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Dave's List of Seven Summits


These summits are really becoming more popular. They aren't really that technical. They just require a rather high level of strength and stamina. Of course, some are harder than others. Vinson and Denali are known for their extremely cold temperatures. Everest is known for it's lack of oxygen. Meanwhile, Kilimanjaro is known for the typical safari adventure that follows.

In my opinion, I think the biggest constraint for many people is their financial resources. It cost a lot of money to bag these peaks. I've looked into doing a few of them. Yamunuska Mountaineering offers a trip to bag Aconcagua down in Argentina. The cost of the 23-day adventure is $5,000 US, plus airfare. Kilimanjaro over in Tanzania is a very easy 5 day hike round trip, but the airfare from Calgary to Tanzania was $2,000 US on KLM Airlines, and the land cost was around $1500.

So, without further ado, here is the list of the seven summits.

Mountain Continent Country Height
Mt. Everest Asia Nepal 29,029 ft (8,848M)
Aconcagua South America Argentina 22,834 ft (6960M)
Mt. McKinley (Denali) North America Alaska 20,321 ft (6194M)
Kilimanjaro Africa Tanzania 19,340 ft (5895M)
Elbruz Europe Georgia/Russian Federation 18,510 ft (5642M)
Mt. Vinson Antarctica Lesser Antarctica 16,863 ft (5140M)
Carstensz Pyramid Australasia Indonesia 16,020 ft (4883M)
Source: Outdoor Odyssey Mountain Guide Service, UK.