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A Look at the Seven Summits

A dedicated philanthropist and impact investor, Robert “Bo” Parfet serves as CEO and founder of Denali Venture Philanthropy, an impact investment company located outside of Denver, in Boulder, Colorado. Robert “Bo” Parfet is also an experienced mountain climber and has climbed the “seven summits,” or the seven tallest mountains in the world.

The objective to climb the seven tallest mountains on all seven continents began to gain popularity for mountaineers in the 1980s. Today, reaching the summit of all of the seven summits is still a popular mountaineering goal. Most experts recommend that those attempting the feat be experienced mountain climbers in good physical condition.

There is a generally accepted climbing order for the seven summits to help improve your chances of success by building on previously gained skills as you go. The first mountain attempted is usually Mount Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania. A dormant volcano, Mount Kilimanjaro stands at 19,340 feet, and is the only one of the seven summits that is a non-technical climb. After Kilimanjaro, Mt. Elbrus is typically next. Located in Russia, this mountain stands at 18,510 feet. The next is Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America at 22,841 feet, located in Argentina as part of the Andes mountain range.

Following these first three, Denali and Vinson are next, located in Alaska and Antarctica respectively. Mount Denali (previously called Mount McKinley) stands at 20,310 feet and is considered the most classic climb in North America, while Mount Vinson rises to a lower 16,066 feet. The sixth of the seven summits is the famous Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world at 29,035 feet. Finally, the last summit you need to reach in order to achieve the seven summits is the Carstensz Pyramid in West Papua. At just 16,023 feet, it is the smallest of the seven summits, but it is also the most technical climb, requiring rock climbing skills to reach the summit.