Seven Summits: The Quest to Reach the Highest Point on Every Continent

Mountaineers thrive on challenge. The desire to stand on top of the highest point of each of the seven continents has fired the imagination of climbing enthusiasts from around the globe. Completion of this amazing feat (known as the Seven Summits) demands much of the climber — to travel to remote and exotic corners of the world, scale the heights of mountain giants such as Everest and McKinley, and face extreme weather conditions and hostile environments for long periods over many years.Though the mountains can present deadly conditions and arduous climbs, they are attainable, with appropriate assistance and guidance, by the amateur climber as well as the highly skilled professional. Tales from both ends of this spectrum are contained in this book — from an American businessman with little previous experience to arguably the finest alpine climber in the world — all ensnared by the dream and stretched to the limits.

Seven Summits is organized by mountain and looks at the character and history of each mountain and its historical ascents. The climbers reveal through gripping essays the conditions in which they climbed, the decisions they made, and the exhilaration and danger experienced along the way. All successful summiteers are listed together with details of record holders and other amazing facts.