What are the Seven Summits? A List in the Order of Height, Cost, Difficulty etc

What are the 7 summits? The seven summits are the 7 highest mountains on each continent. Climbing the seven summits first became a ‘thing’ when Richard Bass, in 1985, summited what he said was the highest peak on each continent. He, however, used the wrong mountain for the Australian continent. This is where what consitutes a ‘continent’ can start to be confusing! So the first true seven summits were completed by Patrick Morrow in 1986. I’ll explain all more below.

*2026 EDIT: Sorry to brag, but I’ve now climbed all 7 summits! (as well as a few other disputed mountains along the way). Looking back at this blog post makes me so happy! Anyway, back to the post!

What are the 7 continents, and what are their highest peaks?

The 7 continents of earth, with their highest peaks, are as follows:

1. Africa; Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
2. Europe; Mount Elbrus in Russia(often wrongly considered Mont Blanc)
3. North America; Denali in Alaska, USA
4. South America; Aconcagua in Argentina
5. Asia; Mount Everest in Nepal
6. Australasia/Ocenaia/Australia (the continent, not the country); Puncak Jaya in West Papyua in Indonesia (often wrongly considered Mount Kosciusko. Sometimes considered Mount Wilhelm in PNG).
7. Antarctica; Mount Vinson in the interior Antarctic

My Personal Quest to Summit the 7 Summits

I completed my goal of the seven summits in January 2024 when I summited Mount Vinson in Antarctica.

It is huge dream of lots of climbers, adventurers, and explorers to summit the highest point on each continent in their lifetime. I started my goal with Kilimanjaro, Tanzania as a broke backpacker in 2010, with no plans to do anything else. Then due to a chance encounter with a lovely Russian guy, now a friend, he offered to sponsor my Elbrus, Russia climb in 2018. And then that was 2/7 done!). I tried and failed Aconcagua in 2018 but went back 14 months later and tagged that bad boy. Followed by Denali in 2022, and Everest in 2023 and finally Mount Vinson in January 2024. As well as the 3 dubious one of Mont Blanc (summer 2019) and Mount Kosciuszko (summer 2019) and Mount Wilhelm (April 2026)

Less than 750 people in history have completed the 7 summits, and only 20 to have done the 7 summits + North Pole & South Pole – known as the adventurers gland slam (and no one in history for that + every country in the world until I COMPLETED IT!

I don’t come from a climbing background. That’s a rich person thing. I grew up on welfare in Ireland, single mother, father in prison. Mountains were from people who spoke well, and had double-barrelled surnames. But after finishing my journey to every country in the world, I set about this goal. It took my 6 years, and about $100k. And it was worth the blood, sweat, tears and cash. We did it baby!

First of all, what are the seven summits, in order of height:

Asia’s Highest Mountain: Mount Everest, Nepal, 8,848 m (29,029 ft)

How long does it take to climb Mount Everest? 

The short answer is approximately 2 months, maybe a little less, 6-8 weeks.  Climbers start arriving at the mountain’s base camps in late March. On the more popular south side, base camp is at around 5,300 metres and sits at the foot of the icefall, the first major obstacle. Clients now acclimatise by climbing nearby, ‘smaller’ peaks. The next major staging post is Camp 2 (Advanced Base Camp), at the mouth of the Western Cwm.

From there you continue to Camp 3 and Camp 4 on the South Col. Sherpas rarely stay at Camp 3, since it is exposed to rockfall. Summit day, usually a date in mid-May when temperatures are warmer and wind milder, actually begins at around midnight. Climbers aim to be on the summit in the morning, with plenty of daylight left to get down before nightfall.

After acclimatisation is complete, the actual summit push from Base Camp and back lasts about a week.

How hard is it?

10/10. Mount Everest death rate is about 1.3% or so, but thankfully dropping every year. It’s both technical and physically grueling, a minimum of 6 months fitness training is recommended.

Climbing Season:

You would start end of March and aim to Summit mid-to-late May

Approximate Cost:

$40,000USD to $85,000 is pretty standard. You can pay up to $100k for extra sherpas, extra tents/space/oxygen etc, but most struggle by on a thrift $50k! The fee to the Nepalese Government is $11k+ alone. Once you pay $50k+ you’ll most likely be with a Western guide along with local Sherpas, less than $50k and it will more likely be a local operation.

