7-Summits-in-One-Year-Podcast-with-Garrett-Madison
As we close out 2025, I caught up with Garrett Maddison, founder of Madison Mountaineering, for a rare moment while he was home in the Seattle area. Garrett summited all of the Seven Summits (Messner List) in 2025, plus had some interesting times on Cho Oyu, watched one of his teams struggle, like the others, on K2, and is actively guiding on Vinson. We discussed all this, including what to expect for Everest in 2026, with the more expensive permit fees, new requirements for Everest applicants from China, and proposals from Nepal. #everest2026
Two Dead on Carstensz Pyramid-Update with Video
Deaths on Carstensz Pyramid, one of the Seven Summits, are rare, but two women tragically lost their lives on March 1 while descending during a storm. The 4,884-meter (16,024-foot) peak poses challenging logistics and is the most technical of the seven, requiring basic rock climbing skills for primarily 5th-class terrain on fixed ropes.
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The 7 Summits – an Overview

In 2011, I summited seven of the eight seven summits. Confused? Read on! This post is a quick overview of the 7 Summits. My climbs were aimed to send a message of hope, need and urgency from the 7 Continents on behalf of everyone impacted by Alzheimer’s Disease. I made all the climbs in just 322 days. You can […]
Documentary on Alan’s 7 Summits Climb for Alzheimer’s

I am very pleased with a 6 minute documentary by the AARP on my Summits Climb for Alzheimer’s: Memories are Everything project. The producer, Lauren Cardillo, did a great job of taking my original pictures, videos and our live interview to tell the story of Ida Arnette, Alzheimer’s and my passion to make a difference. […]
Vinson Massif

Antarctica 16,067′,4897 meters Summited December 9, 2010 7 Summits Climb for Alzheimer’s 600 miles from the South Pole, Mount Vinson was first summited in 1966 by climbers led by Nicholas Clinch from the American Alpine Club and the National Science Foundation. It was the last of the 7 Summits to be summited. It was named […]
Vinson Trip Report

Antarctica 16,067′,4897 meters Summited December 9, 2010 7 Summits Climb for Alzheimer’s Pristine and perfect—Antarctica. I am unsure how else to describe my experience climbing her highest peak, Mt. Vinson. As this was the first of my 7 Summits Climb for Alzheimer’s, where I am raising awareness and money for research, it was critical […]
Vinson FAQ

Antarctica 16,067′,4897 meters Summited December 9, 2010 7 Summits Climb for Alzheimer’s About Vinson Q: Where is Vinson A: 600 miles from the South Pole, Mount Vinson was first summited in 1966 by climbers led by Nicholas Clinch from the American Alpine Club and the National Science Foundation. It was the last of the 7 […]
7 Summits Gear Review
Climbing 8 big mountains in 11 months required many things but proper gear was a must. In this post, I will review what I used, what worked, no what didn’t; taking it a layer at a time. To review, I did 8 climbs with 7 summits in 11 months. They were: Vinson (Antarctica), Aconcagua (South […]