7 SUMMITS
The Seven Summits is a well-known mountaineering challenge that requires a person to successfully reach a summit of a highest peak on each of the Seven Continents.
There are two versions to this challenge and both of them are officially recognized in the mountaineering community.
The Bass version, named after Richard Bass who was the first person in the world to reach the summits of all the 7 mountains in 1985:
• Kilimanjaro 5,895m in Africa
• Elbrus 5,642m in Europe
• Aconcagua 6,962m in South America
• Denali 6,194m in North America
• Kosciuszko 2,228m in Australia
• Vinson Massif 4,892m in Antarctica
• Everest 8,848m in Asia
The Messner version was named after Reinhold Messner, the first person to solo climb Everest and climb all 14 highest mountains in the world (over 8,000m) without using any supplemental oxygen. In the Messner version Mount Kosciuszko is replaced by Puncak Java or Carstensz Pyramid 4,884m. This mountain is located on the island of Papua New Guinea and is considered to be the highest in Australia and Oceania (Australasia).
Junko Tabei, a Japanese mountaineer, a teacher and an author, became the 1st Woman in the World to complete the Messner version of the Seven Summits in 1992.
I am attempting to complete the Messner version and so far I have successfully climbed 4 mountains, which are Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Aconcagua and Denali.
• The highest mountain in Africa at 5,895m.
• The tallest free standing mountain in the world.
• Located in Tanzania, 395km or 200 miles from the Equator.
• The 1st Woman to climb Kilimanjaro was Sheila McDonald from Scotland in September 1927.
• One of the 7 Volcanoes Project.
• I successfully summited on 22nd February 2009 via a Machame Route.
• The highest peak in Europe and has 2 prominent summits.
• West Summit at 5,642m, approached from South and can be assisted by the use of a cable car and a Snowcat.
• The East Summit at 5,622m, approached from North, is considered to be a more demanding route.
• Located in Russia on the border of two autonomic ethnic regions Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia.
• The 1st Woman to climb Elbrus was Alexandra Dzhaparidze, a mountaineer of Georgian ethnicity, in 1925.
• One of the 7 Volcanoes Project.
• I successfully summited on 14th August 2009 and reached the East Summit by climbing from North.
• The highest peak in South America at 6,692m.
• The highest mountain outside of Asia and the second tallest in the 7 Summits Project after Everest.
• Located in Mendoza Province of Argentina at the Chilean border.
• The 1st Woman to climb Aconcagua was a Frenchwoman Adrienne Bance, who died on her way down the mountain.
• My first attempt in 2022 had to be abandoned at 6,200m due to a fatality in our team.
• I successfully summited on 6th February 2023 via a Horcones Valley Route.
• The highest peak in South America at 6,194m.
• Previously known as McKinley Mountain.
• Located in Alaska, the 49th State of the USA.
• At 63 degrees north latitude - one of the coldest places on Earth.
• The 1st Woman to climb Denali was an American mountaineer Barbara Washburn in 1947.
• Barbara reached the summit together with her husband Bradford Washburn who became the 1st person to summit Denali twice
• I successfully summited on 14th June 2024 via a West Buttress route.
• The highest peak in Australasia at 4,884m.
• Located in the western central Highlands of West Papua.
• The local name is Puncak Jaya and it is the highest island peak.
• The access to the mountain may be restricted due to the political instability of the region.
• Considered to be more technical from the 7 Summits.
• The 1st Woman to climb Carstensz Pyramid was probably Junko Tabei in 1992.
• I am planning to attempt climbing Carstensz Pyramid in 2025.
• The highest peak in Antarctica at 4,892m.
• Last of the 7 Summits to be discovered and climbed.
• The most remote and the coldest of the 7 Summits.
• The 1st Woman to climb Vinson Massif was an American Mountaineer Lisa Densmore.
• My plans to attempt climbing Mount Vinson are to be confirmed (TBC).
• The highest peak on Earth at 8,848m.
• Two main climbing routes from South in Nepal and from North in Tibet.
• For Nepalese people it is "Sagarmatha" or "Goddess of the Sky".
• For Tibetan people it is "Chomolungma" or "Goddess Mother of Mountains".
• The 1st Woman to climb Everest was a Japanese Mountaineer Junko Tabei in 1975.
• My plans to attempt climbing Everest are to be confirmed (TBC).
