) Indonesia has had 58 active volcanoes since 1950.
24) Harz Mountains, Germany, where the spectre of Brocken can be seen.
25) Santa Fe, New Mexico, the highest US state capital (2,194m, 7,199ft).
Extra Credit
Kitiro Tanaka made the illuminated contour map.
22) Westworld, The X-Files, and M.A.S.H. are some of the many TV shows filmed at Paramount Ranch near Los Angeles, California. In what mountain range is the ranch located?
23) What country has had the most active volcanoes since 1950?
24) The “Spectre of Brocken” is a visual phenomenon that occurs on misty days in what northern German mountains?
25) What US state capital has the highest elevation?
Extra Credit (2 points)
Who made this map?
(1 point each for the first & last names)
