James Stone (Clach Liath)

Mountaineering and the Volcanic Seven Summits

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Volcanic Seven Summits: Defining the Continents

5th December 2020 by James Stone Leave a Comment

Ojos del Salado - a constant on all lists of the Volcanic Seven Summits

I was inspired to write this blog by an essay written by the late Adam Helman (here). A comment made in my blog on Australia’s highest volcano (here) also gave me a push. Adam Helman’s essay discussed the fact that it is quite possible to define the Seven Summits differently from the traditional Bass (Kosciuszko) and Messner (Carstenz) versions. He identified that (depending on which version of “continent” was adopted) there are 12 mountains that qualify as continental summits. So with thanks to Adam Helman, this blog defines the continents in the manner he adopted and lists the Volcanic Seven Summits (or is it 11?)

Definition by tectonic plate

There are seven continental-sized continental plates, though one is largely under water. Asia and Europe are not separate continents in this respect. Therefore, as Adam Helman pointed out, if you treat the Eurasian plate as one continent Mount Elbrus would have no place on any Seven Summits list because Mount Everest is higher.

In the case of the volcanoes, however, Mount Elbrus just exceeds Mount Damavand in height. So Mount Elbrus retains its place in the list with this definition and Damavand is relegated.

Elbrus - one of the volcanic seven summits.  Or does your definition of Continent exclude it?
Elbrus

The Pacific plate is one of the seven continental plates. Therefore the first of the lists includes Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii on this basis.

So lists I-A and I-B look like this (with list I-B excluding the Pacific plate):

List 1-A.
Name of tectonic plateVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricanKilimanjaro
AntarcticMount Sidley
AustralianMount Giluwe
EurasianMount Elbrus
North AmericanPico de Orizaba
PacificMauna Kea
South AmericanOjos del Salado
List I-B.
Name of tectonic plateVolcanic Six Summits
AfricanKilimanjaro
AntarcticMount Sidley
AustralianMount Giluwe
EurasianMount Elbrus
North AmericanPico de Orizaba
South AmericanOjos del Salado

Definition by Topographic Prominence

I have blogged about topographical prominence. I agree with Adam Helman that “Prominence is an excellent, objective measure of a mountain’s vertical stature“. Therefore the essay explains that a list on this basis would need to include mountains that had saddles at or near to sea-level and are well separated from one another.

Kilimanjaro summit - one of the Volcanic Seven Summits.  It always appears, whatever your definition of continent
Kilimanjaro summit

This approach changes the traditional separation of Asia and Europe. So the Ural mountains are no longer at the divide. Instead the Kuma–Manych Depression is the basis of the divide. Mount Elbrus then reverts to Asia and Mount Etna becomes the European volcano.

List II-A.
ContinentVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaMount Elbrus
EuropeMount Etna
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
OceaniaMount Giluwe
South AmericaOjos del Salado

Definition by Continental Outline

This definition recognises that Europe exists as a cultural and political concept, but cannot be justified on geographical grounds. Therefore there are only six volcanoes on this list. Mount Etna disappears and Brumlow Top makes its first appearance because Australia (and not Australasia or Oceania) is now the continent.

Brumlow Top summit - not normally regarded as one of the Volcanic Seven Summits
The rather uninspiring summit of Brumlow Top
List III-A.
Continental outlineVolcanic Six Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaMount Elbrus
AustraliaBrumlow Top
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado

Political definition

The concepts of geology and topography do not constrain this definition. Using the essay’s approach the intriguing and extremely remote Mawson Peak on Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean makes an appearance.

Mawson Peak has only had a couple of ascents. It would undoubtedly be the most difficult peak of all those listed here to climb. Not only is it remote, but it also suffers from terrible weather and is still occasionally active. Obtaining the relevant access permits could also be a problem.

There is an article on the first ascent here.

So there are two lists depending on whether you apply the political criterion to “Australia” or “Australasia”.

List IV-A.
ContinentVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaMount Damavand
AustraliaMawson Peak
EuropeMount Elbrus
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado
List IV-B.
ContinentVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaMount Damavand
AustralasiaMount Giluwe
EuropeMount Elbrus
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado

The Cultural Definition

Adam Helman points out that the first of the lists below follows the traditional Kosciuszko definition. He next overlays that first list with a political angle. My lists do the same. The distinction then becomes that between Australia and Australasia.

List V-1.
Cultural ContinentVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaDamavand
AustraliaBrumlow Top
EuropeMount Elbrus
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado
List V-B.
Cultural continent with political overlayVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaDamavand
AustralasiaMount Giluwe
EuropeMount Elbrus
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado

Conclusion

Therefore the eleven volcanoes that you have to climb in order to complete all of the lists are:

  • Ojos del Salado
  • Kilimanjaro
  • Pico de Orizaba
  • Mount Sidley
  • Mount Elbrus
  • Damavand
  • Mount Giluwe
  • Mauna Kea
  • Mount Etna
  • Mawson Peak
  • Brumlow Top

The first five appear in all of the lists, so there is no doubting their status. Mauna Kea, Mount Etna and Mawson Peak only make fleeting appearances. The others appear and disappear depending on your view as to what constitutes the continent.

