Solution for the mountain riddle
Over 100 readers have given their guess for the supposed height of the mountain I posted last week. I’m sure its actual height will surprise a lot of people: It’s around 400 meter (1300 feet) high from the base to the top! It’s a peak in the Sierra Nevada in California and called The Incredible Hulk. It’s a favorite destination of rock climbers. Two of our readers recognized the mountain and so their guesses were naturally among the best ones. Here is a great photo taken by Nic Risser, illustrated by Mark Porter Thomas, and posted on Steph Abegg’s climbing blog which shows the mountain’s dimensions much better although it was taken from almost the same position:
Here is the list of all given guesses converted to meters. I’d say every guess over 100 meter (330 feet) was already going into the right direction; every guess above 200 meter (660 feet) was quite good; and every guess between 300 and 550 meter (1000 to 1800 feet) was basically correct.
0.03 m – Jacinthe
0.05 m – cytos
0.06 m – Riahk
0.08 m – Harmon
0.12 m – John
0.15 m – sal
0.30 m – Jaber
0.30 m to 0.91 m – Der Kaiser
0.43 m – Lord Circe
0.50 m – Draco_2k
0.61 m – Charles
1.27 m – Drakkin the alien
1.52 m – Anonymous Person
1.68 m – Carmen White
1.98 m – Emmalyn K.
2 m – Arnsaga
3 m – Elizar
3 m – twaintoss
3.05 m – Zach Glenwright
3.60 m – Switch Master
3.66 m to 4.88 m – Bigchiroal
3.96 m – Tobias_Marco
4 m – hamstap85
4 m – IsHARI
4.57 m – DanVzare
5 m – Xezlec
5 m – Crestlinger
6 m – Milena
6 m – Norman
6.10 m – Lunaroki
6.10 m – cyber95
7 m to 8 m – Haiiry
7.62 m – blahs
7.62 m – Al Layton
8 m – Kamica
8 m to 9 m – Vildanix
9.14 m to 12.19 m – Steven
9.14 m to 30.48 m – maarvarq
10 m – rabbits
10 m to 13 m – Pat
11.58 m – Rowanofthewood
12 m to 15 m – Doug
12.19 m to 15.24 m – plotholetsi
12.19 m to 18.29 m – Chelsea
15 m – pawelz
15 m to 18 m – Gyoshi
15.24 m – Chris857
15.24 m – nitro
15.24 m – Remobra
15.24 m to 30.48 m – David G
15.66 m to 17.28 m – ITR
19.20 m – Sambo
20 m – Rodrigo
20 m – cooltea713705
20 m – fatlui
22.50 m – Fritz B
24.38 m to 30.48 m – Iron Ed
27.43 m – Blake
30 m – well, me
30.48 m – Bum
30.48 m to 45.72 m – DWTardis
36.58 m – Draconis
40 m to 50 m – Compiemunky
45 m – Eelz, the manatee
45.72 m to 60.96 m – Bucc-i
48.77 m to 91.44 m – Bane
50 m – O8h7w
50.90 m – milestailsfox7
53.34 m – S.K.Ren
60 m – ArtBott
60.96 m – venomlash
60.96 m – Karadan
60.96 m to 76.20 m – Allengrad
63 m – Apsik
72 m – Dranorter
80 m to 90 m – HardWearJunkie
88 m – nisePanda
91.44 m – Muddypaws
91.44 m – JoeShmo101
91.44 m – tehtimmah
91.44 m to 106.68 m – Scythe Massakur
99.67 m – Tom S
100 m – SkywardStrike
100 m – SusanC
107.90 m – Stormygio
100 m to 150 m – Constantine
120 m – Arbhin
121.92 m – PlutoniumBoss
132.02 m – Miitu
150 m – Wyrmhand
150 m to 200 m – Meltea
152.4 m – redspecter8
152.40 m to 365.76 m – NixieSeal
167.64 m – Valkeiper2012
175 m – Joapie
182.88 m – Thor
200 m – Erandi
200 m – Neospector
200 m to 300 m – Anthrax_0
213.36 m to 243.84 m – Bart
228.60 m – tagno25
243.84 m – Temporalvisions
243.84 m – Keefur
250 m – alpinebutterfly
300 m – chrisjenl
300 m – Nikolay
304.80 m – Lucario
304.80 m to 914.40 m – Deepbluediver
335.28 m – dagobbs (recognized it as The Incredible Hulk)
370 m – biocuriousgeorgie
400 m – mickeyman
457.20 m – Eru (recognized it as The Incredible Hulk)
500 m – beelzebot (first guess was 120 m)
532 m – Dacen
3000 m – Cuthalion
4828.03 m – Warhammer
9656.10 m – Fluffy
hey, i almost got it 🙂 Fluffy’s guess is worthy of respect though – over 9000 m 😀 i guess they thought the pic wasn’t taken on Earth
avg ~230 m
with out fluffy:
avg ~ 149 m
fully’s guess improved the average by offsetting the people who were guessing low.
as I suspected, the tree threw a number of people off (myself included)
Well I was pretty close if you ignore a few decimal places!
Looks like my guess was a bit short. Ah well! ^^
That was fun! More of these please!
Hmm. I was higher on the list than I expected.
Everyone thought it was tiny, I guess. ^_^
I used the force to obtain my estimate
@ mickeyman:
the force is strong in this one 😀
I guess my trip to California really helped 🙂
Are you sure that it’s only 1300 feet? Both the picture that you showed and the website below place the altitude at over 11,000 feet (over 3300 m).
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/incredible-hulk/105852180
Seraph wrote:
It’s about the difference in height from base to peak: As shown in the picture, the base is around 11,000 feet and the peak at 11,300. So there.
I have to say, in retrospect, I have no idea why I thought it would be that high, I mean, that’s not what a 3000m tall mountain looks like at all.
My guess was based on some overhangs that looked to me like they should be more unstable than they apparently are ^_^