Reasons for Mountain Climbing Difficulty Explained

This section explains why climbing mountains is considered difficult, based on the provided passage.

Understanding the Challenges of Mountain Climbing

The passage describes mountain climbing as a challenging activity. Let's analyze the reasons given:

• The passage states that mountains are not simply large hills, suggesting they present greater challenges than hills.
• It explicitly mentions that "Paths are usually very steep." This steepness makes the ascent physically demanding.
• The text also notes that "Some mountain sides are straight up and down." This implies vertical or near-vertical sections that require significant skill and effort to overcome.
• Because of the steepness and difficult terrain, the passage highlights that "it may take many hours to climb as little as one hundred feet." This indicates the time-consuming nature of climbing difficult mountain sections.
• The passage also mentions the inherent "danger that you may fall off and be killed or injured," adding another layer of risk associated with mountain climbing.

Analyzing the Options Provided

Let's evaluate each option in relation to the passage:

• Option 1: Mountains are big hills

  The passage contradicts this by stating, "mountains are not just big hills." This implies mountains possess characteristics that make them significantly more challenging than hills.

• Option 2: It consumes more time

  While the passage does mention that it can take many hours to climb short distances, this is presented as a consequence of the steepness and difficulty, rather than the primary reason for the difficulty itself.

• Option 3: Prisoners often escape form camps and settle there

  This statement refers to the anecdote about Italian prisoners of war in Kenya. It is irrelevant to the general difficulty of mountain climbing as described in the main part of the passage.

• Option 4: Paths are steep and uneven

  The passage directly supports this option by stating, "Paths are usually very steep." The description of some sides being "straight up and down" implies difficult, potentially uneven terrain. This option best captures the physical difficulties mentioned in the text.

Conclusion on Difficulty Factors

Based on the passage, the primary difficulties encountered while climbing mountains stem from the nature of the terrain itself, specifically the steepness and verticality of the paths and mountain sides.