[h2]Dutch to build £270bn fake mountain[/h2]
[release]The Netherlands is to spend thirty years and as much as £270 billion building a fake mountain to help the famously flat country become a winter sport superpower.
The idea came from a Dutch sports journalist called Thijs Zonneveld, who suggested in a tongue-in-cheek article that a man-made mountain should be built to help overcome the lack of decent hills in his homeland.
But his cheeky suggestion was taken seriously by Dutch architects' firm Hoffers and Kruger, who drew up plans for a 7,000ft mountain - that's twice the height of Snowdon, and far bigger than 4,409ft Ben Nevis.
The plans caught the imagination of the Dutch, and quickly received backing from the Dutch Ski Association, Dutch Climbing and Mountaineering Association and Royal Dutch Cycling Union.
Now, local authorities and several major corporations are getting involved in the idea, with sponsorship deals on the horizon that could help start the far-fetched plan on the road to fruition - and the man who had the original idea is delighted.
"This plan is serious," insisted Zoneeveld. "All kinds of big companies have now stepped in, various municipalities and investors are interested."
The project is provisionally named "Die Berg Komt Er", or "The Mountain Comes", presumably in a reference to the phrase, "bring the mountain to Mohammed".
A working group has already been set up to look further at the feasibility of the project, which is projected to cost anywhere between £40bn and £270bn and take up to 30 years to build.
The basic plan is to construct a skeleton which would then be covered in organic material using technology which already exists to create a truly living mountain - one which, perhaps even more unbelievably, could be located on land or out at sea.
Even more surprising, perhaps, the hollow mountain could become a city in itself, with houses, shops, arenas and even roads and railways within.
And while the mountain will eventually be used for power production, housing and water supply, Zonneveld insists that it is the love of sport which will make it happen.
"Sport is perhaps the main reason why there is so much attention for this mountain," he said. "Sport captures the imagination."[/release]
[img]http://l.yimg.com/i/util/anysize/376,http%3A%2F%2Fa323.yahoofs.com%2Fymg%2Fworld_of_sport__11%2Fworld_of_sport-43342491-1314892067.jpg%3Fymj0TlFDyBMDHeRn?v=2[/img]
[url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/article/66194/]Source[/url]
[release]The Dutch are looking for a new view beyond their flat terrain, and they have their sights set on a mountain.
After a journalist wrote a comical column suggesting building an artificial mountain in the Netherlands, he received an outpouring of support for the idea.
Architects, engineers and officials have recently brainstormed ways to complete the feat, and the country might very well be on its way to making a mountain out of no hills.
In a July column, sports writer and former professional cyclist Thijs Zonneveld pointed out that Holland's own head out of the country during the summer and winter months to go hiking, biking or skiing. Holland, he argued, should have its own mountain -- a 6,560-ft. one to be exact, Spiegel Online reports.
And now he's leading the effort to get the project off the ground.
The level of excitement was so high at last week's brainstorming session held in Utrecht, that participants reportedly began chanting, "The mountain is coming!" according to PRI's The World.
Architects have presented several ideas for the design of man-made landmark, including plans for a flat-topped mesa and snow-capped mountain to sit in the North Sea.
The proposed peak would not only draw outdoor enthusiasts and tourists, it would draw a lot of business with restaurants, hotels, gas stations and more, Radio Netherlands Worldwide points out.
But along with opportunities, come obstacles.
The project could cost several billion dollars; although Zonneveld told Spiegel Online he thinks it can be done for $1.43 billion.
In addition to the price tag, investors and officials must take into account the environmental impact and residential displacement involved with the construction, not to mention possible legal and economic hurdles they'll likely face.
“This strange idea has only one point of departure: supposedly making money for the few while many others and the Dutch landscape will be the ones to suffer," one listener told Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
And where there are advocates, there are always adversaries.
An anti-mountain fan page has popped up on Facebook, and some people are sharing their disapproval for the project.
PRI's The World translated one post:
“I am anti-mountain!” writes one visitor to the page. “First of all, it will be an eyesore, and second, that money could be better spent on education and health care.”
Holland's highest ground sits tall at 1059 feet, comparable in height to the Eiffel Tower, according to Metro Online.