Success Rate in 2018: 

Mount Everest success rate is roughly 50%

*PERSONAL EDIT. I successully climbed Mount Everest on 17th May, 2023.

South America’s Highest Mountain: Aconcagua, Argentina, 6,961 m (22,838 ft)

How long does it take to summit Aconcagua?

Climbing Aconcagua takes approximately 3 weeks, a little less if you’re already acclimatised.

How hard is it?

7/10. The second highest summit on the 7 Summits, it’s not technical at all, but the serious altitude and fitness can play a part. Fitness training is required, a minimum of 6 weeks hard training.

Between 2001 and 2012, of the 42,731 mountaineers who sought to reach Aconcagua’s summit, 33 died. This gives a fatality rate of 0.77 per 1,000 or 0.077%.

Climbing Season:

Officially, the climbing season is between November 15th and March 31st of every year. Due to the weather though, it is best to climb Mount Aconcagua between late November and late February.

Approximate Cost:

It ranges from $3,000USD to $6k

Success Rate in 2018: 

Around 40% (estimates range from 30% to 50%)

**Personal Edit:

June 2019. Here’s a pic of my FAILED attempt to summit Aconcagua in December 2018. Awful weather, 160kph wind and a very depressed Johnny. You can read about my failure HERE. I’m signed up to try again starting on NYE and throughout January 2020.

**Personal Edit: I did it (January 2020!)

You can read about me trekking Aconcagua to the summit, complete with YouTube video here. 

North America’s Highest Mountain: Denali (Mount McKinley), USA (Alaska), 6,194 m (20,322 ft)

How long does it take to climb Denali?

2/3 weeks, normally around 16 days.

How hard is it to climb Denali?

7/10. It requires some technical climbing, but nothing too heavy, but strong fitness is required.

32,000 people have attempted Denali with a death toll of around 100 (0.003%)

Climbing Season for Denali:

Early May to Late June

Approximate Cost to climb Denali:

$7,000USD to $15k

Mount Denali Success Rate in 2018: 

Around 50%

**PERSONAL EDIT:

I summited Denali in June 2022. Lost feeling in the tips of my fingers due to the cold, but other than that, Climbing Denali was just about manageable! Here’s my blog post about it here.

Africa’s Highest Mountain: Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, 5,895 m (19,341 ft)

How long does it take to climb Kilimanjaro?

You can race up it in 4/5 days if you’re in a rush, but a standard route is 6 or 7 days on the mountain.

How hard is it to climb Kilimanjaro?

4/10. If you’re a naturally fit person, you should be able to tackle Kili without any prior training. Not technical at all.  30,000 people summit per year, with a death rate of 1 death per 3,333 climbers (0.03%)

Kilimanjaro Climbing Season:

December to February and June to September. Winter season is generally colder than June-Sep and there is a higher probability of encountering snow on the summit

Approximate Cost to climb Kilimanjaro:

Between $1500 to $3k depending on luxury levels

Kilimanjaro Success Rate in 2018: 

70%

**Personal edit:

This was the first of the Seven Summits that I climbed, all the way back in 2010, during my Cape Town to Cairo overland trip. You can read about how I did it, and how much it cost here.

Europe’s Highest Mountain: Elbrus, Russia, 5,642 m (18,510 ft)*

*NOTE: Because the location of the boundary between Asia and Europe is not universally agreed upon Mont Blanc (4,810m) is occasionally considered as Europe’s highest mountain.

How long does it take to climb Mount Elbrus?

Around 5/6 days including base camp, acclimatization, and summiting.

How hard is it to climb Mount Elbrus?

If you use the transport options on the South Side (cable car and snowcat), 6/10, if not or you summit from the north side, 7/10. Not technical at all.

In terms of death rate, about 25 die per year, around 0.15%.

Mount Elbrus Climbing Season:

July and August

Mount Elbrus Approximate Cost:

From $3000 to $9k

Mount Elbrus Success Rate in 2018: 

85% South side (using the snow-cat to carry you to 4,800), 55% North Side.

