A chronological list of the 10 highest confirmed mountain summits ever climbed

December 10, 2025 History aconcagua, alexander kellas, annapurna, bill tilman, chimborazo, edmund hillary, edward whymper, eric shipton, erwin schneider, everest, first ascents, frank smythe, hermann hoerlin, jean-antoine carrel, jongsong peak, kabru, kamet, llullaillaco, louis lachenal, matthias zurbriggen, maurice herzog, nanda devi, noel odell, pauhunri, peak lenin, tenzing norgay, tom longstaff, trisul 7 Comments

A chronological list of the 10 highest confirmed mountain summits ever climbed

There are a lot of adjectives in the title of this post. What does it mean, precisely? There was a time in history when neither Everest nor the other 10 highest mountains in the world had been climbed. What was the highest mountain ever climbed back in those days? And what was the one before that? If you’re intrigued to find out then read on

First ascent of Aconcagua: a story of self-inflicted altitude sickness

February 27, 2013 History aconcagua, altitude sickness, andes, argentina, chimborazo, edward fitzgerald, edward whymper, first ascents, history of mountaineering, matthias zurbriggen, mountain literature, seven summits 6 Comments

First ascent of Aconcagua: a story of self-inflicted altitude sickness

When the Swiss guide Matthias Zurbriggen stood on the highest point in South America in 1897, as far as anyone knew it was the highest place man had ever been, but he stood there alone. His expedition leader Edward Fitzgerald had been left behind with altitude sickness at 6000m.