The highest mountains in the world: Seven Peaks. The seven highest mountain peaks of the six continents of the earth The height of Mount Elbrus

The program of climbing the highest peaks of all continents has an abbreviated name, which can also be called a brand - “Seven Summits”. In English, which is understandable to the whole world - “Seven Summits”. This is one of the mountaineering collections, the implementation of which is an incentive to determine goals in life for hundreds of citizens different countries. The vast majority of those who climb Everest, one way or another, make it their goal to complete this program. Because other peaks are easier and cheaper than reaching the highest point on Earth. It is very prestigious to become the first “seven-peaker” in your country, in your state, to become the first woman in the country, the oldest, youngest, fastest.

Climbing all seven peaks is very expensive. Even the most economical option will total close to 100 thousand dollars, not including the cost of equipment and preparation for expeditions. In reality, the optimal cost of the entire program is around 150 thousand dollars.

It is clear that such expenses are available only to very few climbers. If we are talking about personal funds. However, a minority of those who hunt for the “Seven Peaks” spend their own money exclusively. Most are supported by sponsors, governments, or travel on charitable fundraising programs. The legislation of, relatively speaking, “Anglo-Saxon” countries allows donations for the needs of a number of organizations to be deducted from the tax base. These are medical institutions, funds for helping veterans of military conflicts, the disabled, etc... By collecting donations for them, the climber “unfastens” a little for his travels. At the same time, more money is printed in these countries than in others, this leads to the fact that half of the list of “seven peaks” are citizens of the USA, Great Britain and Canada and Australia, which joined them.

The Seven Summits program was born in the first half of the 80s, when the first signs appeared that this could be done. The entire history of its occurrence is described in our article.

Let us recall that, according to encyclopedias: “mainland” (from seasoned - strong, large), this is the Russian analogue European word“continent” (from Latin continents - singular). Continents are large tracts of the earth's crust, most of the surface of which protrudes above the level of the World Ocean in the form of land. Islands do not belong to continents and continents.

From a scientific point of view, the objects of the Seven Summits program are highly controversial. Firstly, the prevailing opinion among scientists is that Eurasia is one continent and its division into Europe and Asia is cultural, but not geographical. We are actively against this. If Elbrus is deprived of its status as the highest peak of the continent, the number of foreign climbers will decrease significantly. Although the status of the highest point in Europe for Caucasian peak is highly controversial. From the point of view of Soviet geographers, the border of the parts of the world runs along the Kuma-Manych depression, while Elbrus goes to Asia. There is even greater diversity of views on whether the Carstensz Pyramid should be considered the highest point in Australia. None of the scientific theories West Side islands New Guinea does not apply to the “Green Continent”. These are all amusing debates and arguments that so far have practically nothing to do with practical life.

So, the 7 highest peaks of the continents are:

Everest (Chomolungma or Chomolungma), 8848 m. Asia.
Aconcagua, 6962 m. South America.
Denali (old name - McKinley), 6194 m. North America.
Kilimanjaro, 5895 m. Africa.
Elbrus, 5642 m. Europe.
Vinson Massif, 4897 m. Antarctica.
Pyramid Carstensz (Puncak Jaya), 4884 m. Australia. Peak Kosciuszko (Kostyushko), 2228 m. Australia.

So, scientific debate on this topic is best left to those who are paid to do it. We love the magical (divine, as they say) number “Seven”, not “Six” (considered devilish). It doesn’t matter that there are eight vertices! And based on this we build our story. So, what mountains are included in the list of the highest peaks of the continents?

Everest (8848 m) - highest peak in Asia, continent of Eurasia and the highest peak of planet Earth (if you count from ocean level), also the highest in the Northern Hemisphere of our planet. The mountain is located on the border of Nepal and Tibet (China). Numerous height measurements showed different results even with modern techniques. Therefore, the indicated height is conditional; it was adopted as a result of agreement, so as not to inflame passions.

Climbing Everest requires careful preparation, about two months of living in expeditionary conditions and overcoming the problems associated with being in the so-called “death zone”, at an altitude of above 8000 meters. However, in modern conditions It can be stated that with proper organization and a sufficient degree of luck, every physically healthy person can climb Everest. Recently, ascents have been made mainly in the spring, during the so-called weather windows. This usually happens on the 20th of May. In this case, the routes from the south and from the north are first completely hung with railing ropes.

