Standing on the top of the world
The ‘Seven Summits’ Challenge is simple – summit the highest mountain on each continent. Easier said than done. For one thing, there’s some debate about which mountains should be on the list based on the definition of a continent, or more specifically where the border of a continent lies and whether the continent is only the mainland or if it includes surrounding islands and archipelagos as well. There’s a bit of a tussle as to whether Mt Blanc or Elbrus is the highest mountain in Europe, so I climbed both, just to be sure.
Here’s my list, based on the Messner list, basically because the mountains on it are a more of a mountaineering challenge – expeditions rather than hikes.
Asia: Everest, 29 035 ft – DONE
South America: Aconcagua, 22 834 ft – DONE
North America: Denali, 20 310 ft – DONE
Africa: Kilimanjaro, 19 339 ft – DONE. Twice.
Europe: Elbrus, 18 510 ft – DONE
Antarctica: Vinson, 16 067 ft – DONE
Australia: Carstensz Pyramid a.k.a. Puncak Jaya 16 023 ft – DONE
All seven complete – what an adventure!