**Personal Note:

I climbed Mount Elbrus in 2018, I had a great time doing it, highly recommended! Read about it here.

Antarctica’s Highest Mountain: Vinson, Antarctica, 4,892 m (16,050 ft)

How long does it take to climb Mount Vinson?

Around 15 days from Chile, back to Chile again, and perhaps factor a couple of days delay in with the weather in Antarctica.

How hard is it to climb Mount Vinson?

7/10. Cold, and physically exerting. Train hard for a minimum of 3 months. Technically, thankfully, not too challenging but extremely cold! No one has ever died on Vinson (yaaay, finally!)

Mount Vinson Climbing Season:

Early December to late January

Mount Vinson Approximate Cost:

$40k to $60k including the South Pole

Success Rate in 2018: 

95%

** Personal Note:

I plan to combine this with a trip to the South Pole, meaning a cost of $70k+. Ouch! I’m thinking probably winter of 2023 or 2024 for this one.

EDIT 2025: DONE BOTH!

Australasia’s Highest Mountain*: Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid), Indonesia (Western Papua), 4,884 m (16,024 ft)

*NOTE: Because the location of the boundary between Australia and Asia is not universally agreed upon Mount Kosciuszko (2,228m) is occasionally considered as Australia’s highest mountain. I climbed Mount Kosciuszko in May 2019 just to make sure, you can read about me hiking Mount  Kosciuszko here. 

• I blogged about why Kosciuszko is NOT one of the 7 Summits, and why Puncak Jaya is Australia’s highest point HERE.

How long does it take to climb Puncak Jaya?

Bali to Bali it takes just shy of 2 weeks

How hard is it to climb Puncak Jaya?

Quite technical (arguably the most technical of the 7 summits) but mostly fixed ropes, it is quite arduous though so being in good shape is required.

Puncak Jaya Climbing Season:

All year-round.

Puncak Jaya Approximate Cost:

$13,000USD to $20k

Puncak Jaya Success Rate in 2018: 

95%+

**Personal Note:

I successfully summited Puncak Jaya in June 2019, and I did it for a fraction of the cost ($7,500!). You can read about my experience climbing Puncak Jaya, and how I did it so ‘cheaply’ HERE.

THOUGHTS ON CLIMBING THE SEVEN SUMMITS:

I wrote this summary as much for myself as any of you guys out there. It’s tough to remember the seasons, the exorbitant prices, the chances of succeeding etc, but now I have a place to look back to. 

Climbing the 7 summits is a bucket list dream of many adventurers. It’s possible for people to do it even if they’re not ‘mountaineers’ by trade, hence why it’s so appealing. As long as you’re willing to suffer. Suffer 3 ways – in terms of saving the money to do it, and then the training, and finally the torturous climb themselves. 

How Much Does it Cost to Climb the 7 Summits?

I blogged the answer to that IN DEPTH HERE.

The shorter answer: The total cost of the 7 summits? $110,000USD+. Probably with flights, training, perhaps a failure or 2, more like $150k. That’s a lot of money to save. But big dreams require sacrifice, suffering, and a little ingenuity, so I’ll dig out some sponsors I hope, work hard, save as much as possible and let’s see where we end up.

What Are Different Seven Summits Lists?

The first ‘Seven Summit’ list was created by Bass, where he used Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, instead of Puncak Jaya, in Indonesia. So the Bass Seven Summits list is as follows:

Bass Seven Summits list:

• Everest
• Denali
• Aconcagua
• Vinson
• Kosciuszko (for australia, instead of Puncak Jaya in West Papua)
• Elbrus
• Kilimanjaro

The second, more definitive ‘Seven Summit list, was created by Reinhold Messner who replaced Mount Kosciuszko with Puncak Jaya. Messner’s Seven Summit list is as follows:

Messner’s Seven Summits:

• Everest
• Denali
• Aconcagua
• Vinson
• Puncak Jaya (he binned off Kosciuszko)
• Elbrus
• Kilimanjaro

Mont Blanc was widely regarded as the highest mountain in Europe in the mid 20th century, only for Elbrus in Russia to be accepted as the true highest point in Europe. That being said, to complete the Seven Summits without argument, one should climb the Seven Summits AND Mount Kosciuszko and Mont Blanc. I did both these mountains in 2019 to make sure!

