This post was originally published as a NaturePic Challenge: pictures of epic nature with a specific theme, and places that will trigger a natural high. This particular range of NaturePics is about Epic Mountains & Volcanoes. Over the years these have developed into extended stories. You can find the link to each mountain in this overview.

After the Remote Islands series, I was asked to participate in another NaturePic challenge. This theme is another favourite of mine: mountains and volcanoes! Some being both simultaneously.

Mountain fascination

As long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by mountains. Especially those of the fire-spewing kind… 😉 The awe-inspiring beauty and majesty of them. The mysterious lure of hidden valleys and adventurous trails beyond. Wandering around them, you just never lose your sense of wonder.

And there’s nothing quite like having a Wilderness Coffee with a view…

Wilderness Coffee @ The Hazards with a view to Wineglass Bay, Tasmania.

Seven epic mountains and volcanoes

This overview gives you a short summary of 7 spectacular mountains and volcanoes around the world. All of these have hiking routes and walking tracks circling around the summit area; some more challenging than others.

If you want to find out more and see how to get there, just click on the link in the title to read the full story. I update these articles on a regular basis, so you will often find new information and practical stuff, or fancy decorations like the handy interactive map at the bottom of this page.

Be sure to check back in, and enjoy reading & exploring.

Mount Titlis – Alpine meadows & mountain views

Switzerland is a true mountain paradise with numerous walking tracks. From Engelberg you can take a cable car to the top of Mount Titlis, the highest mountain in the region. It’s worth walking part of the way up (or down), and meander along flowery alpine meadows with breathtaking mountain views all around.

Haleakala – The House of the Rising Sun

Haleakala is the House of the Rising Sun – literally. The sunrise on this volcano on Maui is of such an epic magnitude that it draws people to get up at ridiculous o’ clock to drive up its endless hairpin roads to the top, in order to gawk over the ethereal beauty of its caldera when the sun slowly lights up and paints it in otherworldly colours. You can hike all the way to Halemau’u on the other side of this vast caldera, and explore its countless craters and cinder cones.

Pico del Teide – A volcanic playground

Pico del Teide on Tenerife is the biggest mountain of Spain. Surrounded by a huge caldera, its peak rises up an astonishing 3718 metres into thin air. Its flanks are a volcanic playground, with a multitude of colourful cones and bizarre cathedral-like formations, and winding roads along titled layers of rock. You can go all the way to the top of Pico del Teide by cable car and enjoy amazing views over the Canary Islands.

The Hazards – Scrambling up to prehistorical views

At just over 450 metres, Mount Amos isn’t really that high, but its inclination gets rather steep & challenging. You’ll have to scramble your way up (and down again!) over huge granite boulders to reach the top of this peak in The Hazards mountain range. Once you’ve braved the hardcore scrambling bit, you will be rewarded with awe-inspiring views over Wineglass Bay and the Freycinet Peninsula on the east coast of Tasmania.

Mount Etna – Vigorously steaming from all its craters

Mount Etna is Europe’s most active volcano, and it’s in a constant state of excitement. There’s always something going on around the slopes of Etna. Often it’s just quietly steaming away, and you can do many beautiful hikes in the summit area. But when it erupts it can cough up large rivers of lava, fissure fountains, strombolian fireworks, fuming ash clouds and everything inbetween from its various craters.

Tongariro – The track across Middle Earth

Ngauruhoe featured as the terrifying Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies. It’s one of the many cones of the vast Tongariro complex. You can explore Ngauruhoe and its surrounding area on the Tongariro Crossing, a beautiful walking track along 20 kilometres of steaming and colourful volcanic terrain from Mangatepopo to Ketetahi in New Zealand.

Eyjafjallajökull – The one that rules them all

Eyjafjallajökull, the unpronounceable one, silently looming in the background. Nobody knew its name, or could even pronounce it. Until that day in April 2010, when it literally erupted into world fame, and stopped the whole of Europe in their tracks. Eyjafjallajökull rules them all. This beautiful volcano is surrounded by hiking tracks in Thórsmörk around the back and Fimmvörðuháls over the top.

Iceland eruption 2021 🌋

The latest epic volcano erupted to the scene in Iceland on 19 March 2021 (and continued in 2022 and 2023). It mesmerized people around the world with rows of craters and scenic lava flows, and even turned into a spectacular lava geyser for a while. In this extensive article you can read all about the extraordinary Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula – and how to get there.

Where are all these mountains and volcanoes?

Explore this handy interactive map and find the locations of these beautiful mountains and volcanoes. You can also zoom in for more details of each peak and crater itself.

@ What is your favourite mountain or volcano? Let me know in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you! Your questions, comments and suggestions can also be helpful for other readers. Thank you for sharing.

Nancy Claus – Wilderness Coffee & Natural High

Follow Wilderness Coffee & Natural High on Facebook and Instagram for more stories.

Natural high! @ the Etna Southeast Crater.

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More to explore & discover

Ode to the mountains – The magic of Mount Taranaki

The fabled valley of Thórsmörk – A hiking paradise

La Palma – Cumbre Vieja Volcano Route

Candles on mountains – An enchanting ritual of fire

GeekPic @ Fimmvörðuháls

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© All photos and content on this website are my own, and subject to copyright (unless credited otherwise). Please contact me if you want to use a photo or quote a text from one of my articles. You’re welcome to share a link to my blog articles and photos on social media, with a tag and mention to Wilderness Coffee & Natural High.

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Last update: 21 January 2024
First published: 20 February 2017