Climbing Everest, which 30-40 years ago meant joining the mountaineering elite, has become a commercial endeavor. Sports expeditions have become a rarity; most of the routes (all but two) are not repeated. The 7 Summits Club prefers to conduct expeditions from the North side. Here the permit is much cheaper, access by car to the base camp is possible and there are much fewer objective dangers (ice collapses and avalanches). Western companies like it more southern route. First of all, fearing the unpredictability of the Chinese authorities, who may close the area for minor reasons, without any compensation to the organizers. Individual participants may not be given a visa for political reasons. But there is another point: in the South, with a higher price, the organizers’ profits are much higher than in the North.

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Aconcagua (6962 m) is the highest peak in the Americas and the continent of South America, also the main one in the southern hemisphere of the planet. The mountain is located in Argentina, a large and colorful country. The ascent to Aconcagua is a real high-altitude ascent, which is carried out, so to speak, under the conditions of a lightweight expedition (the duration of the trip is only 20 days). Separate cargo transportation at the bottom of the route makes the ascent easier, as do certain amenities at base camp. There are no technical difficulties on the classic route, however, there are plenty of physical ones. First of all, this is height, the reaction to which is often unpredictable even among experienced athletes. The main obstacle is considered to be strong winds, which are associated with the openness of the territory to air masses from the oceans.

Every year, about 3,000 climbers attempt to climb Aconcagua. They climb two gorges from two base camps. However, the routes at the top are the same. About half of the participants achieve success. This is due to the lack of preparedness of the climbers. And partly with the attitude of local guides, who are not risk-averse and, at any opportunity, are ready to turn the whole group or individual participants around. So we strongly recommend joining a group led by visiting, Russian-speaking guides. Better - from our company...

Climbing programs on Aconcagua are becoming more expensive from year to year due to the policies of local authorities. So don't delay.

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Denali (6194 m) - the highest peak of mainland North America. Located in the USA, in the state of Alaska, near the Arctic Circle. A typical climb takes approximately three weeks, of which two weeks are strenuous work in the glacier zone, in conditions close to extreme. Participants are required to use purely mountaineering skills to a greater extent than on other peaks of the “seven”. In this case, all cargo must be carried independently, including recycled waste. And when organizing a trip to Denali, you will have to solve the puzzle of obtaining an official permit and American visa. All this is not at all difficult if you start in time.

IN last years The number of climbers aiming to climb Denali has stabilized at around 1,500 per year. A season is considered successful when the percentage of “climbing” is above 50%. The bulk of ascents take place in June - the first half of July. In mid-summer, due to the condition of the glacier, airplane flights become dangerous and cease by the beginning of August.

The American authorities issue permission to organize commercial programs only to a few companies and only with American “registration”. For us, this means the need to use American guides under an agreement with one of the local companies. Let's face it, agreeing on all the details of interaction with them was not a smooth process. The difference in the mentality of our two mountaineering schools is quite significant, but now mutual understanding has already been achieved and the problems are a thing of the past.

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Kilimanjaro (5895 m) is the highest peak of the continent and part of the world Africa. The mountain is located in Tanzania, close to the Kenyan border and the equator. It is considered the highest single peak in the world. Local National Park strictly regulates ascents and allocates a limited number of days for expeditions, on average a week. In this case, one of the goals is to ensure maximum employment for the local population working in group services. Therefore, for one climber there are two or even more employees of host companies.

Mount Kilimanjaro is located in the equatorial climate zone. The difference in temperature between seasons is minimal. Almost ascents can be made all year round

Due to the limited time, the ascent is carried out without sufficient acclimatization, which complicates the task of reaching the top for an unprepared person. And these turn out to be the absolute majority. Therefore, no more than one third of visitors manage to climb to the highest point. At the same time, almost all of our country’s representatives reach the top. What is at play here: the power of salt or greed (money has been paid)?

In any case, a trip to Kilimanjaro is an exciting adventure, getting to know amazing nature Africa and its people are simply amazing. This The best way to fall in love with the “dark continent”, which many are wary of. And, of course, we consider it obligatory to include so-called “safari” excursions in national parks in the program.

