There is a further Volcanic Seven Summits completion; Caroline Leon climbed Elbrus on 28th June 2023 to become the seventh woman to achieve this and number 39 on my list*.
Caroline is from Sydney, Australia but lives in Dubai. There she works for DHL as a brand ambassador. She has climbed the seven volcanoes in a relatively rapid time.
Her story is one of grit and determination. Back in 2015 Caroline had a serious climbing accident when she shattering her feet, pelvis and spine. That led to a couple of surgical procedures, pins and a lengthy rehab.
Caroline has also climbed Ararat, Kazbek and some other mountains in the USA.
The updated completer list is here:
| Climber, nationality and age at completion | Further information | Date of Final Summit | Final summit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mario Trimeri (Italy) (58) | Mario Trimeri’s website is here. | 24th January 2011 | Mount Sidley |
| Crina “Coco” Popescu (Romania) (16) | Further detail on this page. | 24th January 2011 | Mount Sidley | |
| 3. | Viacheslav Adrov (Russia) (52) | I do not know much about this climber. He has also visited both Poles and climbed 11 of the top 50 mountains of the world by prominence. | 18th January 2013 | Mount Sidley |
| 4. | Aleksandr (Aleks) Abramov (Russia) (47) | Aleksandr Abramov is an accomplished mountaineer and guide and proprietor of 7 Summits Club. | 13th September 2013 | Mount Giluwe |
| 5. | Olga Rumyantseva (Russia) (36) | Olga Rumyantseva is a guide with 7 Summits Club. She was sponsored for the V7S by Kaspersky. There is an article here. | 9th December 2013 | Ojos del Salado |
| 6. | Vitaliy Simonovic (Russia) (42) | Claims to be the first person to do the Seven Summits, the V7S and the two Poles. | 19th December 2013 | Ojos del Salado |
| 7. | François Bernard (France) (49) | Guide on the one and only private ALE trip to Mount Sidley. | 17th January 2014 | Mount Sidley |
| 8. | Sophie Cairns (UK) (32) | Sophie Cairns’ description of her Ojos ascent is here. | 10th June 2014 | Elbrus |
| 9. | Paul Nicholson (Canada) (54) | There is a press report of Paul Nicholson’s feat here. | 5th December 2014 | Ojos del Salado |
| 10. | Liana Chabdarova (Russia) (32) | I do not have much information on this climber. She has climbed six of the Seven Summits (Everest missing). | 12th January 2015 | Ojos del Salado |
| 11. | Andrey Filkov (Russia) (49) | I do not have much information on this climber. He has completed the Bass version of the Seven Summits. | 16th September 2015 | Damavand |
| 12. | James Stone (UK/Australia) (59) | 14th January 2017 | Mount Sidley | |
| 13. | Daniel Bull (Australia) (36) | Daniel Bull has a website here. Formerly in the IT industry, he now focuses on motivational speaking. Previously the youngest person to have completed the Seven Summits and V7S combination until Satyarup SIddhanta took this crown from him. | 27th April 2017 | Ojos del Salado |
| 14. | Katie Sarah (Australia) (49) | Katie Sarah has completed the Bass version of the Seven Summits and skied the Last Degree to the South Pole. She intends to ski the Last Degree to the North Pole but has so far been frustrated by war (see here) and Covid. | 14th January 2018 | Mount Sidley |
| 15. | David Hamilton (UK) (56) | David Hamilton is a respected UK guide with multiple Everest summits normally working for Jagged Globe. He has his own website here. | 10th February 2018 | Ojos del Salado |
| 16. | Theodore (Ted) Fairhurst (Canada) (71) | Oldest completer of both the Seven Summits and the V7S with a website here | 9th December 2018 | Ojos del Salado |
| 17. | Vladislav Lachkaryev (Russia) (42) | I do not know much about this climber other than he has completed both the Seven Summits and the V7S. | 15th January 2019 | Mount Sidley |
