Mountains Of Sharp Continent
Sharp Continent is the remnant of old Teenage Grid. It is also known as TSL Continent (that is in fact its official name), but many newer residents call it the sharp piece of land. In fact, it is the sharpest of all continents. Even if it is very small and unpopulated (since the teens grew up and moved away), this continent is a miracle of nature. Altitudes rise up to unexpected values (second highest mountain after Mountains Of Heterocera), it also hosts a meteorite crater. The lack of Inhabited Land allow tourists to travel almost anywhere, ban lines and entity orbs are rare (almost unexistent). If you want to walk, ride a motorbike or a horse, drive a car or a boat without being disturbed and without falling in Land With Restricted Access, this is the place.
Before visiting this place, a traveler must know that all sims are ranked General so docency is required and that servers work a bit too low here, sim crossings are more problematic.
Geography
The Geography of this continent is somehow similar to that of Sansara. In West, there is a small city formed of 5 sims (Hyperion, Loki, Ni, Hippoden and Pullman). They also have a trolley that looks a bit similar with the Nova Albilon trolley (the East suburbs of Bay City in Sansara). This town is followed by a group of sims that look like the priordial sims around Da Boom in sansara. The next sector to East look like the inner seas, rivers and islands of Sansara, with many roads and waterways and even two Dams. Close to the center of this continent, in Snicket sim, there is a crater creted by a meteorite impact. The only other mainland crater is located in Linden Estate Microcontinent. The most Eastern sector is covered with ice, like the snowlands of Sansara. The shores of this continent are not compleatly finished.
The road network is split in two unconnected sectors: the central sector and the West sector in the city. Accesibility is easy, by road, by boat or by foot. There are not many ban lines, so a person can travel easy from one end to the opposite one.
Sharp Continent has a lot of untold surprises, that have been discovered now. For example, it hosts the second high mountain of the grid, of 350 meters high, inside sim Svecia.
The West part of the continent, including the town, has low altitudes. Central part can be divided in two: a Western part with lower altitudes, similar to old Sansara and an East sector, with unexpected high altitudes, something never seen on the grid. Here is the highest mountain of the continent, with 350 meters, while the highest mountain of the entire grid is in Heterocera and has 364 meters at Castle Bella. This is higher then the 315 meters high mountain in Tethis, Sansara and by far more high then any other continent.
Another feature that is unique to Sharp Continent is the extreme declivity. The highest mountains are so close to water, that the highest mountain is only 130 meters away. That corresponds to a declivity of about 70%. This is by far the highest altitude difference in a single sim and also by far the highest mountain measured from base to top in Second Life! The mountain is doubled by another one, very high, on the opposite side of the river in Svecia. This makes the river of svecia the deepest canyon, much deeper then any other one. To South, the sim Tenshi is a shore sim. This also marks a record, since the Svecia - Tenshi is the highest oceanic shore, much higher then any other shore. The only problem here is that flying is not allowed, so it is a real adventure to climb to the top of these mountains.
The snowlands have both very high and classic altitudes.
Tourism
The following material is edited like a touristic guide. There are proposed touristic paths (using existing roads and other Geographic orientation spots).
- Touristic route 1 - from the city to the end of TSL Highway
- Touristic route 2 - along TSL Highway
- Touristic route 3 - through the meteorite crater and far in the low mountains
- Touristic route 4 - a way to Sharp Snowlands
- Touristic route 5 - access way to Svecia Mountain
- Touristic route 6 - North Svecia
Touristic route 1
A jurney in the West part of the continent. Almost all is not a mountain route, but still worths a visit.
We start from the most Western sim, Hyperion, close to the border with Ni. We are inside the town. This is the most populated place. There are extreamly expensive parcels for sale and also very high buildings. Soon, we notice the presence of a suspended trolley moving on the roads and also an electric tram, similar to Nova Albilon tram (see Bay City Railway & Trams). The town looks a bit like Bay City, even if it is smaller. The streets and channels are different and there are many paths for walking. Altitude is 26 meters.
