Seven Summits

The Seven Summits

The idea is simple: climb the highest mountain on each continent. Dick Bass, a Texas businessman, finished the first version in 1985 with Kosciuszko as the Australian summit; Reinhold Messner argued that Oceania's high point was really Puncak Jaya in New Guinea, a far harder mountain, and the two lists have coexisted since. This map includes both, so whichever version you subscribe to, the completion badge knows what to check.

Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Vinson, and either Kosciuszko or Carstensz Pyramid — well over 500 people have finished one list or the other. Kilimanjaro and Kosciuszko are walks; Elbrus is a snow climb with a chairlift most of the way; Aconcagua and Denali are high-altitude expeditions with real weather; Vinson means a flight to Antarctica and a bill to match; Everest is Everest. Most people do them in roughly that order.

The Second Seven

Messner also pointed out that the second-highest peak on each continent is usually the harder climb, and he was right. K2 is far more dangerous than Everest, Mount Logan is more remote than Denali, Mount Kenya's Batian is a rock climb where Kilimanjaro is a hike, Dykh-Tau is a serious Caucasus route next to Elbrus's ski resort, and Mount Tyree in Antarctica has seen only a handful of ascents. The Seven Second Summits have been completed by fewer than a dozen people.

Both lists are on this map, grouped separately. Click a peak badge or its pin to mark a summit, again for want-to-climb.

What each one takes

Kilimanjaro is a week's trek with porters, no technical skill, and altitude as the only obstacle. Kosciuszko is a day walk from Thredbo. Elbrus is two weeks including acclimatisation, crampons, and a cable car to base. Aconcagua is three weeks, high camps, and serious cold. Denali is three weeks hauling sleds, with weather that can pin you down for days. Vinson is a two-week trip including the flight from Punta Arenas, and the most expensive by far. Carstensz Pyramid involves jungle trekking or a helicopter to a limestone rock climb. Everest is two months and the better part of a house deposit. That's the Bass list; the Messner list trades Kosciuszko for Carstensz, and the second summits are harder again at every step.