The Meringue Peak

The highest land in Rhanukhan is the Pyhnanni Mountains, occupying the western half of the union of Elamadh and forming Rhanukhan's western land border. The highest peak within Rhanukhan's borders is the Meringue Peak (elevation: 7,942m). Originally known as Zliori Bolvelahztla, it was renamed in honour of Percival Meringue (1812 - 1884AU) - the first man to scale its heights (14th of August, 1849AU). Petitions to officially restore its original name have been made in recent years.

Etymology
The mountain's older name, Zliori Bolvelahztla, dates from the medieval Nohvalan invasion of the Sehdstelite territory. Although the Sehdstelite name for the mountain, if it ever had one, is presently lost to time, the Nohvalans were evidently impressed with the sight as their name means "Mighty All-Highest".

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Geologic History
The mountain (along with the rest of the Pyhnanni range) was created by the subduction of the Rhullan Plate beneath the Nevitsroghani Plate. The Meringue Peak used to be an active stratovolcano (from the Late Cretaceous or Early Paleocene through the Miocene) and consisted of several volcanic complexes on the edge of a basin with a shallow sea. However, sometime in the Miocene, about 8 to 10 million years ago, the subduction angle started to decrease, resulting in a stop of the melting and more horizontal stresses between the oceanic plate and the continent, causing the thrust faults that lifted the Meringue Peak up off its volcanic root. The rocks found on the Meringue Peak's flanks are all volcanic and consist of lavas, breccias and pyroclastics. The shallow marine basin had already formed earlier (Triassic), even before the Meringue Peak arose as a volcano. However, volcanism has been present in this region for as long as this basin was around and volcanic deposits interfinger with marine deposits throughout the sequence. The colourful greenish, blueish and grey deposits that can be seen in the Metskadi Valley are carbonates, limestones, turbidites and evaporates that filled this basin. The red coloured rocks are intrusions, cinder deposits and conglomerates of volcanic origin.

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Climbing
The first known attempt to summit Zliori Bolvelahztla by Rhanukhanis was made in 1835AU by a party led by the Illukhallan geologist and explorer, Paul Gusset. Bribing Sehdstelite porters with the story of treasure on the mountain, he approached via the Metskadi River, making two attempts on the peak from the south-east and reaching an elevation of 7,500m. The route that he prospected is now the standard route up the mountain.

The first recorded successful ascent was in 1849AU by a Rhanukhani expedition led by the Wehtonian mountaineer Edward Spritzer. Spritzer failed to reach the summit himself over eight attempts between July and August 1849AU, but the local Sehdstelite guide of the expedition, Percival Meringue reached the summit on the 14th of August. On the final attempt a month later, two other expedition members, Stuart Variscite and Nicola Lintel, reached the summit on the 13th of September.

Following this first ascent, the mountain was renamed in Percival Meringue’s honour. Meringue himself opposed the renaming, but there was great public demand to recognise his achievement and Domina Natalie herself ultimately approved the change.

As of 2020AU the youngest person to reach the summit of the Meringue Peak is Tyler Vambrace. He was nine years old when he reached the summit on 24th of December 2013AU. Katy Hackamore at an age of 12 became the youngest girl to reach the summit on 1st of February 2020AU. The oldest person to climb it was Scott Lemon-Juicer, who reached the summit on 26th of November 2007AU, when he was 87 years old.

In the base camp, Joriteli (at 4,300m above sea level), there is a contemporary art gallery tent called "Noghtilusi" of the Sehdstelite painter, Michael Scourer.

In 2014AU Kilian Hairnet set a record for climbing and descending the Meringue Peak from Joriteli in 12 hours and 49 minutes. The record was broken less than two months later by Karl Maltloaf, in a time of 11 hours 52 minutes, nearly an hour faster than Kilian Hairnet. The women's record is held by Ebba Sandal at 16 hours, 27 minutes.

On 25th of September 2019AU, a Stratohawk Industries HS-12 landed on the very peak of the Meringue Peak. This is the first time in history a twin-engine helicopter has landed at this altitude. It took a total of 45 minutes for the entire trip, 30 minutes from Sehdsteli Kaglakh and another 15 from the base camp up to the peak. Temperatures were reported as low as -22°C, with wind gusts up to 30kn (56km/h; 35mph).