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The program "Seven peaks". List of mountains with descriptions. How much does Seven summits cost?

There are several iconic programs in the world of high-altitude mountaineering. First of all, these are the programs Seven summits, 14 eight-thousanders, and Snow Leopard. Today we will talk about 7 peaks – these are climbs to the highest peaks of all continents, of course, including Antarctica.

Friends, hello everyone! This is Taras Pozdnii. The Seven Summits program is not a priority for me now, I like to climb the eight-thousanders. But if I have a chance to do Seven summits, of course, I will do it with great pleasure. Today I want to tell you what peaks are included in the program, make a brief review of them, review the two versions of the program and break down the main hitch – the cost.

Why do people go through the Seven Summits? Because it’s prestigious and cool to be the first man or woman in the country or city. Such an expensive and difficult achievement.

A bit of history. Where did the Seven Peaks project come from

I want to start with a bit of history and tell you where the Seven Summits project came from in the first place. The idea came to American oil magnate Dick Bass in May 1981 during his descent from McKinley. He loved a challenge and wondered why not climb all seven of the continent’s highest peaks. So he began pursuing his idea. It took four years to complete the program, with Everest not being the longest to succumbed. Only on his fourth attempt was Bass able to climb to the summit and, with great difficulty, to come down from it. But somehow, on April 30, 1985, Bass stood on top of the world and became the first man to carry out the Seven Summits program. By the way, it cost him a total of about half a million dollars.

At the same time it was not so easy. Bass had a rival – Canadian Patrick Morrow. And he was by no means satisfied with the role of the second. Patrick and the legendary Messner promoted another version of the program – with the Carstens Pyramid as the highest point of Australia. But Messner was concentrating on the more important climbing of the 14 eight-thousanders. At that time, the Polish climber Jerzy Kukuczka was already trailing him. Well Patrick climbed Carstens on August 5, 1986. Thereby becoming the first, but already the other version of the Seven Peaks. So, in fact, two main versions emerged: the Kosciuszko version and the Carstens version.

At the moment, those who have passed on any of the versions and are members of the honorary club of the Seven Summits, there are about 500 people.

The list of the Seven Summits. Two versions of the Seven Summits program

Let’s go through the list of peaks, starting with the lowest and ending with the highest. I will list all possible variations, and my list will have 8.5-9 peaks. Because one of the peaks someone considers controversial, but officially there are no questions about it.

Kosciuszko Peak – 2,228 meters

Kosciuszko Peak is the highest point in Australia at 2,228 meters. Yes, so small and already the highest point. There is nothing remarkable and heroic about this mountain, except to get to Australia itself. And so it is not only the lowest, but also the easiest peak, where you can climb in just a few hours from the parking cars, even in sandals. Apparently, it is because of the “non-seriousness” of the summit that climbers are more fond of the Carstens Pyramid.

Karstens Pyramid (Panchak Jaya) – 4884 m

The second version of the Seven Summits program includes the highest point of Oceania – the Carstens Pyramid, also called Panchak Jaya, height – 4884 m. The peak is located on the island of New Guinea. And, for one thing, it is not on the mainland, but still on the Australian continental shield. In general, unlike Kosciuszko, Carstens is a very difficult mountain. First, because of its difficult geo-political position. Not only is it difficult to access literally because it is in no-man’s-land, but the region is also politically very unstable, there are constant armed skirmishes, and it is an orange, if not a red zone. For a long time Carstens was closed for climbing. Now expeditions go with armed guards and most often are taken to the base camp by helicopter.

The summit itself is a difficult rocky ridge, which, however, can be climbed and passed even by people without special technical skills.

But even at this point, we have not yet resolved the question of Kosciuszko or Carstens. Because many sources attribute Carstens to Asia, and then the arena comes to New Zealand with the summit of Mount Cook, 3,724 m high. But this is a very deep discussion, where we will not go into, but dwell on the official versions. Now it is accepted to consider Carstens as the main summit.
Further list of peaks, in general, is more clear. Although there are also some nuances.

Vinson Peak – 4,892 m

Vinson Peak is the highest peak in Antarctica, 4,892 m high. An interesting fact is that, like virtually all of Antarctica, Vinson Peak does not belong to any country, but is a global treasure. However, this does not make it more accessible. The main difficulty is logistics and its cost. The only company ALE (Antarctic Logistic Expedition) is engaged in logistics and does it, in general, successfully. But only its services cost about $40,000 per person. They say that 1 kg of excess luggage costs $ 100. Imagine, 100 dollars for 1 kg?! This is where the topic of lightweight gear really comes into play.
The second problem is the weather window. And no one will tell you the exact dates of departure, they will always be floating. Therefore the dates of expedition are always taken with reserve. Mostly well-prepared participants who are highly motivated get to Vinson Peak, that is why overwhelming majority of expeditions are successful.