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Elbrus (5642 m) is the highest peak in Europe. The mountain is located in Russia, slightly north of Glavny Caucasian ridge and accordingly from the border with Georgia. Climbing in favorable conditions requires only basic mountaineering skills and is accessible to all physically healthy people. However, the load will still be serious, and the effect of the height will make itself felt. The recommended period for the Elbrus climbing program is 9 days.

There is enough developed infrastructure, which provides relatively comfortable living conditions on all days except the day of ascent.

Elbrus is still a territory of freedom. In this regard, only Kosciuszko can compare with him. Attempts to introduce payments do not meet with understanding from the majority of climbers.

There are no general statistics kept on Elbrus. An approximate estimate of the number of climbers is 25-30 thousand per year. The vast majority rises in July and August.

Programs of the 7 Summits Club on Elbrus

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Vinson Massif (4897 m) is the highest peak in the world and the continent of Antarctica. The mountain is located on an amazing ice continent that so far belongs to all of humanity. However, in the area of the very top, the absolute owner is the ALE (Antarctic Logistic Expedition) company, which determines the “rules of the game” here. But they are not able to make even the simplest calculations of how long the ascent will last; the actual “flight” schedule is dictated by unpredictable weather.

Since the price of an expedition to the Vinson Massif is very significant, only serious people get to its foot. And, as a rule, they successfully ascend, overcoming the terrible cold and wind.

It is important to dress correctly. But this is also checked.

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And the highest point of the part of the world and the continent of Australia, coupled with the colossal Oceania, is represented by two options: the Carstensz Pyramid and Mount Kosciuszko.

The Carstensz Pyramid, also known in Indonesian terms as Puncak Jaya (4884-5 m, on some maps even 5030 m) is the highest peak in Australia and Oceania. Located on the island of New Guinea. The most politically problematic mountain of the “Seven Summits”, which until then had been simply closed to visitors for 10 years. It is a rocky ridge of considerable length, located above the humid tropical jungle. Ascent and descent require skills in working with climbing equipment and rope. However, as part of a group and under the guidance of experienced instructors, overcoming difficult rocky areas is quite possible for anyone.

For quite a long time, there has also been a helicopter option, in which one flies to the base camp in a rotorcraft. However, there are pitfalls here too. Bad weather is a daily occurrence here, every flight is in danger of being disrupted.

« What made both man and animal strive to these barren heights? Dr. James Chapin, who spent many years studying the birds of the Congo, once found the skeleton of the Hamlin's monkey on the top of Karisimbi, many miles from its native forests. And recently I read interesting note about a pack of hyena dogs that was seen in the glaciers of Kilimanjaro, at an altitude of almost twenty thousand feet. Perhaps man is not the only creature in this world who climbs a mountain just because it stands in front of him».
© George Schiller. Year under the sign of the gorilla.

Climbing a mountain is a desire that everyone understands. Even when photographing landscapes, we often try to find a higher vantage point, and there is little that compares to the feeling of looking out over the world from the top after a hard climb. It's no surprise that mountain hiking and high-altitude mountaineering continue to gain popularity.

Advances in technology, equipment and increased knowledge about hypoxia are gradually making mountaineering more accessible. Every year more and more people decide to challenge themselves and test their strength. Even on Everest, despite the enormous cost of the expedition (from 4 to 5 million rubles), the number of climbers is constantly growing. Nepalese authorities are already deciding how to reduce the number of people on the world's highest peak for safety.

In addition to conquering the highest point on the planet, the idea of climbing all the most popular high points continents - Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa, Australia and Antarctica. Climbers who were able to complete this program are unofficially united in "7 Peaks Club".

The classic set of the highest mountains on Earth includes Everest (8848 m), Aconcagua (6961 m), Denali (formerly McKinley, 6194 m), Kilimanjaro (5894 m), Elbrus (5642 m), Vinson Massif (4892 m) ) and Jaya Peak (formerly Carstens Pyramid, 4884 m). However, there is an alternative option where Jaya is replaced by Mount Kosciuszko (2228 m) in Australia. The discrepancies are due to the fact that Kosciuszko is the highest point of Australia, and therefore the entire continent. However, if we take into account Oceania, which lies on the same tectonic plate, then the highest point is Jaya. Most often, to avoid discrepancies, climbers conquer both of these mountains, since the Kosciuszko peak is very accessible in height.