We start walking East, along the boulevard. We can take the tram. The city is small. The road and the tram line will end soon, inside Card sim. Here, we can see some glass buildings. That was the welcome area for teens a long time ago. Now, all the area is unpopulated. You can stay hours here and meet nobody. But before entering the welcome area, we see a hill (or low mountain) to left. You can climb it (altitude 63 meters). From there, some Japanese-themed buildings are visible.
From the place where road ends, we continue our jurney to South-East. There are no roads or orientation spots. The best way it to continue a bit forward to the place between the four glass buildings. Then, enter the building placed to South-East and keep going forward through the building. At the end, there are two short roads. Don't tkae a specific road, just keep on going forward.
We will enter Lewis sim, a Linden-owned place with a few rivers. Water altitude is 32 meters, 12 above sea level. All this place is a sandbox. Almost always it is empty, so it has one of the lowest lag levels. Next place we will enter is Oasis sim, a desert below sea level, sith a small surce of water at altitude of 6 meters. To enter this sim, we must go a bit to right. And we must do so, stright forward is the intersim void. The only massive structure here is a football field, close to a memorial. Then, we see a church. Right after the church, there is a lake with an interesting form on the map (it looks a bit like the lake in Vehicle Sims - Sansara). This is the point where things are starting to become interesting. From here, we find parcel after parcel of abandoned land (and also large surfaces of protected land).
From here, we go East, first on the water shore, then leaving the lake to right. All land here is abandoned land. Unlike other continents where abandoned land parcels are full with low slopes, here they form entire hills and even low mountains. It looks like this place was tortured by a daemon with its horns. Flat parcels are so difficult to find... but this land is great if you want to use a mountain motorbike. Also if you have a horse, it will be fun. Altitude rises to 56 meters.
To avoid losing direction, don't go too far from the lake and never go accross the water channels. At some point, you will see a high metal building. That is the way froward. Except for a few homes close to the lake, that building is the only construction on al large surface. Left to it, there is one of the only ban lines, so our way is right to the building and then forward. From there, keep going forward through all this endless land full with slopes and obstacles.
At some point, we will reach the seaside. There are one or two buildings, the rest is abandoned land. In the middle of the sea, there is an island. If you go there, you can see all the shores around (but from one side you will only see as far as the island).
Turn right along the coast. Altitude rises to 50 meters. Then, at some point, we will see the other shore close to us. The sea transforms into a canyon. This is the point to get accross.
By getting accross, we leave the West part of the continent and enter the central part. Everything changes now. Higher mountains are visible forward. The first one has a very high building on top. Altitude is 59 meters. We are in Dougall sim, at Linden Public Stage. The next peak is 67 meters high. These are mountains, not slopes like we seen before. Then, we find other places, Linden-owned parcels, including a race track. Wooden stairs are visible to left. They take us higher to 73 meters, where some shops await clients. We are in Caroll sim. Then, in Meiji East, we find a large parcel to rezz vehicles. Here ends touristic route 1. Forward, we can continue our jurney along TSL Highway.
Touristic Route 2
This route will take us along TSL Highway, the main road of Sharp Continent. Access is possible by car, by motorbike, by horse or just by walking.
We start from Maiji East, where the road forms and where is a place for vehicle rezz. Soon, we see a path on right, it ends soon at a campfire. Then, there is a long bridge. Drive slowly, sometimes vehicles fall from it. The mountains are all around us, high and dangerous. If we climb them, we will get to a maximum altitude of 81 meters. Then, we enter in Lodestone, a place with more vegetation and a few buildings. The sea is in front of us. Here is the first intersection, we go left. If you go right, the road soon ends.
The road is now called North Blueway. This is a tropical depression, with a low plain near the oceans and with palm trees. The ocean is to right, the mountains to left. There are a few bridges, the largest is in Naislworth sim. In fact, this part of the continent is made by islands separated by water channels. The landscape is so similar to many places of Sansara, ground texture and Geographic features are common to Micronesia sims. The main difference is that here buildings are really far one from the other ones. There are not many inhabited parcels. This means that you are free to change route and walk over the mountains or beneath the sea.
