A geographical feature characterized by an abrupt slope is called a cliff.
A cliff is a geographical feature that takes the form of an abrupt slope. In this sense, it can appear along the coasts, in mountains or on the banks of rivers, for example. A cliffy coast is one that is cut vertically, while the cliffy seabed is one that forms steps or cliffs.
Cliffs are generally made of rocks that are resistant to erosion and atmospheric action, such as limonite , sandstone , dolomite , and limestone .
Types of cliffs
An escarpment or escarpment is a rock slope that cuts the terrain abruptly. It is a particular type of cliff, which is formed by a landslide or by the movement of a tectonic fault.
There are cliffs that have waterfalls and caves at the base. Others, however, end at the end of a ridge. On the other hand, large tabular-shaped coastal cliffs are called farallon .
Many cliffs are found along the coast.
Sports activities scene
It should be noted that the cliffs are used for practicing extreme sports . In the case of the coastal ones, swimmers jump from there to dive. The cliffs in the mountains allow for parachute jumps or paragliding.
But they are not the only sports that can be practiced there. It is also common for many fans of outdoor and adventure activities to resort to those to practice, for example, climbing. Specifically, there are various types of this discipline that exist and among all of them the one known as psychobloc stands out.
This modality is typical of cliffs and consists of the person in question, who must be very expert in the subject, doing it without using ropes or insurance. Of course, it takes place in places of this type where the climber, in the event of a fall, is not in danger of collapsing or hitting rock ledges but will do so directly on the sea.
Los Gigantes Cliffs
On the island of Tenerife there is a place where residents and visitors practice all these types of sports activities. We are referring to the famous Los Gigantes Cliffs, which are located between the towns of Santiago del Teide and Buenavista del Norte.
The Guanches, ancient Berber inhabitants of said island, called those Walls of Hell and they are characterized by the fact that they are a volcanic-type geological accident that has large vertical walls, specifically they are between 300 and 600 meters above sea level .
Tourists who come to this natural corner not only enjoy observing these cliffs but also practicing all kinds of activities in their surroundings such as scuba diving since the area has a spectacular seabed.
World records
The largest cliff in the world is located in the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan . It is the eastern wall of the Torres del Trango and has a height of 1,340 meters .
On the other hand, the largest coastal cliff is located in Kaulapapa , in Hawaii . Its height is 1,010 meters .