| Satyarup Siddhanta (India) (35) | Currently the youngest person to have completed by the Seven Summits (Carstensz and Kossie versions) and the V7S. He has a website here. Satya was unwittingly the subject of a fraudulent Everest summit claim. Like Katie Sarah he is also awaiting the opportunity to undertake the North Pole Last Degree. | 15th January 2019 | Mount Sidley | |
| Sándor (Sanya) Tóth (Hungary) (41) | This article comments on this climber’s claim vis-a-vis Ojos del Salado. I have written to this climber to provide the opportunity to comment but I have not received a response. | 15th January 2019 | Mount Sidley | |
| 20. | Vaughan de la Harpe (South Africa) (63) | Also completed the Explorer’s Grand Slam. | 18th January 2020 | Mount Sidley |
| Arthur Marsden (South Africa) (58) | Also completed the Explorer’s Grand Slam. | 18th January 2020 | Mount Sidley | |
| Oleg Mezentsev (Russia) (39) | 18th January 2020 | Mount Sidley | ||
| David Roskelley (USA) (51) | Dave Roskelley is an accomplished mountaineer, having also completed the Seven Summits. His website is here. | 18th January 2020 | Mount Sidley | |
| 24. | Yousef Al Refaie (Kuwait) (24) | This climber has a website here | 22nd December 2021 | Mount Sidley |
| 25. | Jarryd Commerford (USA/UK/Ireland) (35) | 9th January 2022 | Ojos del Salado | |
| Robbi Malandreniotis (UK) (44) | 9th January 2022 | Ojos del Salado | ||
| 27 | Delia Zanoschi (Romania) (33) | Completed the Bass version of the Seven Summits and the V7S with her twin sister. They have a website here | 29th May 2022 | Damavand |
| Iulia Zanoschi (Romania) (33) | Completed the Bass version of the Seven Summits and the V7S with her twin sister. They have a website here | 29th May 2022 | Damavand | |
| 29 | Fahd Abu Aisha (Egypt, of Palestinian heritage) (32) | A real estate practitioner currently based in London but with interests in the Middle East. | 13th September 2022 | Mount Giluwe |
| 30 | James Allen (Australia/NZ/UK) (49) | A Seven Summiter and adventurer with a website (largely behind a paywall) here | 21st September 2022 | Mount Giluwe |
| 31 | Adrian Ahritculesei (Romania) (38) | Adrian Ahritculesei has an Instagram account here. | 17th January 2023 | Mount Sidley |
| Marie-Pier Desharnais (Canada) (37) | Marie-Pier Desharnais has climbed both Everest and K2. She has a website here. | 17th January 2023 | Mount Sidley | |
| Robert Gropel (Australia) (40) | Robert Gropel has a website here. Another Seven Summiter, he promotes a vegan lifestyle. | 17th January 2023 | Mount Sidley | |
| 34 | Thierry Dewambrechies (France) (44) | Based in Zürich. A Network Development and Training Director in the automotive industry. | 18th January 2023 | Mount Sidley |
| Nilavishek Mukherjee (India) (33) | Based in Cologne. A Business Application Manager & Project Manager at Toyota Kreditbank GmbH. | 18th January 2023 | Mount Sidley | |
| Vambola Sipelgas (Estonia) (69) | 18th January 2023 | Mount Sidley | ||
| Jaime Viñals (Guatemala) (61) | Jaime Viñals has a website here. He has completed the Seven Summits (both versions), the V7S and the high points of each of the seven largest islands in the world. | 18th January 2023 | Mount Sidley | |
| 38 | Stephan Jesinghaus (Germany) (41) | Stephan Jesinghaus has an Instagram account here. | 1st February 2023 | Ojos del Salado |
| 39 | Caroline Leon (Australia) (38) | Caroline Leon has an Instagram account here | 28th June 2023 | Elbrus |
* see the comments I make on the reliability of my list on the main Volcanic Seven Summits page.
Caroline has an Instagram page here.
I am not aware of anyone else who is close to completing the volcanoes other than those who may only have Mount Sidley to do. So I am expecting another set of completers in December when ALE run their next trip there.
As ever, if anyone reading this blog has any information on anyone attempting the Volcanic Seven Summits, I would be pleased to hear from them.
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