Elbrus – 5642 m

Elbrus, at 5642 m, is the highest point in Europe. On classic routes it is technically not difficult and accessible mountain, but at the same time it gives a great opportunity to feel what the altitude is. Perhaps the most accessible and cheapest summit of the entire program. It was Elbrus in 2013 that was the first big mountain for me.
But it’s not so easy with Elbrus either. Depending on where to draw the subcontinental boundary between Europe and Asia, Elbrus can be classified as either the former or the latter. If Elbrus is attributed to Asia, then the highest point in Europe is Mont Blanc, 4,810 m high.
There is no such heated argument between Elbrus and Mont Blanc as between Carstens and Kosciuszko – Elbrus is generally accepted and is included without reservations in both official versions of the Seven Peaks.

Kilimanjaro – 5895 m

Kilimanjaro, at 5,895 meters, is the highest peak in Africa, located in Tanzania, near the Kenyan border and near the equator. Perhaps Kilimanjaro is the most popular peak in the world. After all, it is not technically difficult, there is full service, and the season is actually all year round, except November and April. And in these months there are also many who want to climb the highest freestanding mountain in the world (and yes, Kilimanjaro has this title).

On Kili everything is very regulated, there is an expensive permit, the cost of which depends on the number of days of stay in the national park. In addition, you can’t go climbing on your own, only accompanied by a local guide and support staff. On the average there are about three local guides, cooks and their assistants, and porters per one of our participants. Not surprising, as Kilimanjaro serves as one of the main sources of local revenue.

All this greatly affects the price, and it is not possible to go cheap to Kili. The cost of climbing alone will be about $ 2,000, and together with a safari already about $ 2,800. And I would definitely recommend going on safari. The same as in Africa – nowhere else. And, if you’re already there, it’s worth seeing.

Go with Kuluar: Kilimanjaro climbing, safari and Zanzibar.

Denali – 6194 m

Denali, also known as Mack Kinley, has an elevation of 6,194 m and is the highest point in North America. It is one of the most difficult and working mountains of the Seven Peaks program. To climb it, you must obtain a permit from the U.S. authorities. Only a few accredited U.S. companies can provide guide services, which are very expensive. But it is possible to climb the mountain on your own without an official guide – this is what most of our people use. The climbing season is the beginning of summer. This is mainly due to the difficult state of the glacier and the increased risk of landing small planes, which is used to get to the mountain. All loads during the ascent are carried on their own, more often on special sledges, and the weather is cold and not very stable. In general, this is not Kilimanjaro.

Aconcagua – 6,962 m

Aconcagua, at 6,962, is the highest point in South America, the highest peak outside of Asia, and is located in beautiful Argentina. The ascent is in a “semi-expedition” format. What do I mean by that? The base camp is quite comfortable, and the main load is taken to it by mules. At the same time all the following camps on the mountain are set up by groups independently, and all the cargo has to be lifted by themselves as well. You may use the services of porters, but they are quite expensive, about $100 per 15 kilos of cargo between the camps. The classical route of the ascent has no technical complexity, but the mountain itself is not simple. First of all, because of the high altitude (it is almost 7,000 m), and at such a height even trained and acclimatized climbers is not easy. Also the mountain is famous for the strong winds that can reach speeds of 200 km/hour. Therefore, the climbing season is very short – January-February, when the weather is more stable and the so-called “white wind” has not come.

Going with Kuluar: Climbing Aconcagua.

Everest – 8848 m

Everest, at 8,848 meters, is the highest point in Asia and, for that matter, in the world. It is located on the border of Nepal and China and has two classic climbing routes, one from the north and one from the south.

Undeniably, Everest is the hardest peak from the entire program. It requires a lot of money, time, good health and previous experience. By the way, in a previous article, “How to Climb Everest for a Beginner? Everest from scratch” I told you how to prepare and what minimum experience is needed to climb Everest from scratch.

95% of climbs take place between May 13 and 29, which is when the most favorable weather windows are formed. It is very important because the wind force on the summit can reach 300 km/hour and the temperature may fall down to -70C. In spite of the difficulty Everest is the most popular eight-thousand meter peak. There is a good service here, the rails are checked, and the summit itself is one of the safest, compared to the other eight. The mortality rate is less than 3 percent.

Just over 10,000 people have climbed Everest, and about 500 people have completed the whole Seven Peaks program, so it’s not just about Everest. It’s also about the cost and accessibility of other peaks. Actually, let’s move on to the price of the issue.

Go with Kuluar: Climbing Everest.

The cost of the program “Seven peaks”

I propose to calculate the approximate minimum cost of passing the program, very tentatively including in the cost and additional costs. 

The total is $120,000.

$120,000 is the minimum comfortable money to go through the Seven Summits program. Expensive? Yes, very. In modern climbing not only the complexity of the summits, but also the cost plays a significant role. I do not get tired to repeat that three factors are important: time, money and readiness, which includes the necessary physical fitness, experience and technical skills. And it is money that becomes an insurmountable barrier for many.

For myself, I do not put the Seven Peaks program as a priority, primarily because of the prohibitive cost of Vinson Peak. But if the variant with sponsors appears why not. But now my aim is to climb 14 eight-thousanders. Not less expensive and more difficult and dangerous program which I will describe in detail in the next article.

Kuluar – your life-changing mountain experience!

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