The founder of the idea of the Seven Summits program is considered to be the American William Hackett (1918-1999), who in the 40-50s. of the last century conquered the most high mountains in five parts of the world - Denali (1947), Aconcagua (1949), Kilimanjaro (1950), Kosciuszko (1956) and Mont Blanc (1956), which at that time was considered the highest point in Europe.

Hackett grew up in Portland, Oregon, and became interested in the mountains at age 14. During World War II he spent more than three years in the Mountain Division. The ascent of Denali in 1947 was part of Operation White Tower" For ground forces USA and had two goals: to obtain photographs of snow on high altitude and test the capabilities of photographic equipment and conduct a scientific test on the amount of radiation in order to begin geological work on the ground in the future.

The second famous climber was the Japanese Naomi Uemura (1941-1984). He managed to climb to the top of Mont Blanc (1966), Kilimanjaro (1966), Akongaua (1968), Everest (1970) and Denali (1970). While preparing for an expedition to Antarctica in 1984, Uemura decided to repeat the ascent of Denali and went missing.

The breakthrough in 1978 was made by the famous Italian climber Reinhold Messner, who also conquered all 14 eight-thousanders in the world. He began the program with Jaya Peak in 1971 and climbed Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro and Everest before 1978, thus summiting six of the seven peaks. It was Messner who called Elbrus the highest point in Europe and proposed the option of seven peaks with Jaya Peak. Already in the 80s, Messner climbed Kosciuszko and Vinson Massif. Due to a break in the program, the climber became only the fifth person to visit the highest points of the planet.

The first real conqueror of the 7 peaks in 1983-1985 was the American Richard Bass. The amateur climber climbed Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Vinson and Kosciuszko in just 1983, and Everest in 1985.

Patrick Morrow, a Canadian mountaineer, was the first to plan an ascent of 8 peaks, including both Jaya and Kosciuszko, and completed the program in 9 years.

The first woman to repeat his success in 1992 was Junko Tabei, a Japanese climber who was also the first woman in the world to climb Everest in 1975.

After understanding the possibility of such a program, climbers began to compete in the speed of mastering all peaks. In 1990, Rob Hall and Gary Ball were able to do this in seven months.

In 2006, Indian climber Maili Mastan Babu spent 172 days climbing 7 peaks. In 2008, Dane Henrik Christiansen broke his record and improved the result to 136 days. In 2010, Vernon Texas managed to reduce the time to 134 days. The latest achievement to date belongs to Steve Plain, who secured the record at 117 days in 2018.

The youngest 8 summit climber in 2011 was American Jordan Romero, who was only 15 years old at the end of the program.

Now the 7 peaks program with Jaya or Kosciuszko peak has been completed by 416 people. The complete set with 8 peaks was collected by 348 people.

December 11 is International Mountain Day. The holiday was established by decision of the 57th UN General Assembly in January 2003.

Daria Solovyova

They differ greatly in their height. The most is, which rises 2 kilometers above sea level. This is a consequence of the presence of an ice sheet, whose thickness can reach 4,800 meters. However, the highest point on Earth is not located in Antarctica. What mountains can be considered the highest on each continent of the planet?

All 100 of the highest mountains are in Eurasia, and the first TOP 36 are in only two mountain systems, the Himalayas and the Karakoram. But the highest point of both Eurasia and our entire planet is Everest, also known as Chomolunga (27°59′17″N 86°55′31″E). It rises 8,848 meters above sea level. People have repeatedly tried to conquer it, but it was only possible in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay. Since then, this mountain has become almost the most popular in world mountaineering. Today, there are even hours-long traffic jams of people wanting to go up there. Travel companies Even people with zero mountaineering experience will be happy to take you on a trip. However, this is extremely dangerous - every year several people die at the top, whose bodies simply cannot cope with the harsh conditions at altitude.

The highest point is Aconcagua(32°39′11″ S 70°00′44″ W). This mountain belongs to the Andes system and is located in Argentina, near the border with Chile. Its height is 6960 meters - this is the highest point on Earth outside of Asia. It also has no equal in the Southern and Western Hemispheres. Matthias Zurbriggen managed to climb it for the first time in 1897.

The highest mountain is called Denali, although for a long time, until 2015, it bore the name of US President McKinley. On the map it can be found at coordinates 63°04′10″ N. w. and 151°00′26″ W. It is located in the state of Alaska. It is noteworthy that this peak was once the highest point in Russia while Alaska was part of it. Its height reaches 6190 meters. The first time a person managed to conquer it was in 1913; this was done by a team of 4 people led by Hudson Stack.

