As well as making travel easy between valleys , passes also provide a route between two mountain tops so it is common for tracks to meet at a pass ; this often makes them good routes even when traveling between a summit and the valley floor . As well as offering relatively easy travel between valleys , passes also provide a route between two mountain tops with a minimum of descent . As a result , it is common for tracks to meet at a pass ; this often makes them convenient routes even when traveling between a summit and the valley floor .