Book Review: Climbing the Seven Summits by Mike Hamill

Climbing the Seven Summits by Mike Hamill
Climbing the Seven Summits by Mike Hamill

As the holidays approach, medicine this is an idea for a great gift for the climber in your life. The book, Climbing the Seven Summits by Mike Hamill covers all the mountains in an easy to read format with great pictures.

Mike is a well known international mountain guide with at least five summits of each of the 7 Summits.  He has climbed them all in the course of one year several times, even setting the tenth fastest completion time of 220 days in 2008.

I first met Mike on Everest in 2011 as he was guiding another team with International Mountain Guides.

The book, a bit over 300 pages, goes into depth on each mountain covering history, preparation, routes and more. Clearly written from an experienced guide’s perspective, the style is informal but rich in details. Many high quality pictures complement the text bringing the reader into the climbs.

I caught up with Mike between expeditions to talk about climbing and his book.

Q: What lead you to become a mountain guide?
A: Since I was a kid I’ve always been inspired by the mountain environment and pushing myself physically and mentally. After college I wasn’t particularly drawn towards any one career path but knew in the short term I wanted to experience the world and climb.

I initially fell into guiding looking for summer work on Rainier and then got opportunities to work internationally and quickly realized I could turn my passion into a career. I really enjoy experiencing local cultures and learning what they have to teach me as well as having a definitive goal like a summit to work towards. I’m still very inspired by this and appreciate being able to share my knowledge with members and learn from them as well.

Q: You spend months every year guiding, how did you find the time to write Climbing the Seven Summits?
A: Writing a book of this magnitude was a bigger challenge than I initially realized. There were countless hours spent at base camps, in tea houses, on planes and at my home in Seattle spent writing, revising, and editing. As you know, there is plenty of down time at base camp on Himalayan expeditions spent resting and acclimatizing in between rotations. Since I’m a terrible card player, I used that time to write the majority of the book.

Q: Bass vs. Messner list. You cover this in your book but what is your bottom line on this controversy?
A: I get asked this questions often and I did a lot of research on this topic for the Climbing the Seven Summits. I really wanted to come up with an answer for myself and present my ideas for others to make their own decisions. I feel that there is a generally accepted notion of what the seven continents are and that includes Australia and not Australasia or Oceania.

The term “continent” was originally used to delineate the social and cultural divisions between Europe, Asia and Africa in the region where those three continents come together. Since this term’s history was defined by social and cultural aspects that were later applied to other land masses, and didn’t refer to a geologic definition, I feel that this is the correct definition of the word “continent.”

Of course in many countries around the World people are taught a 5 continent or 6 continent model of the World where the Americas or Europe and Asia are sometimes referred to as one. But, we call it the “Seven Summits” because the term was coined by Americans and Europeans like Bass, Wells, and Messner.

A geologists definition of the Seven Summits doesn’t work since Europe and Asia are one land mass. So for me the answer is Kozzie. I respect that people may want to climb harder peaks and choose Carstensz but, where a hard climb lies doesn’t define a continent.

If it was only about climbing hard peaks then people might choose to climb K2 and Mt. Kenya but this doesn’t make sense for the Seven Summits. Both Morrow and Messner admit that this is why they chose Carstensz but Messner also climbed Kosciuszko to cover his bases so this indicates that even he didn’t believe that Carstensz was legitimate.

Carstensz is an amazing experience and I encourage people to go climb it regardless of whether it’s on the list or not. My goal is to challenge people to think about it and make their own decisions rather than just going along with what others have said or done. Because of this I included both Carstensz and Kosciuszko versions in “Climbing the Seven Summits” so that people would have the information and can make their own call.

 

Mike Hamill

A: I enjoy all of the regions and climbs for their own uniqueness but I do have some favorites. Vinson Massif for me is such an amazing experience and it still feels like you’re pioneering new terrain, even though there’s a lot more infrastructure now than there was when Bass or Morrow climbed it.