How about the disputed summits?

As I listed above, the ‘REAL’ 7 summits are Everest, Vinson, Denali, Aconcagua, Elbrus, Puncak Jaya and Kilimanjaro.

The disputed mountains on top of that are as follows:

Mount Kosciuszko

Richard Bass considered Mount Kosciuszko to be the highest mountain in Australia (and therefore one of the seven summits) because he considered the continent of Australia to be the same thing as the country of Australia, i.e., that one landmass. This confused people as the country of Australia and the continent of Australia are 2 different things. And actually, the continent of Australia can also be called Oceania and Australasia, which would clear matters up!

However, the general consensus these days is that the continent of Australia actually also includes New Zealand, some small Pacific island nations, and very importantly, also the island of New Guinea, which includes the country of Papua New Guinea on one half of that island and on the other half of the island, an area called West Papua that belongs to Indonesia. You can see the Wiki page about the continent of Australia here.

If we consider this to be true, then the highest point on West Papua is Puncak Jaya which is higher than Kosciuszko, rendering Puncak Jaya as the highest peak of the continent of Australia.

• You can read about my Mount Kosciuszko climb here.

Mont Blanc

For many years, Mont Blanc was considered the highest mountain in Europe, and therefore one of the Seven Summits. This is because people traditionally regarded the Caucasus Mountains as part of Asia, placing Mont Blanc as the highest peak within Europe.

However, the generally accepted modern view is that the boundary between Europe and Asia runs along the crest of the Greater Caucasus range. Under this definition, Mount Elbrus, which stands in the Caucasus Mountains of southern Russia, lies within Europe.

Since Mount Elbrus reaches 5,642 metres, significantly higher than Mont Blanc’s 4,805 metres, it is the true highest mountain in Europe.

As a result, Mount Elbrus, rather than Mont Blanc, is now widely recognised as the European representative of the Seven Summits.

• You can read about my Mont Blanc climb here

Mount Wilhelm

Most people consider Puncak Jaya to be the highest mountain in Australia/Oceania/Australasia (and therefore one of the Seven Summits) because, as I mentioned above, they accept that the continent of Australia includes not only Australia itself, but also New Zealand, various Pacific island nations, and the island of New Guinea.

However, there is another argument.

While the island of New Guinea is geographically part of Oceania, it is politically divided between two countries. The eastern half forms the independent nation of Papua New Guinea, while the western half, known as West Papua, belongs to Indonesia.

Indonesia is generally accepted as part of Asia. If this is true, then Puncak Jaya, being located in Indonesia, would also be part of Asia. This creates a problem, because Asia is already represented by Mount Everest, the highest mountain on that continent.

If we accept that Indonesia is part of Asia and therefore cannot provide the Oceanian representative of the Seven Summits, then the highest mountain remaining within Oceania is Mount Wilhelm in Papua New Guinea. Under this interpretation, Mount Wilhelm, rather than Puncak Jaya, would be the highest peak of Oceania and therefore the rightful representative of the continent on the Seven Summits list.

Because of this, I climbed Mount Wilhelm, just to make sure I’m done!

Mauna Kea

For Mauna Kea, there’s an obscure argument regarding the tectonic plates, that if you want to do the seven summits then you would use the seven largest tectonic plates:African Plate

1. Antarctic Plate
2. African Plate
3. Australian Plate
4. Eurasian Plate
5. North American Plate
6. South American Plate
7. Pacific Plate.

So the Eurasian Plate would cover obviously Europe and Asia, kicking out Mount Elbrus or Mont Blanc and leaving Mount Everest as the Eurasian one. Thereby leaving a space for a new seventh summit.

That would be the Pacific Plate, which is one of the largest tectonic plates in the world. The highest peak on the Pacific Plate is Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

However, if you want to go down the tectonic plate argument, there are actually up to 20 tectonic plates, so the entire concept of seven continents and seven summits falls apart, which isn’t great, but that’s the esoteric argument for Mauna Kea.