Climbing the Seven Summits: A Comprehensive Guide to the Continents' Highest Peaks

Aconcagua; Denali; Elbrus; Everest; Kilimanjaro; Kosciuszko; Vinson. To a climber, these mountains are known as the "Seven Summits" - the highest peaks on each continent. And from Antarctica to Alaska, Nepal to Tanzania, each year thousands of climbers from all over the world attempt at least one of them, while a growing number have plans to climb each and every mountain. Drawing on years of experience, veteran Seven Summit mountain guide Mike Hamill describes overall considerations for expedition planning and high-altitude trips, gear recommendations, tips on international travel and logistics, and estimates of financial costs. In-depth descriptions of each of the Seven Summits include a regional map, a map of the primary climbing route, a route overlay on a photo, and a sample climbing itinerary that covers peak-specific technical climbing tips and what to expect on summit day. Throughout Hamill's descriptions, renowned alpinists offer their own advice: Eric Simonson on Everest, Vern Tejas on Denali, and Melissa Arno on a female's perspective of expedition planning. Hamill also includes the "other" Seven Summit, the Carstensz Pyramid in New Guinea; climbing facts and figures for each peak; a history of the Seven Summits challenge; and a unique "compare and contrast" chart that reveals how the peaks stack up against each other. From the first steps of trip dreaming, to figuring out gear and plane tickets, to kicking those final, sublime steps up to the snowy top of Denali or Aconcagua - this is the one-and-only authoritative book to guide readers to all of the world's Seven Summits. Mike Hamill is a year-round guide for International Mountain Guides and the Alaska Mountaineering School. Professionally and personally, he has travelled and climbed extensively on all seven continents, including at least two times up each of the big Seven (including 40 times up Aconcagua, 10 times up Denali, and 5 times up Everest). Through the course of a year Hamill regularly guides clients up each of the Seven Summits, and with his IMG colleagues he was recently featured on the Discovery Channel's popular "Everest: Beyond the Limit." He lives in Seattle.