Two-thousanders are mountains that have a height of at least 2,000 metres above sea level, but less than 3,000 metres. The term is used in Alpine circles, especially in Europe (e.g. German: ''Zweitausender''). The two photographs show two typical two-thousanders in the Alps that illustrate different types of mountain. The Säuling (top) is a prominent, individual peak, whereas the Schneeberg (bottom) is an elongated limestone massif. In ranges like the

Allgäu Alps The Allgäu Alps (german: Allgäuer Alpen) are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, located in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany and Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria. The range lies directly east of Lake Constance. Character ...

, the Gesäuse or the Styrian-Lower Austrian Limestone Alps the mountain tour descriptions for mountaineers or

hiker Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

s commonly include the two-thousanders, especially in areas where only a few summits exceed this level. Examples from these regions of the Eastern Alps are: * the striking Nebelhorn (2,224 m) near Oberstdorf or the

Säuling Säuling or Saulingspitze is a twin-peak mountain in the German Allgäu, though part of the mountain is in Austria. The two summits have heights of and . It is located near the town of Füssen and the castle Neuschwanstein Neuschwanstein C ...

(2,047 m) near Neuschwanstein, * the

Admonter Reichenstein The Admonter Reichenstein is a mountain in the Ennstal Alps and the highest and easternmost peak in the Reichenstein Group. An ascent of the mountain requires climbing ability sufficient to handle UIAA grade II climbs. Topography The Admonte ...

(2,251 m), Eisenerzer Reichenstein (2,165 m), Großer Pyhrgas (2,244 m) or Hochtor (2,369 m), * the

Hochschwab The Hochschwab in the Upper Styria Upper Styria (german: Obersteiermark), in the Austrian usage of the term, refers exclusively to the northwestern, generally mountainous and well-wooded half of the federal state of Styria. The southwestern half ...

(2,277 m) and Vienna's local mountains, the Schneeberg (2,076 m) and the

Rax The Rax is a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps on the border of the Austrian federal provinces of Lower Austria and Styria. Its highest peak is the ''Heukuppe'' (2,007 m). The Rax, together with the nearby Schneeberg, are a tradition ...

(2,007 m). The last-mentioned two are also the easternmost two-thousanders in the Alps, before their foothills descend to the Carpathians and into the Pannonian Plain. Analogous examples may also be found in the Western Alps, but are rarer as the peaks are generally higher. In the Carpathians, two-thousanders dominate large regions of highland, for example in Slovakia (including mountains in the High Tatra, Beskids and

Low Tatra The Low Tatras or Low Tatra ( sk, Nízke Tatry; hu, Alacsony-Tátra) is a mountain range of the Inner Western Carpathians in central Slovakia. It is located south of the Tatras proper, from which it is separated by the valleys of the Váh ...

). There are no mountains in the UK that reach 2,000 metres. However the term is sometimes used there to refer to mountains over 2,000 ''feet'' in height.Nuttall, John and Nuttall, Anne (2009). ''The Mountains of England and Wales: Vol 1 Wales'', 3rd ed., Cicerone, p. 98. .

References

{{Reflist Mountains by height Oronyms

See also

References