Misty Mountains

"Far over the misty mountains cold To dungeons deep and caverns old We must away ere break of day To seek the pale enchanted gold."

- Dwarves' song from The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey (Book)

The Misty Mountains are the highest mountain range of Middle-earth, created by Melkor back in the Years of the Trees. The name comes from the mist that lies in the air coming from and surrounding this cold climate.

The Misty Mountains are completely covered with thick snow and consist only of high mountains up to around layer 250. The snowline here lies on z-level 94.

Don't get any ideas about making this your vacation home; the "Misties" are no nice place to travel or live. The terrain is nearly impassable and full of Gundabad Orcs and Wargs, but it's the only region where Mithril can be found and mined (except for the Meneltarma biome).

Under the High Pass waypoint, around Y=15, one can find everyone's favourite friend in the nearest cave.

Appropriately, a dense mist covers the Misty Mountains that can be avoided by going under a block or placing a light source, such as a torch, near you.

Misty Mountains Foothills
This region marks the borders of the Misty Mountains and has far smaller hills, no snow and no mist. While the mountains themselves have no vegetation, the valleys in the foothills have spruces and larches (but nearly no flowers, herbs or other plants). This sub-biome has a two variants next to the standard version:
 * Forest - Forest covered lands.
 * Light Forest - Lightly forested lands.

Variants
The core of the Misty Mountains has no variants, but small patches of Misty Mountain Foothills can occur amidts the mountain ranges. The Misty Mountains Foothils are coded as Mountain variant of the standard Misty Mountain biome. That variant has, by default, two dependent variants: Forest and Light Forest.

Mobs
The mountains are populated by Gundabad Orcs and Wargs, which spawn quite often. As in most biomes, they only spawn in dark places or during the night. The Misty Mountains are the homeland of the Gundabad Orcs, who trouble the northern lands from their bases of Mount Gundabad, Mount Gram, Goblin-Town, and Moria, which are not yet in the mod.
 * Gundabad Orc - Orcs from Mount Gundabad in the Misty Mountains allied only to themselves.
 * Gundabad Orc Archer - Gundabad Orcs with bows and arrows.
 * Gundabad Warg - Wargs (giant wolves) allied with the Gundabad Orcs. They can be ridden by Gundabad Orcs or Archers.
 * Gundabad Uruk - Powerful Uruk-hai who have left their old homes for the Misty Mountains, and now fight for Gundabad. They wield Gundabad Cleavers, Waraxes, and Bludgeons.
 * Gundabad Uruk Archer - Gundabad Uruks armed with orc bows.

Prior to Beta 24, mobs allied with the Uruk-hai could spawn in these mountains.

Structures
In the Misty Mountains one can find rare and inconsequential Stone Ruins. These ruins are little to get excited about. Who their owners are few now know, but they are believed to be ruins left over from the long-deceased Longbeard Dwarves of the Misty Mountains. In the deep caves under the mountains, one can find Orc Dungeons. These are underground stone brick dungeons, occupied by Orcs.

Mount Gundabad
This mountain, located at the northernmost point of the Misties, was home to one of the most feared tribes of orcs in Middle-Earth. This mountain was originally a dwarven fort, and the birthplace of Durin the Deathless, but was taken over by orcs and made into a place of great evil. Players with negative Gundabad alignment cannot fast-travel here. In the mod, Mount Gunabad appears much rockier and less conical then other mountains. It peaks at about y:238 and is found at the Mount Gundabad waypoint at about 49272, -17568.

Mount Gram
Mount Gram is a mountain on a westward spur of the Misty Mountains. The caverns beneath were home to a clan of Gundabad orcs, which led an attack on the Shire, but were defeated by the Bullroarer in the Battle of Greenfields.

Eagle's Eyrie
Eagles' Eyrie is a hill on the eastern side of the Misty Mountains- near the Vales of Anduin and north of the road to the pass. It is located in the Misty Mountains Foothills region of the map. This mountain housed the eyries of the Great Eagles of the Misty Mountains. Alignment does not affect this fast travel waypoint. As the mountain is mostly snowy, it is relatively barren, however trees do grow at the base of it.

Mount Caradhras
Caradhras, otherwise known as Redhorn or Barazinbar, is the northernmost and tallest of the three mountains of Moria. It was under Caradhras that the greatest mithril veins were, and deep under the mountain the dwarves awoke a Balrog of Morgoth, which was named Durin's Bane after it slew Durin VI, their king.

Mount Celebdil
Celebdil, otherwise known as Silvertine or Zirakzigil, is one of the three mountains of Moria. The majority of Moria was dug under Celebdil, but now the dark halls are stalked by hordes of Gundabad Orcs.

Mount Fanuidhol
Fanuidhol, otherwise known as Cloudyhead or Bundushathur, was the third Mountain of Moria.

Mount Methedras
Methedras was the southernmost peak of the Misty Mountains, and was tall enough to remain snowcapped despite being far south.

Mining
All the normal ores spawn in the Misty Mountains, but one ore in particular is exclusive to this biome and the Meneltarma biome: Mithril ore is the most valuable ore in the game, and can only be found here and Meneltarma. It can be found in layer 16 and below, and is about twice as rare as diamond ore is in the overworld. This is the strongest metal in Middle-Earth, and can be made into Mithril equipment. It's strongly recommended to have at least a full iron armor set on when you mine in the caves! Danger lurks behind every corner, including lava.

Vegetation
The mountains themselves have no vegetation, but spruces (normal and huge variant), firs, pines, and larches grow in small valleys and in the Misty Mountains foothills.

Achievements
Upon entering the foothills you gain the achievement "The Mountains Cold". When you climb above the cloud layer (around y 190) you will become a "Mountaineer".