Then, at the next intersection, we have to go right. Forward, after 100 meters, there is only the intersim void. This road is named Cyan Street and after a few buildings we enter in a forest. The ocean visible, left to us. Then, in Huntingdon sim, we start to climb. Mountains are in front of us. If we climb them, we will get to a maximum altitude of 80 meters, close to the road. All vegetation vanishes and all we can see are the white cliffs and the road. And then, we arrive at Brighton Dam. this is one of the largest Dams on the grid, the only one made with concrete in Sharp Continent and also similar to Ganymede Dam in Sansara. To left, we can see the reservoir, while to right, near the river, we can see the power plant, pumping station and also a thermal plant.
Road continues along the lake, but at some distance. The reservoir is so large that from the road the opposite shore is not visible. Trees are anywhere and buildings can be found in a higher number here. Ground texture is a bit similar to the high places of Corsica.
In Arpeggio sim, we enter the high mountains area. We are geting closer to Svecia. The difference is visible, declivity is much higher and soon we reach the end of the lake. Now, we enter in a road maze. The road to left goes in fact froward. The road that looks going forward will turn left on a high bridge. The most interesting place is forward, to Svecia Canyon. So, we turn left to go forward. The road is named Canyon Road. At the border with Svecia sim, there is a waterfall. We keep on climbing slowly, until the road ends, at 92 meters high, at the border with intersim void.
We are now in the wildest mountains of the whole grid. There is only a single building here. To right, Svecia Mountain is awaiting us to climb it. To left, at the bottom of the canyon, a river is flowing through a deep and sharp valley. This is the deepest canyon of the whole grid and also the place with highest altitude difference (from 350 meters on mountain top to 1, on river bottom.
Touristic Route 3
This is a way to visit the meteorite crater and then explore South part of the low mountains. It is a way for horses, motorbikes and also for walking. From time to time, you have to go accross rivers.
We start at Meiji East, starting point for TSL Highway. We go stright South-East, down in a river valley and then we start climbing the mountains. There is an island in the middle of the river. From there, we walk on a bridge guarded by a dragon to a Linden-owned building and then we start climbing. It is a very rough terrain, but can be climbed without much difficulty.
Soon we arrive in Zaius sim. The crater is between Zaius and Snicket and is really big. Highest altitude is 98 meters, while the inner cauldron is at 84 meters high. The cauldron is 100 meters wide. With all exterior mountains, this crater is about 400 meters wide and covers 4 sims. The landscape is somehow similar to what you will find on the moon, only that the sky is blue here. All land is abandoned land. There is no building. Vegetation is completely absent, not even grass can be found. More then this, all terrain is rough, there is no smooth parcel. Only in some places you can find remnants from terraforming by the residents that once lived here.
After taking a break, we continue our journey forward. We leave the crater behind and find on a plateau Pinkwater Road. To left, it will take us to TSL Highway (described at tourist path 2). To right, the road soon ends at the intersim void. We keep going forward, to the water. There, we find a path that continues with a wooden bridge takes us to a nearby island. Then, we have to swim. In this part, there are many beautiful gardens. Some of them have ban lines, but if you go much to South, there is no restriction. Just keep going East. We climb on a larger island in bull sim, then start again swiming, to finally reach dryland in Boscombe sim. Here, we have passed over the last island. We start walking on the shore. Water must be left to us. There is no road or path to guide us, only the river. From place to place, there are a few buildings. A good idea is to avoid them, one of them has an entity orb. If you want, you can climb the low mountains nearby, where altitude rises to 57 meters and landscape is beautiful.
Once we arrive in Brighton sim, the dam starts to become visible. Near the dam there are a power plant, a pumping station and a thermal plant. We can go down to visit them if you wish. Another way is to climb a bit and enter Dirty dick's Public House. There is a road that takes us closer to the dam and the end of our journey.
Recently, Second Life Geography team discovered another crater in Mountains Of Jeogeot.