It’s a very remote and committing part of the World where you’re overwhelmed by the vastness and untouched nature. It’s truly remarkable that we can go there and there are far fewer people that have summited Vinson then Everest. Going to Antarctica and flying down in the old Russian cargo plane is one of the highlights of my year.

I also love getting back on Denali every year. I joke that I go up there every year to prove to myself that I can still work hard. You have to earn that summit in every sense of the word. The weather is bad, there are no beasts of burden like mules or yaks to carry your gear, and the terrain keeps you on your toes at all times. The climbing community on Denali and in Talkeetna keeps me coming back.

Q: What is the single mistake people make when climbing the 7 summits?
A: I think people underestimate the mountains of the Seven Summits and the challenge as a whole. We hear that Aconcagua is a “walk up” and that Everest is “easy” but these peaks punish even the strongest of climbers. Elbrus is almost an afterthought to someone looking at Everest but it’s a big summit day even though it’s not technically demanding.

Also, people underestimate the physical, mental, and emotional commitment it takes to climb all of the Seven. It takes a lot of time, training, preparedness, family support, money, and single-mindedness to pull it off. People often don’t realize what this commitment really means before climbing them.

Q: In your experience, is there a life lesson gained from climbing the 7 summits?
A: Yes. Climbing the Seven Summits teaches you about yourself and others. You learn so much about your own limits and how you react to difficult situations while climbing these peaks. Also, you learn a lot about your fellow climbers who often have very unique and interesting backgrounds, and of course you learn from the local cultures.

A quote from Mark Twain always rings in my head while I’m on these trips: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Climbing in these exotic locations opens your eyes to so many cultures, viewpoints and to how other people live around the World, and the relationships you make with the local people are priceless. I think this is the real beauty of climbing the Seven Summits; it forces you to travel to these amazing places.

Q: Focusing on Everest, any desire to climb a new route or perhaps the West Ridge one day?
A: I’m inspired by the early expeditions on the North Face of Everest so that is one possibility. Honestly, if I were to spend that amount of money and time on something there are a lot of other places I’d like to explore first like unclimbed ranges in Tibet and Antarctica since I’ve already climbed Everest. There is still a lot out there to do and I don’t feel as tied to Everest spending so much time on that mountain anyway.

Q: Do you think the 2012 “fight” will have any lasting impact on climbing Everest?
A: I do think it will have a lasting impact on climbing Everest in a good way. In the end I think it will force people on both sides to be more aware of and address any issues there might be before they escalate in to what we saw this spring.

I disagree that there is a huge underlying resentment by the Sherpa towards Westerners. Sherpa and non-Sherpa climbers become so close on these trips and we generally each other with a lot of respect. There are always a few personalities that rub the Sherpa the wrong way as they do other non-Sherpa, and I think this is what set events in motion this spring.

So I think it’s more individual than systematic. The younger generation of climbing Sherpa is more empowered, skilled, and better educated than previous generations and this is a great thing. Western companies need to continue to bolster their relationship with the Sherpa as they have amazing strength, skill and leadership as they gain more experience.

Q: What has been the reaction to your book and where can people it?
A: The response to the book has been overwhelmingly positive. The Mountaineers Books invested a lot into the design and layout and I think that shows. People are happy to have a resource like this that makes organizing these trips easier. Climbers that have finished the Seven have told me they enjoy reminiscing about the climbs by flipping through the book. I wish I had a book like this when I began organizing my own trips to these mountains nearly two decades ago!

People can signed and unsigned copies of the book through my website, Climbingthesevensummits.com, or they can get it through Amazon. My goal with the website is to create a resource for Seven Summits climbers, build a community around these peaks, and inspire people to climb.

Thanks Mike for a great book and of luck.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

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One thought on “Book Review: Climbing the Seven Summits by Mike Hamill

  1. I have been lucky enough to spend a little time with Mke at base camps and high camp on Aco, first class guy! Great book as well.

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