The New Summit Challenge

I’d say very few people know what the Seven Summits challenge is. Unless you follow or research professional mountain climbing, don’t feel bad if you don’t know it. The Seven Summits challenge is completed when an individual successfully summits the tallest mountain on every continent. Needless to say this is a very difficult and dangerous task. Despite the risk and monetary cost, a number of people have completed the challenge.

A far more dangerous challenge is joining the 8000 meter club. To join the 8000 meter club you need to climb every mountain that is 8000 meters (24,000 feet) or higher. To my knowledge the only American who has joined this club is Ed Viesturs. The risk in doing this can be enormous. Most people think Everest is dangerous. They are right. For every 20 people who summit Everest, one person dies. To join the 8000 meter club you also have to climb a number of other dangerous mountains including K2 and Annapurna. For every five people who summits K2, one person dies. For every three people who summits Annapurna, one person dies.

Why would someone attempt either? The main reason is people like the challenge, the fame, and in some cases they get “Addicted to Danger” (Jim Wickwire).

In the spirit of dangerous challenges, a new summit challenge has emerged. The new challenge is called “The Four Peaks Club.” To join this club you need to free climb, without a rope, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, and the Expedition Everest Mountain.

The dangerous in attempting this is extreme. To date no one has completed the challenge.

It’s recommended that one starts with Space Mountain as a warm up, then attempt Splash Mountain, Big Thunder, and Expedition, in that order.

Many people have already been killed or severely injured in attempting to join the Four Peaks Club. Here is a brief rundown of the accidents to date:

- 8 people have been electrocuted when lightening struck Space Mountain during their ascents

- 4 people have been impaled on the thorns in Splash Mountain after falls

- 2 people were clubbed by Brer Bear after being mistaken for Brer Rabbit on Splash Mountain

- 4 people were bitten by Brer Fox on Splash Mountain

- 24 people were stung by bees on Splash Mountain.

- 5 people have been crushed by logs at the bottom of the chute in Splash Mountain

- 3 people have lost their grips and slid off of Space Mountain breaking bones and other serious injuries

- 14 people have been run over by trains on Big Thunder

- 7 people have been nailed in the crotch by a mountain goat on Big Thunder

- 11 people have fallen to their deaths trying to reach the highest point of Big Thunder

- 9 people have been run over by a train on Everest.

- 21 people have fallen from the steep slopes of Everest, 10 died, 11 were seriously injured

- 73 people have been mauled or eaten by the Yeti on Everest.