Touristic Route 4
This is a trip to Sharp Snowlands. There is no road to help us. It is a difficult task that requires to climb and swim in frozen water.
We start in Opera sim, at the road intersection. Altitude is 66 meters. We go stright up (South), climbing the mountain. Unlike the high mountains of Heterocera, the high mountains of Sharp Continent have not a smooth surface. There are places where ground is vertical or almost vertical, followed by other small terraces. Obstacles are everywhere. It is impossible to climb in a straight line. A great advantage is that there are many places to rest and start again. A problem is that places with declivity higher then 80% are often found and they are impossible to be climbed.
If we follow direction South, we will reach a plateau at 133 meters high on the mountain range. To left, we can climb forward to mount Svecia. Forward, there is a plain. To climb to Svecia, follow the steps described at tourist route 5.
Another way to get South from the road, at the border between Opera and Arpeggio sims. Maximum altitude this way is 84 meters. Declivity is lower, but even so a car cannot get through, since the terrain is too rough even for a land rover. It could work for a motorbike and sure works for a horse.
Now, we wnter Kenafa sim. We go down to the plain we seen before. Actually, it is not a plain but a plateau at 95 meters high, with fresh grass and a few buildings. Walking along this plain is easy. We avoid the buildings by moving more to left, until we see the end of the plateau. Declivity is high, climbing back sure will be a task. We reach Tenshi sim and the ocean. There is a boat rezz place. If we have a boat, it will be more easy to continue our jurney. If not, wings are needed. Water is extremely cold here. Snowlands are just nearby.
The sea has a few small islands. All shores are unaccessible. Islands are very high and some of them have snow on their top. We start sailing or flying forward, to reach the snowlands. Soon, we can see an oil rig nearby. Then, the other shore becomes visible. There is no way to rezz a boat here. Once we depart here, there is no way back but by air or with the help of a warm scuba diving costume. But, it worth visiting. There is a gigantic waterfall, the highest of all waterfalls found on the grid.
We leave our boat at these dangerous shores and start climbing the permafrost. After a hard climbing, we get to the top.
If we climbed on the right side of the waterfall, we will meet a radar post. This is a plateau covered with snow. Altitude is 99 meters. Our jurney can continue accross the snow plateau until we find an unfinished mountain with altitude of 131 meters (in Reggiano sim). Then, follow the border to the intersim void. Soon, we enter Sierra sim. The mountain hosted here is 217 meters high. It is right at the border with the intersim void.
Sierra has a ski lift. We will meet this line at an altitude of about 150 meters. It takes us down to the riverside. This river flows North and falls into the sea at the gigantic waterfall we seen before. The good thing is that here the river is covered with ice, so we can walk easy on the other side. We have to, soon the right side of the river ends in the intersim void. We get on the other side, where is a road. We continue along the road.
If we climbed on the left side of the waterfall (more difficult), we find ouselves surrounded by ice and we see the river to our right, flowing to the waterfall. A road is in front of us. It comes from forward and goes left. If we follow the road to left, it is probably the road with the highest declivity on the grid (50%) and the second highest road built for conventional vehicles (it ends at 191 meters high, highest road is in Snowlands Subcontinent, Sansara, 198 meters). Then, all needed is to walk a bit and we get at the top of a very high mountain (Mizithra - 202 meters). Then, behind the mountain, there is a weapon factory. It is a weapon testing area, where health can be damaged.
Now, we returen back and take the road forward. It follows the river upstream. There is a lake with an island in the middle. The river flows in this lake then continues its way to the sea. Two sky-scrappers can be seen near the road.
We enter Cascade sim. Here, the road continues forward and soon will end at the void ocean border. There is an intersection in the middle of this sim. If we go forward, we will meet the other variation of this touristic route (coming from the other side of the waterfall). We now follow the other road, to left, climb on it for a while, then, at a television relay, we start climbing (on the right side of the road). We will climb to the top of this icy mountain, at an incredible altitude of 255 meters.
