Our climbs to achieve the Seven Volcanic Summits Challenge
Expeditions Unlimited is the only French-speaking operator to offer the 7 Volcanic Summits Challenge, which involves climbing the highest volcano on each of the seven continents. First proposed in 1999 in the spirit of the Seven Summits, it was only achieved for the first time in 2011 by Mario Trimeri and Trina Popescu, when they reached the summit of Mount Sidley in Antarctica. These summits have to be true eruptive volcanic centers and reach a topographic prominence of at least 1000 feet (305 m). It's a little-known challenge, and one that only a few dozen people have managed to date. The list is as follows: Ojos del Salado (6893 m) in Chile, Kilimanjaro (5895 m) in Africa, Damavand (5671 m) in Iran for Asia, Elbrus (5642 m) in Russia for Europe, Pico de Orizaba (5636 m) in Mexico, Mount Giluwe (4368 m) in Papua New Guinea for Oceania and finally, Mount Sidley (4285 m) in Antarctica.
This challenge is more accessible than the Seven Summits, in that it does not include either Everest or Denali in terms of altitude, physical and technical commitment. These volcanic peaks can be reached by trekking and are therefore considered "trekking peaks", with Ojos Del Salado and Elbrus requiring a little mountaineering experience. We can guide you through the entire Seven Volcanic Summits Challenge, at your own pace and in a natural progression of physical, technical and altitude difficulty. We recommend our web conference on the 7 Volcanic Summits in French with English subtitles.
