[Award Winner] Simple Mountains in Gimp

[Erechel]

I can't make it work properly. It is a lenghty, difficult process even when I have some experience with Gimp, but I get very confused with the color curves and levels. Among my problems are:
1) the feathered selection is too small. Many of my islands (even big ones) aren't recognized, and remain plain, even when I marked them on the channel.
2) The treshold is awful to put snow on the tops.
3) One mountainside remains very obscured, to the point of 100% black.
4) the mountains remain very very thin.
5) I cannot place smaller mountain ranges, because they don't enter in the heightened area.
6) I cannot make to work felimage.
7) overall, the mountain ranges look like crap.

If someone can help me, I'll be grateful. I theotetically can upload the .xcf to the page.

Sorry if I sound rude. I'm a little frustrated (as I've tried above ten times to make it work, but I cant), but also English isn't my main language.

[Silky Johnson]

So... I saw this tutorial and swooned. So pretty...

I have been at it for a week or so with mixed results, but I feel a lot more comfortable with the software. So that is good...

I do have a quick question. The map RobA started with... In a couple sentences, how were those hills made? I am guessing a mask for the fade effect but was it bump mapping with a blurred layer for color? I mean it wasn't a pattern fill or a brush.

You might have caught on I don't know my stuff very well.

Thanks!
Silky