The Seven Summits, a well- known mountaineering objective, are the highest peaks on each of the seven continents.
Mount Everest, Asia : 29,035 feet (8850 meters)
Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, streches along the border of Nepal and Tibet/China in southern Asia. Mount Everest is also called 'chomolangma' meaning 'goddes Mother of Snows'.
Aconcagua - South America: 22,829 feet (6962 meters)
Aconcagua lies within Aconcagua provincial park in the province of Mendoza in the republic of Argentina. Aconcagua is the highest point in the Andes, the world's longest mountain range. Aconcagua is also not a volcano.
Denali/Mount Mckinley - North America : 20,320 feet (6194 meters)
Denali is the highest mountain in North America, the United States, and Alaska. It's the third most prominent mountain in the world. Because of it's northern latitude of 63 degrees, Denali has lower barometric pressure than other high mountains in the world, affecting the acclimatization of climbers. The state of Alaska changed the name of Mount Mckinley to Denali in 1975.
Kilimanjaro - Africa : 19,340 feet (5895 meters)
Kilimanjaro is a giant strato volcano that began forming a million years ago when lava spilled from the Rift Valley Zone. The mountain was built by succesive lava flows. Kilimanjaro has 2.2 square kilometers of glacial ice and is losing quickly due to global warming. It's also considered the tallest free standing mountain in the world.
Mount Elbrus - Europe: 18,510 feet ( 5642 meters)
Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Russia is also the highest mountain in the Caucasus Range in Southern Russia near the border with Georgia.
Mount Elbrus is perpertually snow -covered with an icecap and 22 glaciers. Three major rivers Baksan, Malka, and Kuban arise from the glaciers. It's the tenth most prominent mountain in the world.
Mount Vinson - Antarctica: 16,067 feet ( 4897 meters)
Mount Vinson, in the Vinson Massif, is the highest mountain in the Sentinel Range. Mount Vinson was the last discovered,last named, and last climbed of the seven summits. It's also the most remote,most expensive and the coldest of the seven summits.
Mount Kosciuszko - Australia: 7,310 feet (2228 meters)
Mount Kosciuszko is the highest point of the Great Dividing Range, a long mountain range that runs along the entire eastern part of Australia from Queensland to Victoria. It is the coldest and snowiest part of Australia,which is mostly an arid continent. Snow covers the mountain from june through october. The area also has Australia only ski areas.
