ath spe y ▁and ▁upper ▁De es ide . ▁Three ▁major ▁rivers ▁rise ▁in ▁the ▁park : ▁the ▁Spe y , ▁the ▁De e , ▁and ▁the ▁Don . ▁The ▁Spe y , ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁second ▁longest ▁river ▁in ▁Scotland , ▁r ises ▁in ▁the ▁Mon ad h li ath , ▁whilst ▁the ▁De e ▁and ▁the ▁Don ▁both ▁rise ▁in ▁the ▁C air ng orm s ▁themselves . ▁▁ ▁The ▁C air ng orm s ▁themselves ▁are ▁a ▁spect ac ular ▁landscape , ▁similar ▁in ▁appearance ▁to ▁the ▁Hard anger vid da ▁National ▁Park ▁of ▁Norway ▁in ▁having ▁a ▁large ▁area ▁of ▁u pl and ▁plate au . ▁The ▁range ▁consists ▁of ▁three ▁main ▁plate aux ▁at ▁about ▁ 1 0 0 0 – 1 2 0 0   m ▁above ▁sea ▁level , ▁above ▁which ▁dom ed ▁summ its ▁( the ▁er oded ▁st umps ▁of ▁once ▁much ▁higher ▁mountains ▁) ▁rise ▁to ▁around ▁ 1 3 0 0   m . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁summ its ▁have ▁t ors , ▁free - standing ▁rock ▁out cro ps ▁that ▁stand ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁b ould er - stre wn ▁landscape . ▁The ▁edges ▁of ▁the ▁plate aux ▁are ▁in ▁places ▁ste ep ▁cl iffs ▁of ▁gran ite ▁and ▁they ▁are ▁excellent ▁for ▁ski ing , ▁rock ▁clim bing ▁and ▁ice ▁clim bing . ▁The ▁C air ng orm s ▁form ▁an ▁ar ctic - al pine ▁mountain ▁environment , ▁with ▁t und ra - like ▁characteristics ▁and ▁long -