{ KOSCIUSZKO OR CARSTENZ? } CARSTENZ PYRAMID "Not long after [climbing Vinson Massif], I learned that [Adventure Network International] was advertising an expedition to Carstenz Pyramid, the highest point on the island of New Guinea in Irian Jaya, the Indonesian part of the island. Carstenz is the highest mountain in the world on an island, not a continent. A not inconsiderable number of climbers consider Carstenz the true summit of Australasia. "However, I consider Kosciuszko to be the seventh summit, not Carstenz. My reasons are as follows: Firstly, Carstenz is on an island and not on the continent of Australia. Secondly, Indonesia is not a part of Australasia politically; it is considered a part of Asia. Australasia consists of Australia and New Zealand. Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak, which I have climbed, is considered by some people to be the highest peak in Australasia, but it is on an island 2,000 kilometers from Australia, which certainly makes the island ineligible to be considered part of the Australian continent. "Patrick Morrow, who was the first climber to complete the Carstenz version of the Seven Summits, believed the seventh Summit was Carstenz. He was supported by Reinhold Messner, who is arguably the greatest climber in history. Companies running commercial expeditions to many of the world's major mountains advertise Carstenz as the seventh Summit because it is a difficult rock climb in a remote, exotic, and exciting part of the world. Kosciuszko, on the other hand, is a non-technical hike, and the ascent and descent can be done in a matter of hours. However, even Kosciuszko should never be underestimated; many inexperienced and ill-prepared hikers have paid the price for their ignorance and arrogance on Kosciuszko with their lives. "I successfully reached the summit of Carstenz in February 1992." KOSCIUSZKO

VINSON MASSIF

Not long afterwards, I learned that Rob Hall and Gary Ball [now both tragically deceased] were organizing an expedition to Mount Everest in 1993. I decided to join; I was not getting any younger and I thought that if I did not join I might never get another opportunity. To my surprise and delight, I reached the summit of Mount Everest in May 1993. At that stage I still hadn't decided to climb all Seven Summits, and, in fact, shortly after climbing Mount Everest, I decided to retire and quit while I was in one piece. However, in 1996 I learned that an American company--Mount Rainier Guides--was organizing an expedition to Mount McKinley, North America's highest peak, in the middle of 1996. I decided to join, and I reached the summit of Mount McKinley in June, ascending via the West Butress Route and descending via the Harper and Muldrow Glaciers.

After reaching the summit of Mount McKinley, I decided to climb the rest of the Seven Summits.

I reached the summit of Aconcagua in February 1997 (I had failed to reach the summit of this peak by 500 to 600 feet eight years earlier).

In May 1999, I reached the summit of Kosciuszko, climbing it not for any challenge but because I believe it is the seventh Summit.

In August 1999 I reached the summit of Kilimanjaro, ascending via the Umbwe route and descending via the Mweka route.

In February 2000, I attempted to summit Elbrus in winter with a Russian guide, but bad weather forced me to turn back 1,100 feet below the summit. Six months later I reached the summit with an American company, Mountain Madness, finally completing both versions of the Seven Summits.

Two years earlier, in May 1998, I reached the summit of Gunnbjorns Fjeld, the highest point in both Greenland and the Arctic . The expedition was run by the British company Tangent.

My preparation for the seven summits fell into three areas: improving technical skills, keeping fit, and making sure that I had the right equipment.

KILIMANJARO

Vinson Massif, being the first of the Seven Summits to prepare for, took the most preparation in terms of equipment and also in improving technical skills. I had very little in the way of personal equipment before I contemplated climbing Vinson Massif. After purchasing equipment for the climb, I only had to purchase a minimal amount of additional equipment for my later climbs, the equipment required for Vinson Massif being either sufficient or close to sufficient for my later climbs. I look after all my gear really well, so it tends to remain in good condition.

In terms of preparation technically, I did not do a great deal. I had become a reasonably proficient climber when I did the course at Mount Cook, and I did some occasional climbing after that to maintain my skills. I reached the summits of Popocatapetl and Orizaba in Mexico in 1982. The latter is the third-highest peak in North America and a moderately steep snow climb. I also reached the summit of the 20,300-foot-high Island Peak in the Khumbu region of the Himalayas, not far from Mount Everest. Four months before the climb, I did a refresher course in crevasse rescue at Mount Ruapehu, in the North Island of New Zealand. A month later, a guide took me up two 70-foot-high frozen waterfalls in the South Island. I knew this was steeper and more technically difficult than anything that I would encounter on Vinson Massif, so that was all the technical training that I did before that climb.

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