Seven Summits

We traditionally partition the globe’s major landmasses into seven continents: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.

At first glance, this system looks simple and clean.

Upon closer inspection, however, these demarcations are slightly messy.

The border between Asia and Europe is anything but definite; nothing approaching consensus exists. The boundary expressed in the graphic above is largely political and historical. Many geologists and geographers consider the two bodies as one large mass, Eurasia.

Australia provides another ambiguity. Thinking of the big island as a discrete continent is tidy, but what does one do with the large surrounding islands? Smaller isles around the globe, such as Hawaii, might easily exist on their own, outside the continental system. But what about New Guinea, the world’s second-largest island, or New Zealand? What do we do with the islands that populate the space between mainland Asia and Australia?

Various ideas propagate. These questions might seem academic, but they rear their head in the arbitrary arena of High Points. We love to scrutinize the partitions we have created. What are the highest points in each American state? The areas of the states are completely human-crafted and supply no inherent meaning, yet our brains are attracted to these classifications as a way to compartmentalize the complex globe. Our incidental classifications have produced 50 High Points, many in spots that would not derive much attention without the state boundaries.

Using the traditional Seven-Continent Model, we can apply the same search for High Points.

On a continental scale, the apices all happen to be noteworthy peaks.

In order of elevation above sea level, the peaks:

Everest – Asia – 29,032 feet (8,849 meters)

Aconcagua – South America – 22,838 feet (6,961 meters)

Denali – North America – 20,322 feet (6,194 meters)

Kilimanjaro – Africa – 19,341 feet (5,895 meters)

Elbrus – Europe – 18,510 feet (5,642 meters)

Vinson Massif – Antarctica – 16,050 feet (4,892 meters)

Kosciuszko – Australia – 7,310 feet (2,228 meters)

Though some of the world’s most elite mountaineers might disagree, each of the Seven Summits requires a major expedition, except for Kosciuszko, which can be attained with a simple hike.

Everest, no doubt, is the toughest, as its ascent and death-zone elevation make it an extremely risky undertaking. Denali often ranks second in terms of difficulty. However, some rate it as highly as Everest, thanks to a combination of remoteness, required glacier skills, fickle weather, and the need to haul one’s gear, as the National Park Service does not allow porters. Vinson matches Denali’s remoteness, though not its difficulty, as it sits in Antarctica. Of the non-Australian peaks, Kilimanjaro is often viewed as the most accessible.

The notion of climbing the Seven Summits can be traced back to the 1950s. In 1956, William Hackett made it to the apex of five continents. In 1978, renowned alpinist Reinhold Messner was the first human to reach the tops of six continents. Finally, in 1985, Richard Bass became the first to complete the Seven Summits, reaching the pinnacle of Everest on 30 April. Messner finished with Vinson in 1986.

Bass climbed the traditional version of the septet, but, as previously noted, disagreements swirl around the notion of continents, meaning variations of the seven can arise. For many years, France’s Mont Blanc was viewed as the roof of Europe instead of Elbrus. Some lists include Blanc in lieu. Depending on how one defines “Australia” or “Oceania,” Kosciuszko would not appear on the list. Using tectonic plates as guides or including all the region’s islands provides a different landscape. Many lists incorporate the difficult Puncak Jaya, also known as Carstenz Pyramid, the High Point of Indonesia at 16,024 feet (4,884 meters). Messner believed Puncak Jaya to be the true peak of the region, so he scaled it during his assault on the Seven Summits instead of Kosciuszko, though he later added Australia’s High Point, too. Many purists prefer the Messner list solely because it adds difficulty to the task. Others further complicate the situation. Though New Guinea, home to Puncak Jaya, and Australia share tectonic underpinnings, some lump the mountain’s nation – Indonesia – in with Asia, rendering Papua New Guinea’s Mount Wilhelm as Oceania’s zenith. This designation is, once again, arbitrary, as both Wilhelm and Puncak Jaya inhabit the same island.

Today, many people omit Kosciuszko from consideration when attempting to scale the Seven Summits.

Whether one adds difficulty with Puncak Jaya or sticks with the traditional list, the other six already add enough difficulty to lend any finisher plenty of credibility.