A 6,560-ft. mountain would tower over the world's tallest building, which stands at about 2,700 feet in Dubai. If completed, the new peak will be no rival to Mount Everest, which stands at about 29,000 feet.[/release]
[url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/07/netherlands-builds-fake-mountain_n_947174.html]Source 2[/url]
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeRSCN0Ajn0&feature=player_detailpage[/media]
First you steal from the ocean, now you want to build a mountain? There is just no pleasing you.
Plane proof.
Rated the post dumb because this is the stupidest waste of money I have ever heard of.
Ahahaha
Cool but stupid as fuck
projected between 40bn and 270bn, thats quite a large error margin
and couldnt this money be spent on you know, that boring helpful shit like curing diseases or feeding the third world
China can do that for 100 bux.
[editline]8th September 2011[/editline]
and make it look like any existing mountain in the world.
Seems like a colossal waste of time and money to me.
[QUOTE=Swebonny;32187572]China can do that for 100 bux.
[editline]8th September 2011[/editline]
and make it look like any existing mountain in the world.[/QUOTE]
I don't think they want a mountain made out of trash. China already tired that with a bridge.
[QUOTE=Swebonny;32187572]China can do that for 100 bux.
[editline]8th September 2011[/editline]
and make it look like any existing mountain in the world.[/QUOTE]they will have it done in a week too
Waste of money that could be used for better projects.
[QUOTE=TurbisV2;32187608]they will have it done in a week too[/QUOTE]
You know they'll just cut corners and concrete over an existing mountain and pass it off.
If they are actually insane enough to try it I'd love seeing the finished product.
[QUOTE=Swebonny;32187572]China can do that for 100 bux.
[editline]8th September 2011[/editline]
and make it look like any existing mountain in the world.[/QUOTE]
Mount Everst.
[editline]8th September 2011[/editline]
The snow is lead based.
a hollow mountain? that probably wont work i bet it will cave in
You people all seem to have missed this part
[QUOTE]
The basic plan is to construct a skeleton which would then be covered in organic material using technology which already exists to create a truly living mountain - one which, perhaps even more unbelievably, could be located on land or out at sea.
Even more surprising, perhaps, the hollow mountain could become a city in itself, with houses, shops, arenas and even roads and railways within.
And while the mountain will eventually be used for power production, housing and water supply, Zonneveld insists that it is the love of sport which will make it happen.[/QUOTE]
We are in desperate need of space to build houses and such, this mountain would house a city, I don't see why you people think it's a waste of money.
Well it's like the old saying goes.
"When in doubt, build a fucking mountain."
You could build three or four International Space Stations with that kind of dough.
[QUOTE=Billiam;32187764]You could build three or four International Space Stations with that kind of dough.[/QUOTE]
What good would that do us? Now THAT is a waste of money.
I guess if you spend enough time fingering dikes it leads to a giant erection.
[QUOTE=mobrockers2;32187773]What good would that do us? Now THAT is a waste of money.[/QUOTE]
Because a ski hill is a better place to put it than a space station?
So many problems in the world and that kind of money is spent on entertainment.
[QUOTE=mobrockers2;32187773]What good would that do us? Now THAT is a waste of money.[/QUOTE]
Uh... I was kind of trying to demonstrate the scale of this project.
You could always build like...
One really cool International Space Station 2.0
[QUOTE=HawkeyeTy;32187801]Because a ski hill is a better place to put it than a space station?[/QUOTE]
A hollow mountain, big enough to put a city in that can produce it's own power versus a little space station that we can't even get to ourselves since we have no space shuttles.
[editline]9th September 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=GodKing;32187803]So many problems in the world and that kind of money is spent on entertainment.[/QUOTE]
You people seem to fail to realize what kind of money this could make...
When my friend told me this I thought he was joking...
Eh, I think it would be cooler if they build a layered city instead, like hengsha in DX:HR.
[QUOTE=mobrockers2;32187831]A hollow mountain, big enough to put a city in that can produce it's own power versus a little space station that we can't even get to ourselves since we have no space shuttles.
[/QUOTE]
You could build a regular city with a nuclear power plant?
It's stupid but that doesn't stop it from being awesome as fuck
I would post the reaction image of the guy going "HA HA HA" "Oh wow" but I would get banned for it.
That is the severity of the situation.
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