Spanning the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just above the Equator in central Africa, are the Rwenzori Mountains.
These glaciated African peaks have been widely known by their nickname, the Mountains of the Moon, since before the birth of Christ.
Included in the mountain range is Mount Margherita, Africa’s third highest peak at 5,109m.
Living at the base of the Ugandan mountains is an abundance of wildlife making Uganda the only ski destination in the world where you have a chance of seeing leopards, chimpanzees, elephants and the endangered mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park.
The Mountains of the Moon are melting. According to the conservation group WWF 50 percent of the glaciers have melted by over the past 50 years.
1952 (left) and 2008 (right)
2. Puncak Jaya, Indonesia
Puncak Jaya is the highest summit of Mount Carstensz located in the western central highlands of Papua province, Indonesia.
At 4,884 metres (16,024 ft) Puncak Jaya is the highest mountain in Indonesia.
It is also the highest point between the Himalayas and the Andes, and the highest island peak in the world.
There are several glaciers on its slopes including the Carstensz Glacier, West Northwall Firn, East Northwall Firn and the recently vanished Meren Glacier.
Being equatorial, there is little variation in the mean temperature during the year (around 0.5°C) and the glaciers fluctuate on a seasonal basis only slightly.
An expedition led by paleoclimatologist Lonnie Thompson in 2010 found that the glaciers are receding at a rate of seven meters per year and will disappear in four to five years.
3. Pico Cristóbal Colón, Colombia
Pico Cristóbal Colón is commonly accepted as the highest peak in Colombia and the fifth most prominent in the world.
Pico Cristobal Colon is located in a wild and remote area of extreme northern Colombia.
Given its proximity to the northern coast, the humidity is high and precipitation is extremely heavy.
Pico Cristobal Colon holds permanent snow and ice.
Pico Cristóbal Colón was first climbed in 1939 by W. Wood, A. Bakerwell and E. Praolini.
The peak is named for Christopher Columbus.
4. Mount Olympus, Greece ( the throne of Zeus )
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece.
The highest peak Mytikas rises to 9,570ft.
According to ancient Greek mythology Mount Olympus was the divine kingdom of the Olympian gods.
Home of Zeus, the king of the gods.
The Olympian Gods would sit atop Mt. Olympus and socialize over dinner, where they would make decisions on the fate of the world and the mortals while eating ambrosia and drinking nectar.
There are several peaks in Greece, Turkey and Cyprus that bear the name Olympus.
Should a god break an oath, he would be cursed to live nine years away from Mount Olympus and not be able to take part in any of the gods’ gatherings.
5. Heard and McDonald Islands, Australia
The Heard Island is a perfect volcanic cone rising out of the Southern Indian Ocean.
Technically Heard Island is an Australian external territory making it the nations highest peak.
The Islands are located about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica.
The groups overall size is 372 square kilometres (144 sq mi) in area and it has 101.9 km (63 mi) of coastline.
Discovered in the mid-19th century, they have been territories of Australia since 1947
