MAY 25 WHAT ARE THE 'SEVEN SUMMITS'?

MAY 25  WHAT ARE THE SEVEN SUMMITS?

Tragedy struck Sandy, Utah this week, when friends and family got word from Nepal: Avid mountain climber Donald Lynn Cash died during his descent from Mount Everest. He died pursing his passion: conquering the Seven Summits. As with any sport, there is always an ultimate achievement. For runners, it's the Boston Marathon. For triathletes, it's Kona. For mountain climbers, the pinnacle is to climb the highest peak on each continent, or the so-called 'Seven Summits.' Here are the seven, ranked in order of easiest to most difficult to climb.

#7 Kosciuszko (Australia). 7,310 ft. 2,228m. We begin 'Down Under'. The tallest mountain in Australia is named after the Polish explorer who first climbed the unassuming mount in 1840. Getting there is simple. Rent a car in Sydney and drive three hours southwest. Park and walk five miles of trail to the summit.

#6. Elbrus (Europe). 18,510 ft. 5,642m. Similarly, getting to the top of Europe's highest peak is also relatively easy. Fly to Sochi via Moscow. Hop onto an impressive chairlift to the Elbrus base camp. From there, it's a rigorous seven hour climb to the summit. It's only possible do to this in the summer: the Caucus Mountains have seven months of winter.

#5 Aconcagua (South America). 22,837 ft. 6,960m. Located at 32°S latitude, this Argentine peak bathes in seven months of summer. It's not very steep, either. According to the climber's association, Aconcagua is the tallest non-technical mountain in the world. This means no ropes or axes are required. Even a nine-year old boy made it to the summit!

#4 Kilimanjaro (Africa). 19,341 ft. 5,885m. The tallest peak in the tropics straddles the border of Kenya and Tanzania. The advantage of climbing a mountain located in a hot climate means the going is snow-free for most of the journey. It's also a non-technical mountain, so you just need to be in great shape to climb it. With 28,000 hikers annually, it's the most popular of the Seven Summits.  

#3. Denali (North America). 20,310 ft. 6,190m. While visiting this mountain won't require a passport or visa, it will require lots of endurance. You can't drive, fly or take a chairlift...That's just how Alaska is. Even in summer, conditions are freezing. Hence, only a handful of experienced climbers attempt the climb. Of those, only 58% make it to the top.

#2. Everest (Asia) 29,029 ft. 8,848m. Climbing to the top of Mount Everest is on everyone's bucket-list...not just mountain climbers. To satisfy this growing number, the Nepalese government continues to increase the number of people allowed into the National Park. Then, they wait for clear skies and all ascend together. Donald Lynn Cash died from respiratory failure while waiting in line to hike down a trail.

#1. Vinson Massif (Antarctica). 16,050 ft. 4,892m. Of course this is the toughest to climb! It's on the South Pole! Travel to the unpopulated continent is restricted to scientists and wealthy people. So if you're not a PhD, you must shell out $43,000 to an adventure agency. They'll fly you from Punta Arenas in a tiny plane to a even tinier landing strip in Antartica. From then on, it's subzero temperatures. Let's face it...you'd have to be really crazy to want to climb the Seven Summits.