The highest point is Mount Kilimanjaro(3°04′00″ S 37°21′33″ E), reaching 5895 meters. It is located in Tanzania. It was conquered back in 1889. The top of the mountain is one of the few places in Africa where you can see snow all year round.

The highest point of the highest continent, Antarctica, is called Vinson Peak(78°31′31″ S and 85°37′01″ W). Its height is 4892 meters. The mountain was discovered only in 1957 during aerial reconnaissance. The first person climbed Vinson Peak only in 1966, by that time all the other highest peaks of the continents had been conquered.

The main peak of Australia is Mount Kosciuszko, located in the southeast of the continent. It was discovered in 1840, and then the Pole Strzelecki conquered it. It is interesting that at first he gave this name to another nearby mountain, which he considered the highest in the world, but the scientist was mistaken. When the error was discovered, local authorities swapped the names of the two peaks.

Climbers have a special program called “Seven Summits”. Her goal is to conquer all the highest points of the continents, as well as Elbrus (5642 meters), which is considered the highest point in Europe. The first person to complete it was Richard Bass, who in 1983 conquered all the peaks except Everest, and in 1985 he also conquered Chomolunga.

The highest mountains in the world have different names, but at the same time they can be called briefly - Seven Peaks - a term that appeared in 1985 at the suggestion of Richard Bass (the man who was the first to conquer all seven peaks) and united the seven highest peaks on each continent. This association is not equal to the ranking of the highest mountains in the world, most of which are located in Nepal. This list is made up of mountains, each of which is the highest on its continent.

highest peak North America located in Alaska and is the center National Park Denali. The top of Mount McKinley is 6194 meters away from the ground. This mountain is the third in the world in terms of topographic position, surpassed only by Everest and Aconcagua. And if you take into account the ratio of base to peak, then McKinley is the highest mountain in the world. The mountain got its name in honor of the American president, and the Indian name - Denali - means “great”.

Part of the Andes and with a height of 6959 meters, Mount Aconcagua is considered the highest peak South America. The mountain is located in the Argentine province of Mendoza and is 15 km from the border with Chile. The name of the mountain comes from the Quechua words for “stone guardian.”

Europe – Mount Elbrus (Russia)

Elbrus is an inactive volcano with a height of 5642 meters, which is located in Caucasus Mountains ah, on the border of Russia and Georgia.

Elbrus has several other names, the most romantic of which, translated from Adyghe and Kabardino-Circassian, means “mountain that brings happiness.”

Asia – Mount Everest (Nepal/China)

The world's highest mountain, Everest, is located exactly on the border of Nepal and China. Everest is part of the Himalayas - the highest mountain range in the world. This is where the highest mountains in the world are located. The height of Everest is 8848 meters. Everest attracts all climbers of the world and this is understandable. Technically, Everest's routes are not very difficult, but they add challenges such as altitude sickness, extreme winds and disgusting weather. The name Everest is English - in honor of the head of the geodetic service who first told the European community about this peak. The mountain has the Tibetan name Chomolungma (divine mother of life) and the equivalent Nepalese name Sagarmatha (mother of the gods).

The highest mountain on the African continent is dormant volcano, the highest point of which is 5895 meters away from sea level. Moreover, Kilimanjaro has three peaks, two of which are extinct, and the third may well wake up. Kilimanjaro erupted 360 thousand years ago, but volcanic activity at Kibo Peak (the highest of the three) was seen 200 years ago, indicating that the volcano is potentially active. In Swahili, the name Kilimanjaro means "sparkling mountain".

The highest point of Oceania is also the highest mountain in the world, which is located on an island. Puncak Jaya is located in the west of the island of New Guinea. The height of Mount Puncak Jaya, also called simply Jaya or Carstensz Pyramid, is 4884 meters. The name of the mountain means "mountain of victory" in Indonesian.

Antarctica - Mount Vinson

The seventh of the highest mountains in the world received its name in honor of Carl Vinson, an American eminent politician. mountain range Vinson is part of the Ellsworth Mountains and has a high point 4,892 meters above sea level.

Seven mountains, each unique in its origin and beauty, attract climbers from all over the world. Climbers who have conquered the Seven Peaks are united in an informal community.

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