The View from the Seven Highest Peaks on Earth
Tue, Jan 27, 2009
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*Please note: as the seven highest peaks in the world are in the Himalayas the article looks at the highest peak on each of the seven continents. Actual highest peaks are at the end of the article.
Image: eirasi
Only a select few have conquered the Seven Summits, a grueling challenge that involves climbing the highest peak of every continent. They’ve seen the spectacular mountain-top views firsthand, and now you get a chance to soak in the scenery too as we go on a whirlwind tour of images captured by these exceptional mountaineers. So come along as we travel from the highest of them all – Mt. Everest – to the Western Hemisphere and Europe, to warm climes in Australia, Indonesia and Africa, and to the coldest ends of the earth.
But first, an explanation: Because of conflicting continental border definitions, there are actually two lists of the Seven Summits; the first was created by Richard Bass and the second revised by Reinhold Messner shortly after. Without question, six of the seven peaks on each list match, although one is disputed: Bass chose Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 m) as the highest peak in Australia whereas Messner decided on the more challenging Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 m) in Indonesia as the top of Australia-New Guinea.
In any case, bravo to the 229 people who have completed all seven on either list, and major kudos to the 81 who have summitted all eight!
1. Everest (Asia): 8,848 m (29,029 ft)
We start with the tallest, and perhaps the most famous of peaks in the world, Mt. Everest. It is located in the Himalayan range, which features the highest mountains in the world. This is a view from the camp at 8,300 m:
Image: Se7en Summits
2. Aconcagua (South America): 6,962 m (22,841 ft)
Outside of Asia, Aconcagua wins the title of highest mountain. It is located just inside the Argentine border near Chile. Here, climbers look like ants on a hill, ascending alongside a cloud of swirling snow:
A beautiful sunrise view from Aconcagua, just below the summit:
Image: Divine Madman
3. Mount McKinley (North America): 6,194 m (20,320 ft)
A trip to the far north brings us to Mount McKinley, or Denali, which means ‘The Great One’. Denali is difficult not only because of the extreme cold; it also sits on a plateau of 610 m (2,000 feet), with a demanding rise of 5,500 m (18,000 feet). In contrast, even though Everest is almost 2,700 m (9,000 feet) higher than Denali as measured from sea level, it sits on a plateau at 5,200 m (17,000 feet) and only has a vertical rise of just over 3,700 m (12,000 feet).
Image: Se7en Summits
4. Kilimanjaro (Africa): 5,895 m (19,341 ft)
Kilimanjaro is located in northeastern Tanzania. A dormant volcano, the famous peak has drawn worldwide attention in recent years because of a dramatic drop in ice cap volume.
Here are a couple of striking views from the top:
Image: eirasi
Image: algaedoc
5. Elbrus (Europe): 5,642 m (18,510 ft)
Located in Russia, Mt. Elbrus is the highest mountain in Europe. Like Kilimanjaro, Elbrus is also a dormant volcano. The shape of the summit is described by its ancient Latin name Strobilus – pine cone – which is derived from the ancient Greek word strobilos, or ‘a twisted object’.
Image: John Brennan
6. Vinson Massif (Antarctica): 4,892 m (16,050 ft)
Vinson Massif is the top of the bottom of the world. Located in the Ellesworth Mountains in Antarctica, the massif was first spotted by the US Navy in 1958. Here’s a view from space:
Vinson Massif from space
NASA
And another view here on earth:
Image: Se7en Summits
7a. Carstensz Pyramid (Australia-New Guinea): 4,884 m (16,024 ft)
Messner List only
Carstensz Pyramid, named after a Dutch explorer of the same name, is an equatorial mountain in Indonesia. A mountaineering challenge, Carstensz is also unforgettable for another reason: kitty-corner to the mountain is the Grasberg (Freeport) mine, which is home to the world’s the largest gold mine and the world’s third largest copper mine. Acid rock drainage, copper contamination and dangerously steep slopes have environmentalists and local citizens up in arms about the the mine’s environmental and safety hazards.
Image: Se7en Summits
Image: NASA
7b. Kosciuszko (Australia): 2,228 m (7,310 ft)
Bass List only
Much shorter than any of the other mountains listed previously, Kosciusko has been called an ‘easy hike’ when compared to the other summits. Even so, the views from up high are nevertheless spectacular:
Image: Splatt
Image: Splatt
Highest Peaks in the World
1. Everest Nepal/Tibet 8,850m 29,035ft
2. K2 (Godwin Austen) Pakistan/China 8,611m 28,250ft
3. Kangchenjunga Nepal/India 8,586m 28,169ft
4. Lhotse Nepal/Tibet 8,516m 27,940ft
5. Makalu Nepal/Tibet 8,463m 27,766ft
6. Cho Oyu Nepal/Tibet 8,201m 26,906ft
7. Dhaulagiri Nepal 8,167m 26,795ft
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
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8 Trackbacks For This Post
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Vistas desde los 7 puntos más altos de la tierra | Area123 Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 4:30 pm[...] Fuente [...]
