But think for a second - why do you suppose MEA's and OROCA's provide
1000 ft of obstacle clearace normally, but 2000 in designated
mountainlous areas? If you're IFR, you're not going to be clearing
that peak by less than 2000 ft, and that is going to keep you out of
the rocks in even the worst case scenario. If you're VFR, then you
can see the peak and don't really need the altimeter anyway.


I don't buy it. On a good weather day in California it is not uncommon
for the alimeter setting itself to account for 500 ft altimeter errors
in the mountains. If you add up non-standard lapse rate, cold air and
old and distant altimeter settings you can eat into the 2000 feet rather
quickly. Then deal with turbulent air and downdrafts in the mountains
on top of this. I don't like it one bit.

Go land on a 2000 foot runway and tell me that's plenty of room between
a little airplane with poor climb performance and a big mountain that
you can't see.