Antillan Mountains

The Antillan Mountains bisect the Cantaran island continent. They begin as mild foothills which reach all the way to the edges of the main continent and grow to the point of vast peaks in the heart of the continent. To the knowledge of most in the world, none have ever fully explored the peaks of the mountain range and are generally considered unscaleable even with the aid of magic.
In the twenty-first century, renowened explorer Jarl Forgenson attempted a full exploration of the range. He set out which included tiny carrier grifoons to carry mail back to his sponsors (this was before the invention of message tomes.) A dozen messges were received in the lower peaks, recording the deaths of each of his companions to the usual perils of mountaineering - ice falls, falls from unseen ledges, altitude sickness, and ilnesses brought on by the extreme cold.) The last message was received the the first summer month of the year, when weather in the mountains would have been the least brutal:"
"I fear my quest has been but a folly of a egotistical mind. Ketarson fell from a cliff yesterday evening and I am alone. The point of no return was when we pressed on after the death of Smythsyn a week ago. I cannot carry the gear I need to both complete my mission and survive. I will move along with the base provisions and get as far as I can while sending valuable information for future explorers. Send my love to Martha."
It is unknown what became of the explorer. No known parties have attempted the feat since.
The Antillan mountains isolate Antarra from the rest of the continent. This is what has allowed such a small and relatively weak nation to continue to survive despite the agressors which surround it.