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Las vistas desde los picos más altos de cada continente Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 4:41 pm[...] Las vistas desde los picos más altos de cada continente www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/view-seven-highest-pe… por hugamen hace pocos segundos [...]
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links for 2009-01-28 | hxf148 Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 11:04 pm[...] The View from the Seven Highest Peaks on Earth [...]
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The View from the Seven Highest Peaks on Earth « dreamschooner.blog Says:
January 29th, 2009 at 2:17 am[...] read more | digg story [...]
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La vista desde los picos más altos del mundo - Nuestro Rumbo Says:
January 29th, 2009 at 4:29 pm[...] Tener la posibilidad de ver eso debe ser una de las experiencias más intensas. Pero, para aquellos que no son fanáticos de subir montañas, o los que quieren ir viendo para saber si “vale la pena” subir para verlo con sus propios ojos, vamos a ver hoy en nuestrorumbo algunas imágenes del paisaje que se puede ver desde algunos de los picos más altos del mundo. [...]
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The View from the Seven Highest Peaks on Earth - My Life is… Says:
January 29th, 2009 at 5:07 pm[...] The View from the Seven Highest Peaks on Earth. Share and Enjoy: [...]
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View from the Seven Highest Peaks | * east-lake.net Says:
January 30th, 2009 at 5:05 pm[...] The View from the Seven Highest Peaks on Earth: Only a select few have conquered the Seven Summits, a grueling challenge that involves climbing the highest peak of every continent. They’ve seen the spectacular mountain-top views firsthand, and now you get a chance to soak in the scenery too as we go on a whirlwind tour of images captured by these exceptional mountaineers. So come along as we travel from the highest of them all – Mt. Everest – to the Western Hemisphere and Europe, to warm climes in Australia, Indonesia and Africa, and to the coldest ends of the earth. [...]
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a new goal « Kyle Beck | Thoughts, Images, & Sounds. Says:
February 19th, 2009 at 8:21 am[...] coming across a blog post today on the Seven Summits (highest point in each continent), I became a little jealous. I [...]
January 28th, 2009 at 6:27 am
Very Cool
January 28th, 2009 at 6:58 am
Amazing list…
January 28th, 2009 at 7:09 am
Hey these are absolutely wrong. No. 1 is correct number 2 is Ketu in Pakistan and rest upto number 8 is in Nepal. WORLD’s top 8 highest mountains are in Nepal except no.2 ..better get ur research done well Mr.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:18 am
I am in awe of the third picture (of Aconcagua) with the cloud of swirling snow. It’s beautiful and majestic, and so completely huge as to remind me of my personal insignificance on this planet, let alone the larger universe.
Wow.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:55 am
I think that carstensz pyramid was located in west papua of indonesia..
January 28th, 2009 at 9:06 am
breathtaking :) Kosciuszko does look easy :)
January 28th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
The view from everest is amazing. Shame they never moved the tent out of the way though :(
January 28th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
I am in awe. Great photos. Thank you for sharing the some of the wonders of our world.
January 28th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
New Guinea is part of the Australian continent, it is not part of the political federation of Australian states commonly called ‘Australia’. Continental islands are islands on the continental shelf, like England in Europe or Japan in Asia. Mt Kosciuszko is the tallest mountain in one of the 194 nations; Carstensz Pyramid is the tallest mountain on the Australian continent, like the Himalayas it is created from two continental plates pushing against each other.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
woooow … cool
January 29th, 2009 at 1:08 am
I have climbed one of them!!!
OK fine it was Kosciuszko, but hey, it’s on the list!
January 29th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Surely New Zealand’s Mt Cook (Aorangi) would be chosen over Australia’s highest? In fact New Zealand has many peaks higher than any in Australia. Cook is approximately 3300m.
Of course, the Pyramid is higher, but it 7b is listed as valid.. where is Mt Cook?
January 29th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
@ Nathan: Take a look at this site, where you’ll find lots of debate about Carstensz, Koscuisko and Mt. Cook, and the reasons why one peak might be chosen over another: http://7summits.com/faq/index.php?display=faq&nr=38&catnr=8&prog=p1&lang=en
January 30th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Great collection but I was expecting Japan’s Fuji be included. A view from atop will be just as great.
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:37 am
@Somey
Try reading the article…it defines it as the 7 highest peaks on each continent. Obviously there’s some requirement on what is defined as a continent and which mountains they consider. Nepal is part of Asia and obviously Everest is the highest peak in Asia.
February 5th, 2009 at 7:02 am
what why is the everest picture the worst one. can’t we get one without some glare
February 11th, 2009 at 12:20 am
THE PICTURES ARE TOO SMALL….
February 18th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
What amazing views of the world given to me in my little village in Ohio. To be able to see glimpses of places I will never go!
June 22nd, 2009 at 4:12 am
and, just for good measure, the point on earth furthest from the center of the earth due to equatorial bulging ismount chimborazo in ecuador