High, jagged ranges with deep snowpack, sheer faces, and dense belts of tall conifers (spruce, fir, pine). Elevation shifts fast: alpine meadows and avalanche chutes sit above shadowed valleys with cold rivers and glacial lakes. Weather turns quickly—blue morning to whiteout by noon—and snow lingers on north slopes well into summer. Passes are narrow and seasonal; iced scree and cornices make off-trail travel dangerous.
Settlements cling to valleys and pass mouths: logging camps, quarry sites, and small shrines at wayfinding cairns. Roads are cut into switchbacks; winter travel relies on sleds and snowshoes, with rope bridges spanning gorges. Resources include timber, stone, and cold-water fish; game is lean. Hazards: avalanches, rockfall, hypothermia, crevasse-like tree wells, and predators ranging the timberline. Oath-roads mark safe crossings where they can; rail only reaches the foothills.