Words + Photos: Sean James
The Seven Summits
To climb the highest mountain on every continent is a challenge that inspires many mountaineers. There are seven continents and the challenge is to climb the seven highest peaks on each. If you do this, you are entitled to enter the Seven Summits club. It is an exclusive one but growing. At present there are less than 350 people who can claim the set.
The Seven Summits was first completed by Dick Bass in 1985. Bass was a successful businessman and at the time was owner of Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah. His influence and wealth allowed him to put the logistics and framework in place to not only travel to these remote places, but also to take with him the most gifted climbers of the time. Bass literally forged a way to the top of each summit. Now seen as one of the symptoms of a midlife crisis, the entry requirements of the Seven Summits club are being meet more by middle agers looking for something extra to satisfy their passions. The Seven Summits club can now be grouped together in the same category as finishing an Ironman Triathlon, buying a fast motorbike or finding a younger partner. Make no mistake, being a member of the Seven Summits club is hard. To qualify, you still need to stand on the top of Everest.
For that reason you would think the Seven Summits challenge is one of the hardest in mountaineering. It is not. The mere fact that the summits are the highest makes it attractive for many, but in the climbing world, highest does not mean hardest or most difficult.
The 2nd Seven Summits
The 2nd Seven Summits is so called because it is the collection of second highest summits on each continent. Thirty years after Dick Bass became the first man to climb the seven highest continental summits, the challenge of climbing the second highest mountain on each continent had not been completed. Finally, that may have changed this year.
But why did it take so long? Is it purely because they are less glamorous?
Thirty years is a long time and you would think that climbing mountains that are lower would be easier and someone would have tried. However, out of 2nd Seven, six are without a doubt more difficult. To understand why, we must look at the easiest route to the top. The table below makes it easy to compare: So as a rule, the 2nd Seven are arguably more difficult. Their geographical position, remoteness and inaccessibility make them harder to climb and more expensive to get to. As an example, to arrange a trip to Antarctica, the cost of climbing the highest, Mt Vinson is approximately 50,000 USD. This is high, but still low in comparison to giving yourself the opportunity to stand on top of the second highest, Mt Tyree, a more isolated and committing climb. Mt Tyree has only had eight ascents ever and five of those people are no longer living.
Controversy and claims
Just as there was controversy and mystery surrounding the first ascent of Everest with George Mallory, there has been similar in the case with the 2nd Seven.
In August 2011, Christian Stangl, an Austrian climber and mountain guide claimed to have summited K2. The 2nd Seven Summits were part of a massive media campaign for him and he was supported by a major gear manufacturer. His efforts were widely reported in the climbing press. There was apparently no reason to doubt him. His previous successes and climbing CV could easily justify his success, and the public did not question him. Others closer to the scene, including some on K2 at the time, knew differently. Rumours spread that he had spent the time sat in his tent and could not possibly have reached the elusive summit. The rumours were substantiated a few months later when he broke down and confessed publicly, stating that his claim was false.
So in January 2012, Hans Kammerlander from the South Tyrol finally claimed to have climbed the last on his list when he summited Mt Tyree in Antarctica. Everybody was happy and accepting until March, when the statisticians and record keepers started looking at his pictures. There was doubt over Mt Logan that Kammerlander claimed to have summited in low visibility in 2010. From his descriptions and photos, some suggested that he may even have climbed the wrong peak. No conclusion was reached and the discussion was dropped. So for now it is now accepted that Kammerlander is the first to climb the 2nd Seven summits. Incidentally, Kammerlander climbed Mt Tyree with the infamous Christian Stangl, surely something to be avoided if you are looking for credibility. To add further spice, their respective websites dispute which peak is the second highest in Oceania. So after all that, no one may have climbed all 2nd Seven.
