Hills and mountains naturally a bit appear similar but mountains usually rise above the common level of the earth. They are caused by tectonic movement and reach thundering heights compared to hills. So, is there a difference between a hill vs a mountain?
According to the English dictionary, a mountain is a large mass of earth and rock rising above the common level of the planet, while a hill is an elevated location smaller than a mountain.
Climbing some of Earth’s highest mountains is a very challenging feat. However, the same cannot be said for hills.
Stay with us as we discuss more on the difference between hills and mountains.
What Is a Hill?
A hill is an elevated location smaller than a mountain. It’s a moderate, much shorter, and flatter geographical formation that is sometimes created by erosion or manmade activity.
Researchers have determined that may form as a result of erosion. This happens when wind and rain wash away rocks and soils in a particular area, hence reducing the size and height of the geographical formation.
Hills tend to have a slopping shape due to the erosion activity in an area. Compared to mountains, hills are a bit easy to climb. Hikers and mountain climbers endure some stretches to reach the summit of a hill.
Hills are not elevated to a higher altitude like mountains. They are often covered in vegetation compared to mountains sometimes covered in snow at high altitudes.
Generally, there are four types of hills which have been identified by scientists- they include buttes, drumlins, puys, and tors.
Hills with certain exposed rock formations on its summit are called tors. Hills with a table-top-like peak are known as buttes. This type of hill is usually located in the middle of flat locations.
Drumlins are types of hills that cover a particularly lengthy stretch of terrain. These types of hills were formed by glacial activity. Puys are a type of hill with a cone shape, as they are of volcanic origin.
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What Is a Mountain?
A mountain is a large mass of earth and rock rising above the normal level of the planet reaching above 100 feet in height.
We are all familiar with the highest mountain on earth, Mount Everest located in the Himalayas. But there is a mountain taller than Mount Everest and no, it’s not on earth.
Olympus Mons on the planet Mars is the highest mountain in the solar system. It’s three times higher than Mount Everest, standing at over 72,000 feet.
Coming back to our home planet Earth. The smallest mountain on earth is Mount Wycheproof on the continent of Australia. It’s a mountain regardless of its small elevation of just 43 meters.
From the smallest mountain, we head to the tallest on earth. Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain is over 29,000 feet (8,849 meters) above sea level.
Mount Everest is found in the Himalayas- a mountain range in Asia that separates the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau.
According to Haexpeditions.com, over 6,300 different climbers have reached the summit of Mount Everest. People have also lost their lives trying to reach the summit of the world’s tallest mountain.
Hill vs Mountain: Difference between Hills and Mountains
The major difference between hills and mountains is elevation. Although hills and mountains may appear a bit similar naturally, the difference still remains that a mountain is taller than a hill.
Mountains are considered to have a pointed peak than any type of hill. Naturally, a difference between mountains and hills is that the former belongs to a larger mountain range, while hills are just found in nature alone.
Around the world, you will find many mountain ranges like the Himalayas for example. Other mountain ranges include the Andes, Appalachian mountains, the Alps, Ural mountains, Rocky Mountains, Atlas, Altai, etc.
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Hill vs Mountain: Major Differences between Hills and Mountains
| Hill | Mountain |
| A hill is an elevated location smaller than a mountain. It’s a moderate, much shorter, and flatter geographical formation that is sometimes created by erosion or manmade activity. | A mountain is a large mass of earth and rock rising above the normal level of the planet reaching above 100 feet in height. |
| Can be found across the world but are most common in places with low elevation and flat topography | May have trees growing on them |
| Hills are usually round | Mountains usually have a pointy peak |
| May have tress growing on them | Mountains do not usually have tress due to high elevation |
Hill vs Mountain: Mountains Difficult to Climb Than Hills
Unlike hills, mountains soar up to a few thousand feet above sea level. Hills may be high too but cannot be compared to mountains.
Climbing a hill is not an easy task I must say. I have had the opportunity to a hill at least above a thousand feet and it was not easy at all. It’s a hard task but not as hard as climbing a mountain.
Climbing a hill requires wearing the right clothes and most importantly, the physical strength to go up the hill.
Mountaineers go through intense training. They are trained on how to survive when scaling up the rugged terrain of mountains.
Scaling up a mountain is a difficult task but many people choose to do it as a sport or pleasure.
One of the reasons climbing a mountain is very challenging is because of high altitudes. Climbing to high altitudes can cause low oxygen saturation levels.
This happens because of low atmospheric pressure at high altitudes and can cause desaturation of a mountaineer’s blood.
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Scaling up Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the highest point on earth and since the 1950s, thousands of people have successfully reached the summit of Everest.
There are also unsuccessful attempts to Mount Everest summit, which has led to the death of hundreds of people. The environment when climbing Mount Everest is not a friendly one.
It gets cold and the air becomes thinner on the way up. Many climbers get stranded scaling Mount Everest. They are sometimes rescued by a team assigned to respond and rescue stranded climbers.
This is what it takes to climb a mountain. It’s risky and requires safety gear and resources, strength, training, and the spirit to continue in a harsh environment.
You won’t experience any of the uncomfortable stress we mentioned above climbing a hill. Hills are easier to climb provided you have the cardio for it.
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Hill vs Mountain: Mountains are Naturally Found in Ranges
Mountains naturally are found in ranges- like the Himalayas for instance where Mount Everest is located. There are other mountain ranges around the world.
Some of the mountain ranges in the world include the Himalayas, the Appalachian, the Great Dividing Range, the Alps, the Andes, the Ethiopian Highlands, the Hindu Kush, the Atlas Mountains, and the Rocky Mountains.
Hills are not found in ranges but in isolation. There are no areas you can think of where you find hila in ranges. It doesn’t form naturally like mountains.
Hill vs Mountain: Hills are More Family Friendly
Climbing mountains is one of the most difficult and dangerous things to do. It’s not a friendly environment to begin with because of the terrain and things that could go wrong.
Talk about an avalanche, which has led to the death of many mountaineers, especially on Mount Everest.
Climbers are even required to have a medical assessment before they attempt to climb Mount Everest. Now you see what it takes to even attempt to climb the highest mountain in the world.
There are no medical assessments for climbing a hill. You can decide to go hiking with friends provided you and your mates have the strength to scale to the peak.
For safety concerns, it’s important not to scale up a hill intoxicated. A fall from a hill can lead to serious injury or even death.
Conclusion
Hills and mountains may appear a bit similar in nature but there are major differences between them. While a hill is an elevated location smaller than a mountain, a mountain is a large mass of earth and rock that rises above the level of the earth.
Mountains reach soaring heights and they are usually found in ranges. Hills may reach a towering height but they are not found in ranges.
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References
- WorldAtlas: What Are The Differences Between A Mountain And A Hill?
- Aspiringyouth: Difference between Hill and Mountain
- Campfiremag: Difference Between a Mountain and a Hill
