The 7 summits in order of height
These are the highest points on each continent, with heights from Wikipedia’s current list [2]. Both versions of Australia’s summit are included, because climbers use two different lists (explained below).
| Mountain | Continent | Country | Height | First climbed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Everest | Asia | Nepal and China | 8,849 m (29,032 ft) | 1953 |
| Aconcagua | South America | Argentina | 6,961 m (22,838 ft) | 1897 |
| Denali | North America | United States (Alaska) | 6,190 m (20,310 ft) | 1913 |
| Kilimanjaro | Africa | Tanzania | 5,895 m (19,341 ft) | 1889 |
| Elbrus | Europe | Russia | 5,642 m (18,510 ft) | 1874 |
| Vinson | Antarctica | None | 4,892 m (16,050 ft) | 1966 |
| Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid) | Oceania (Messner list) | Indonesia | 4,884 m (16,024 ft) | 1962 |
| Mount Kosciuszko | Australia (Bass list) | Australia | 2,228 m (7,310 ft) | 1840 |
Heights vary slightly between surveys. Everest’s official height since a joint Chinese and Nepalese survey in 2020 is 8,848.86 m, usually rounded to 8,849 m [3]. Denali was resurveyed at 20,310 ft (6,190 m) in 2015, so older lists still give 6,194 m [4][2]. The illustration above uses the older 8,848 m for Everest and 6,962 m for Aconcagua.
Why there are two lists of the Seven Summits
The difference is how you define Australia’s continent. The Bass list, named after the American businessman Dick Bass, uses Mount Kosciuszko, the highest point on the Australian mainland. The Messner list, proposed by the Italian climber Reinhold Messner, uses Puncak Jaya in Indonesian New Guinea, the highest peak on the Australian continental plate, which takes in New Guinea [1][2]. Puncak Jaya, also called Carstensz Pyramid, is more than twice as high as Kosciuszko and a far harder climb, which is why many mountaineers favour the Messner list [1].
There is also a debate over Europe. Most lists use Elbrus in the Caucasus, but some older lists used Mont Blanc (4,810 m) in the Alps, depending on where Europe’s border is drawn. Messner climbed Elbrus in 1983 and declared it Europe’s true highest peak, and that definition was quickly accepted [2].
The illustration shows both Kosciuszko and Carstensz Pyramid, so it covers both lists. One label is wrong: it gives Aconcagua the alternative name “Puncak Jaya”, which actually belongs to Carstensz Pyramid, and it misspells Aconcagua as “Anconcagua”.
Who first climbed the 7 summits?
Dick Bass was the first to climb all seven on his list. He climbed six of them in 1983 and reached the top of Everest on 30 April 1985, guided by David Breashears, then co-wrote the book Seven Summits about it [2]. The American Gerry Roach became the second person later in 1985 [2].
The Canadian Pat Morrow was the first to complete the Messner list, finishing on Carstensz Pyramid on 7 May 1986, which also made him the first to climb all eight peaks across both lists [2]. Junko Tabei of Japan became the first woman to complete the Seven Summits in 1992 [2].
What climbing each of the seven summits involves
- Everest sits on the border of Nepal and Tibet. An expedition takes about two months, with the season starting in mid-May [1].
- Aconcagua in Argentina is the highest mountain outside Asia. The usual Normal Route is not very technical and takes an average of 21 days up and down from Mendoza [1].
- Denali in Alaska is a cold, glaciated climb, most often by the West Buttress route, the easiest and most popular [1][4]. Its federal name was Mount McKinley from 1917 to 2015, then Denali, and in January 2025 the US Department of the Interior reverted it to Mount McKinley; Alaska still calls it Denali [4].
- Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the highest free-standing mountain in the world and has no technical climbing on its main routes [1].
- Elbrus in Russia’s Caucasus is often called the easiest of the high summits because a cable car system climbs to about 3,810 m [1].
- Vinson is the most remote and the coldest, with temperatures as low as minus 80°C, and the climbing season is limited to the Antarctic summer from December to February [1].
- Kosciuszko is the easiest, a walk of about three hours, and the most climbed, with over 100,000 people a year [1].
- Carstensz Pyramid on the island of New Guinea is a much harder climb than Kosciuszko, which is why many mountaineers prefer the Messner list [1].
Are the 7 summits the 7 highest mountains in the world?
No. They are the highest point on each continent, not the seven tallest mountains overall. All 14 of the world’s peaks over 8,000 m are in the Himalaya and Karakoram in Asia, and only one of them, Everest, is on the list. Aconcagua, the second highest of the seven, ranks only 189th among the world’s mountains by elevation [5].
Questions about the 7 summits of the world
What are the 7 summits of the world?
On the Bass list: Everest (Asia), Aconcagua (South America), Denali (North America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Elbrus (Europe), Vinson (Antarctica) and Kosciuszko (Australia). The Messner list swaps Kosciuszko for Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid) in Indonesia [2].
What is the highest point on each continent?
Asia, Everest 8,849 m; South America, Aconcagua 6,961 m; North America, Denali 6,190 m; Africa, Kilimanjaro 5,895 m; Europe, Elbrus 5,642 m; Antarctica, Vinson 4,892 m; Australia and Oceania, Puncak Jaya 4,884 m (or Kosciuszko, 2,228 m, for mainland Australia) [2].
How many people have climbed the seven summits?
Several hundred. WorldAtlas put the figure at about 350 in 2021 [1]. Counts vary because some climbers complete only the Bass list, and in 2011 only 118 people were reported to have climbed all eight peaks across both lists [2].
Which of the seven summits is the hardest?
Everest is the most dangerous because of its altitude. Vinson is the coldest and one of the hardest to reach, and Carstensz Pyramid is far harder than the Bass list’s Kosciuszko [1].
Which of the seven summits is the easiest?
Kosciuszko, which is about a three hour walk. Of the higher peaks, Elbrus is often called the easiest because a cable car takes climbers to about 3,810 m [1].
Sources
- Molly John, WorldAtlas, The Seven Summits, 15 February 2021.
- Wikipedia, Seven Summits.
- Wikipedia, Mount Everest.
- Wikipedia, Denali.
- Wikipedia, Aconcagua.
Last reviewed 2 November 2026
