What Would You Do With Your Mountain Fortress?

Hollowed-out mountains are good for so many things. They can house strategic military bases. They can store toxic waste. And if you’re truly evil, you have the option of carving it into the shape of a skull, making it your secret headquarters, or periodically host kung-fu tournaments there. Or, you know, all three.

The Norwegians are hoping to use their hollowed-out mountains for the altruistic, though ominously named, Doomsday Vault. The vault will be a depository of seeds of all the known varieties of the world’s crops, just in case anything goes down. NASA, on the other hand, recently announced that they'll be upping the speed on the whole hollowed-out-mountain game by harnessing the naturally occurring hollow lava tubes on the moon as a library. Information could be stored on computers housed in these lava tubes and sent by satellite. At least it’s good to know that if one day NORAD happens to unleash its missiles or a kung-fu tournament on Skull Island goes horribly awry, all our seeds and back issues of PopSci will be safe.

What would you do with a hollowed-out mountain? Let us know in the comments section below. Me, I’d make a gigantic bounce house. And host a kung-fu tournament. —Dan Smith

Comments

[Forbin]

I would like to install a super computer in the mountain and turn all national defense over to it..............

[Wedge]

I would stockpile ICBMs and lots of servers and take over the world with the internet and then rule it from a dark mountian fortress. Mrahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

[John]

I'd try and build my version of Stargates Atlantis. Eventually the destructive part of human kind will fall, thus the need to isolate the creative nature of human beings. These protective and creative types will rise and change the universe for creation as we changed ourselves.

[matthew (genius level iq)]

As much as i approve of using money(capitalism) to solve problems there just isnt a problem that needs a hollowed out mountain. Unless secrecy is one.

A much better strategy would be to make it into a terminus with a sky city like the japanese intend to do. A vacuum train tunnel system would transport people from all over the world in hours. Tunnels through the crust would be easy to construct globally(inter shelf). Transport costs would be negligle to travel anywhere in the globe. Aviation would be eliminated and not needed, its a waste of money anyway and probably wont exist in 60 years.
Gravity would help propel vacuum sealed tunnel trains (zero - near-zero resistance). one tunnel one way , one tunnel the other. a slowly decending decline would give the necessary push and once the computers have worked out the necessary inclines the train would arrive precisely on station every time (fixed tunnel). There would be no load limits. Run by the government and never privatised, the people in charge must have iq tests as there are too many stupid ones - in all governments).
There would be almost minimal maintenance required.

This idea brought to you by the kindness of a very smart person. Alas it will never happen as initial build costs would be too great, the fact that it will last forever is really not the point is it?

[Skyqueen]

Put all of my husband's "stuff" in there. You know, all those tools that get bought but never used, the leftover pieces of a hurricane damaged shed "just in case", the stuff for gardening that are useless since we have guys that come and do that for us... Make it into the biggest garage ever and always have "Home Improvement" running....

[vertigo]

i would turn it into some giant lasertag arena...
but the take over the internet idea is very nice..................

[Mick H]

A hollowed out mountain, theres only one thing you can do with such a thing. Essentials you may need to last the few earthing survivors a generation. German Beer, Sweedish Porn, British Wit, Italian food and a book on 'How not to blow up the World' By the U.S.A in case you got the chance to start over -

[Smitherz]

I would throw parties...
really big parties.

[Walter L. Johnson]

I would use a hollowed mountain as a commercial wine cellar. Maintaining ideal storage conditions for decades would be affordable.

Alternatively, I would sell apartments in one, like Cheyenne Mountain, to survivalists. They would pay top dollar. Hollowing out a mountain isn't cheap.

If the government kept one, they should use it for archival storage of the records of civilization. The world suffered a great loss when the ancient library at Alexandria burned. We are only now discovering things like the first mechanical calculator built 1,000 years before we previously knew of one.

[madcow9865]

I would have a medium sized town in there. Then get the worlds biggest freezer, stock it with Klondike bars, and keep them from the civilian population. Over time, an oppressive dictatorship would form with the slogan, "What would big brother do for a Klondike bar?"

Perfect harmony.....

[Dylan Heath]

i whould make a theater so big that it whould be a thousand dollors to see one movie!

it whould be a 1500ft widescreen! also 1000 speakers! including speakers behind and on the side to give sourrond sound efffect!!!

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The game NBA 2K8 for Xbox 360 is the best basketball game year after year. At least I am told. I play this game for a bit year after year and always have a hard time getting into it cause the controls are a smidge too complicated. I am ok at the game, but always feel like I'm playing the game wrong. I went into this game with a clean slate and an open mind, and while the game seems more natural and realistic than ever before, I still feel like I'm struggling a but to get the game down.

[vertigo symptoms]

Is it possible Usama bin Laden is hiding in his Mountain Fortress? Did we ever find his Mountain Fortress(es)?

[Retro Jordans]

The things attracte me in your blog is what you write and the style you demonstrate. Thank you. Best wishes to you.

[reading glasses]

Well I can say that this is a great idea. Not to destroy our nature, but to make some improvements and things that can be used and for better future.

[reading glasses]

Well I can say that this is a great idea. Not to destroy our nature, but to make some improvements and things that can be used and for better future.

[creative recreation]

The house is the place for you people! With it we are free from sun and wind! You speak very good! It enjoys popular support! Now we all need a house! Thank you for your willingness to share with us

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I do have a questions... It all seems right and there is value in all said, however... We are running a non profit organization in South Africa where each staff member is actually a volunteer as they need to raise their own support. None are given a salary and therefore it is difficult to get staff willing to work under these conditions.

[Jordan Jumpman]

photo is a secret about a secret, the more is tells you, the less you know.

[Health News]

Hey really it's very interesting stuff found here.... Keep posting such an interesting information, I'm looking forward to your new posts.

[nursing covers]

Quite challenging for starters. But im definitely trying it.