This incredible altitude is also close to the sim corner. So, walk with caution to avoid sim crashes. It also is a rezz zone. We continue our jurney inside sim Shasta, going down and forward. Soon, we find a nonfunctional ski lift (it was closed after a snow storm).
We go forward and down. Soon, altitude decreases below 100 meters and we enter sim Appalachia. Here we find a road and a river. The road is not connected to any road network. The river forms from the intersim void and flows back in the intersim void (even if, as seen on map, it is continued by the main river of the Sharp snowlands). Behind the river there is an isolated island, the end point of our jurney. Two polar bears are on two small islands and penguins are present here too. An ice house awaits visitors and a big campfire is just what is needed.
Touristic route 5
There is no way to get to mountain top by climbing. No matter what of the following paths you try, you will get at best to an altitude of 310 meters. The only real way to get closer is flying (point 5).
Svecia sim is basically formed of two paralell mountains separated by a deep canyon. This canyon extends West in Opera sim. The mountain in South is Svecia and the mountain in North is Svecia North.
1. As described in touristic route 4, from Opera sim, at the road intersection, we start climbing to the mountain range. Most probably, we get to a plateau of 133 meters high. It doesn't matter exactly where we reach the dividing range, it is important to reach it. Then, comes the most difficult part. We start climbing the mountain. There are many places where declivity is higher then 80%, even vertical cliffs. Also, there are small plateaus to rest before the next climbing. We can rest at 150 meters high, then again at 176. This way, we can reach a maximum altitude of 195 meters.
2. From center of Svacia sim, from the road, start directly climbing the canyon. You will get to a maximum altitude of 175 meters.
3. From road end, in Svacia sim, start climbing the canyon wall. We get soon at the mountain range (very low here, only 115 meters high). The canyon then is at our right and the sea at our left. We continue climbing. First, it is a high declivity. Then, there is a very sharp cliff on top, just like a sword blade. We have to avoid it. Soon, this cliff ends and there is a small place to rest, at 217 meters high. Then, we continue climbing to 280 meters. And then, declivity becomes too high for climbing. If you will continue trying, you will, at best, circle around the mountain at 300...310 meters high.
4. From South, from Tenshi sim, adventure starts at sea coast. Climbing is difficult, but not impossible. We can climb all the way to Svecia sim (at 295 meters high) in a straight line. Then, we meet the path described at point 3.
5. The only way to get to top is by flying. Note that the top of this mountain has flying restrictions. So, start flying from some distance. also, there are parcels with access restrictions. In fact, there are only two inhabited parcels on this mountain. One has ban lines (in West, close to the last point that can be climbed by path 1) and one has an entity orb (quite on top). The last one is small and hosts a little building, surrounded by invisible prims that block access. Don't worry for that , there still is room on the mountain top, East of the house. Ground altitude is 338 meters in that point and 339 meters beneath the house (however, the building itself is placed on a concrete platform, so the top of the house is actually at 350 meters high).
Touristic Route 6
North Svecia is a mountain North to the canyon inside Svecia sim.
To go to this mountain, we start from Opera sim, the road intersection. We go East. The road turns North on a huge bridge. We enter Pop sim, where the road is named Cyan Street. There, we start climbing the mountain visible on right. It is very difficlut and declivity is so high that is close to the limit an avatar can climb. It takes a lot of muscle power and some falling, but at the end we reach 183 meters high, the highest point in Pop sim. Climbing it is not mandatory, but it worths for the landscapes from its top.
Then, we go down. We walk at the sim border to the intersim void and at 112 meters high we enter Svecia sim. Forward, there is a small canyon that separates North Svecia from Pop mountain. The river inside this canyon flows to the main river of Svecia.
That is the truth, North Svecia is completely separated by water. Not only that, but climbing from canyon rivers is impossible. And even if you fly from the road to the other side, climbing is possible only to 150 meters high, no further. The only way to get to north Svecia is by flying.
This mountain is 260 meters high and is close to the sim border. It is the most unaccessible mountain on mainland. Even so, the landscape from its top worths exploring.