# Where is this geological feature? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219 "2014-06-06T18:42:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/1 "2014-06-06T18:42:43Z")
I once saw a photo, many years ago, of the coolest mountain range and I’d love to know where this was. It was very very tall skinny peaks, like jagged teeth, reddish in color, with a tiny bit of snow on the tips, and they went on forever as far as you could see. It looked like traversing the region would be near impossible. I always had in my mind that it was Tibet. And it still might be. Yet now when I google Tibet, I see nothing like it. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Fishtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ed655f/32.png) [@Fishtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fishtar)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/2 "2014-06-06T19:29:20Z")
Huangshan? [http://www.pahof.de/mediac/400\_0/media/Huangshan~yellow~mountains~china.jpg](http://www.pahof.de/mediac/400_0/media/Huangshan~yellow~mountains~china.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/3 "2014-06-07T02:23:31Z")
Maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/4 "2014-06-07T02:35:53Z")
Bryce Canyon? [![](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3ABryceCanyon-Amphiteatre1.jpg) ](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3ABryceCanyon-Amphiteatre1.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/5 "2014-06-07T03:23:13Z")
Nearby Everest… the Himalay’s, somewhere between Myanmar (Burma), the very north of, and Tajakistan. … Here’s a such a scene, which includes the Nepal/ China border area… Taken from Everest or there abouts. [http://www.absolutechinatours.com/Tibet-attractions/tibet-mountian-everest-5924.html](http://www.absolutechinatours.com/Tibet-attractions/tibet-mountian-everest-5924.html) Could also be …he Tian Shan mountains (Kyrgystan - China border area) Baffin Island, Canada , Greenland, Novaya Zemlya should only have smooth tops… and more glacier tracks. ---
**Author:** ![vd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b19c9b/32.png) [@vd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vd)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/8 "2014-06-07T05:05:54Z")
reported ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/9 "2014-06-09T17:11:28Z")
For some reason I have a hunch that the combination of tall skinny peaks and snow on the very tops of them isn’t something that actually occurs in nature. Any chance what you saw was a painting or a generated image? How many years ago is “many”? ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/10 "2014-06-09T17:25:59Z")
I don’t think it gets snowy, but maybe the stone forest in China (Google for images)? ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/11 "2014-06-09T17:46:36Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I don’t think it gets snowy, but maybe the stone forest in China (Google for images)? Yeah I saw that while I was googling. Pretty cool place! Nature does some freaky stuff. > [@Dorjan](#): > > For some reason I have a hunch that the combination of tall skinny peaks and snow on the very tops of them isn’t something that actually occurs in nature. Any chance what you saw was a painting or a generated image? How many years ago is “many”? Could have been a created image, it might have even been cgi from a movie. I just can’t remember. I’ve had the scene in my head for at least 10 years. > [@Isilder](#): > > Nearby Everest… the Himalay’s, somewhere between Myanmar (Burma), the very north of, and Tajakistan. … > > Here’s a such a scene, which includes the Nepal/ China border area… Taken from Everest or there abouts. > [http://www.absolutechinatours.com/Tibet-attractions/tibet-mountian-everest-5924.html](http://www.absolutechinatours.com/Tibet-attractions/tibet-mountian-everest-5924.html) > Could also be …he Tian Shan mountains (Kyrgystan - China border area) > > Baffin Island, Canada , Greenland, Novaya Zemlya should only have smooth tops… and more glacier tracks. I had fun browsing photos from all those areas, but didn’t really recognize any of it. I imagine it would have to be taken at the right angle and location though. And maybe what I’m remembering as red rock was just sunset. I was hoping it would be obvious, but I guess not. In any case, I learned some new terms… Spires, pinnacles, hoodoos. > [@Erdosain](#): > > Bryce Canyon? > > [File:BryceCanyon-Amphiteatre1.jpg - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3ABryceCanyon-Amphiteatre1.jpg) Yes, that’s about right, although it’s on the wrong continent. But perhaps I just had that all wrong. Anyway, I’m excited that such a place is so close. Maybe I’ll make it to Utah someday, whereas Tibet would be difficult. ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/12 "2014-06-09T21:00:13Z")
Your description reminds me of the mountains of Chile. Here’s a Google image search on [that](https://www.google.com/search?q=chile+mountains&client=firefox-a&hs=Y4S&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=LyCWU7SuDYqysQTxjoDQBA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=867) ---
**Author:** ![AndrejX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@AndrejX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrejX)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/13 "2014-06-09T21:56:14Z")
Goreme, Turkey: [![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Cb2ag7CWchw/TT1Jhmqsv0I/AAAAAAAAARs/6JypjRzvaLU/s1600/kapadokya-turist+24012011.jpg) ](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Cb2ag7CWchw/TT1Jhmqsv0I/AAAAAAAAARs/6JypjRzvaLU/s1600/kapadokya-turist+24012011.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Dana\_Scully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5daacb/32.png) [@Dana\_Scully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dana_Scully)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/14 "2014-06-09T22:33:35Z")
I don’t know which of the photos is correct, but they’re all gorgeous. I love mountains. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/15 "2014-06-10T04:35:10Z")
Maybe the Tianzi Mountains in southeastern China? [Panoramio is no longer available](http://www.panoramio.com/photo/48134705) ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/16 "2014-06-10T09:26:34Z")
The Andes are pretty spectacular in the sunset - there are certainly near-vertical peaks and jagged teeth [http://travelwithjules.s3.amazonaws.com/andes-sunset-horns-of-pai-940x400.gif](http://travelwithjules.s3.amazonaws.com/andes-sunset-horns-of-pai-940x400.gif) but I’m sure you could find this ort of feature in many places in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/17 "2014-06-11T11:48:18Z")
The description sounds a bit like the [Torres del Paine](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KNBhux3BM_g/UTNWVy1Ex4I/AAAAAAAAeso/Eh9uO-piI6g/w800-h800/Amanecer-en-Torres-del-Paine.jpg), although “going on for ever” is a bit of an exaggeration. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/18 "2014-06-12T09:08:09Z")
Ah, the red of sandstone… Utah has sandstone pillars > **[Picture/Photo: Wildflowers, sandstone pillars, Klondike Bluffs. Arches...](https://www.terragalleria.com/parks/np-image.arch0651.html)** > > Wildflowers, sandstone pillars, Klondike Bluffs. Arches National Park,Part of gallery of color pictures of US National Parks by professional photographer QT Luong, available as prints or for licensing. The OP needs to tell us the scale too… how far was the horizon ? a few miles, or 50 miles ? and depth ? The previous post about China shows a winter scene. The summer scene shows more red of the sandstone. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/19 "2014-06-12T14:10:01Z")
The description made me think of the Dolomites in northern Italy. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/20 "2014-06-12T14:13:03Z")
My first thought was [Trango Towers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trango_Towers). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-geological-feature/690219/21 "2014-06-13T05:13:18Z")
[Bryce National Park in winter](http://www.seeingcreation.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Bryce-Canyon-802.jpg).