Alterac Mountains Alterac Mountains is the location of the former nation of Alterac and the city - state of Dalaran , and its chief settlements included the City of Alterac , Dalaran and Strahnbrad . The central mountains have been overrun by ogres , while the organization called the Syndicate controls Strahnbrad and other areas . Dalaran was enclosed within an impregnable magic shell before the city was lifted in the air and moved to Northrend . A high , wooded region , the Alterac Mountains see much rainfall and its skies are constantly overcast . Crushridge ogres and the Syndicate , a wicked group of rogues led by fallen human nobles , clash repeatedly for control of this land . Alterac Mountains is fairly unique in " World of Warcraft " as it is one of only two zones ( Deadwind Pass being the other ) that does not have a flight path . However in Cataclysm , the Horde gained a flight path at Strahnbrad . History . The Alterac Mountains have traditionally been a home for the human s of Dalaran and Alterac , members of the Alliance . Once the smallest nation in the Lordaeron Alliance , Alterac ’ s ruler , Lord Perenolde , betrayed the Alliance in the Second War . Alterac ' s honor has been blemished ever since . The rogue faction known as the Syndicate struggles to regain control of a wild land , while ruins dot the mountainsides and ogres patrol their territory . The three settlements were all bases of peaceful activity , and were in the beginning at peace with each other . Then , during the second war , Alterac betrayed the Alliance and sided with the Horde . Enraged , the Alliance exiled the lord of Alterac and destroyed his capital , sending its people fleeing in all directions . Some of these people nurtured a hatred for the Alliance and formed a new band of rogues and assassins dedicated to overthrowing the other human nations and reclaiming their home . They call themselves the Syndicate . The ruins of the city of Alterac has since been claimed by a tribe of ogre s , and the majestic city of Dalaran was annihilated by the demon lord Archimonde during the third war . The Dalaran mages warred against the Forsaken while they rebuilt their city , only to move the city to Northrend via powerful magic . What little Alliance activity is left in the region is centered around Dalaran Crater and the entrances to Alterac Valley , where the Stormpike and Frostwolf factions vie for supremacy . Cataclysm . Alterac Mountains is no longer its own zone , and is now a subzone of Hillsbrad Foothills . The Horde entrance to Alterac Valley gained a flight path . The hills previously occupied by the Syndicate were taken over by the Stormpike Guard . Video . The first portion of this video showcases Alterac Mountains as they appear in the Cataclysm beta . Geography . The Alterac Mountains are high peaks rising up north of the Hillsbrad Foothills , and spreading to the border of the Western Plaguelands in the north and The Hinterlands in the east . Covered with snow at their highest point , these mountains were once the location of three major human settlements . Now two of these settlements , the City of Alterac and Strahnbrad , lie in ruins and are controlled by hostile forces . What remains of the third settlement , the city of Dalaran , is now a crater . The mountains themselves are home to several kinds of high - altitude flora and fauna , such as yeti , mountain lions and the rare herb Wintersbite . There are no flight paths , dungeons or raid dungeons in the Alterac Mountains . However , the Alterac Valley , a high level PvP battleground , lies within these mountains . In addition , the Ruins of Alterac are home to many ogres . They used to be elites until Patch 2 . 3 . 0 and the area was considered a micro dungeon . The layout of the Alterac Mountains zone may be confusing . It is effectively divided into two subregions . Apart from the mountain pass leading to Chillwind Point in the Western Plaguelands at the north , the " outer " green zone encircling the actual mountains has no clear - cut borders , instead smoothly transiting into Silverpine Forest and Hillsbrad Foothills . It is the outer zone that contains Dalaran ( or , in WotLK , the place where it stood ) , Chillwind Point , the Uplands , and the southern coast of Lordamere Lake . The " inner " zone , containing the Ruins of Alterac and Strahnbrad , looks very different . It is a snowy highland region surrounded by mountains , sharply transiting into the outer zone outside Stratholme . A traveler entering the inner area by road from Hillsbrad Foothills may mistake it for the entire Alterac Mountains zone , making it seem much smaller than it actually is . Maps and subregions . Topographic map of Alterac Mountains Battlegrounds . Alterac Valley : Both the Horde and Alliance entrances to Alterac Valley can be found in these mountains , just below the snow line . Notable characters . The Alterac Mountains are home to several characters of note . At the entrance to Alterac Valley , Lieutenant Haggerdin seeks aid in the battle against the Frost Wolves , and Warmaster Laggrond has similarly declared war on the Stormpikes . At his manor , Lord Jorach Ravenholdt attempts to teach adventuring rogues the true skills of their trade . And at Dalaran , Archmage Ansirem Runeweaver sends bold adventurers to the jungles of Stranglethorn in search of his missing daughter . Quests . Both Alliance and Horde quests in the Alterac Mountains begin in the low 30s and continue into the low 40s . The quests , for the most part , come from Southshore and Tarren Mill , respectively , in the Hillsbrad Foothills which border the mountains . For some reason , most of the Horde ' s Alterac Mountains quests are categorized as Hillsbrad Foothills , though the Alliance quests seem to be more properly categorized . Alterac is unique in the game in having no proper quest hub for either faction . For this reason , many of the quests obtained in Hillsbrad Foothills send players north into Alterac .