So there you are. The Volcanic Seven Summits: define your continents.

Who will be the first to climb all of them?

For more on the Volcanic Seven Summits, please click this link.

Video from the summit of Pico de Orizaba

25th March 2015 by James Stone Leave a Comment

I am getting around to sorting out some of the videos taken on the Mexico/South America trip.  Here is one taken by me on the summit of Pico de Orizaba.  Sorry about the wind noise which drowns out a little of the commentary.

I hope you can get a feeling for the experience from this video – be it the stunning views, the breathlessness in my voice or the jaws of the crater.

Mummies on Pico de Orizaba

11th March 2015 by James Stone Leave a Comment

Crikey!  I am glad that Derek and I did not find these on our ascent!

 

Pico de Orizaba – the climb

16th November 2014 by James Stone Leave a Comment

We were settled in our tent but the wind rattled it all night pausing only occasionally for breath before resuming its assault. Derek had no sleep and I did little better. Not the best preparation for the day to come. We did not need the 2am wake up call. We were ready to go well before then, assuming Miriam considered it safe to do so. The excitement of the night came with a mouse that scurried by within a couple of whiskers’ lengths of my nose. Derek was not convinced of its existence until we found, let us say, the evidence in one of our bowls. Yuk!

We were off on the dot of 3am leaving our tents behind. The wind had died a bit and, as on our Izta night, the moon and stars cast light strong enough to cast shadows. The path for a while was actually pleasant and soon we had to shed a layer. Progress was felt rather than seen. There was an icy gulley where we had to put on crampons and harness, in many a place we had to use our hands to scramble up easy rocky stretches.

Altitude was gained steadily overall. Looking back I could see the lights of other climbers way below. We had a couple of rest stops and reached the glacier whilst it was still dark. It was 5.30am. I drank half a litre of water. We roped up here, Miriam leading, Derek next and then me. The hour or so before dawn was especially cold. We had our down jackets on and my feet remained warm despite just wearing my Scottish winter boots.

At long last a red line appeared to our left. The day was making a belated appearance. To our right there was an unbroken sea of cloud. Soon Pico cast an enormous shadow to the west. La Malinche breached the cloud but was overwhelmed by that shadow.

Shadow of Pico de Orizaba at sunrise

As the sun rose, Popocatapetl and Izta could be seen beyond La Malinche. Below cliffs turned a burning red. Onward and upward we went up the relentless slope. The view up did not seem to change. The worst of the steepness was eased by zig-zagging – perhaps a few too many times, as each switch meant shifting ice axe and rope.

One false summit was passed and the slope continued the same trajectory; zig-zag, zig-zag. This is where the mental will to continue kicks in. But the weather was perfect – sun and light wind – and the snow conditions were equally perfect – crampons biting and no deep snow. There was no excuse not to carry on. Eventually rocks could be seen above. Derek and I wanted shallower zig-zags. Miriam was determined to take the direct route. Being at the bottom end of the rope I could control the pace. So I did!

First glimpse of the crater on Pico de Orizaba

And then we were on the crater rim only about 50 vertical feet from the summit. I peered into the crater. It looked like the jaws of a ferocious monster. I took a quick picture of my rope mates and a couple of minutes later we were on the top of Mexico. It was 8.30am.

Approaching the summit of Pico de Orizaba

Successful summiteers on Pico de Orizaba

Although cold, the lack of wind made it quite pleasant and we were able to spend over 30 minutes on the summit. Views into the crater were partly limited by the crumbly nature of the rim. Below on a neighbouring mountain was an observatory. Popocatapetl and Izta were visible in the haze. You are supposed to be able to see the Gulf of Mexico from the summit but the clouds below put paid to that.

The "jaws" of the crater on Pico de Orizaba

I think it is a privilege to be in places such as the summits of these Mexican mountains. It was tempting to stay longer but we were mindful of the forecast and that we were a long way from Tlachichuca.

So reluctantly I left. I was now in the lead. I followed a series of wide zig-zags.

Looking down the Jamapa Glacier on the descent of Pico de Orizaba

Looking down the glacier

A third of the way down we could see some figures just coming on to the glacier. I steered a course towards them. By the time we reached the first of them they were well spread out. As anticipated they were the four Americans we had seen the day before. They were toiling under the heat of the sun. We stopped to chat with each one to provide encouragement and a realistic minimum time to the summit. They were all from Huntsville, Alabama, somewhere coincidentally I and the rest of the family have been. They had arranged for a lift from the hut at 3pm. No way were they going to summit and be back by then. We learned later that they had made it to the top but did not arrive back at the hut until 7pm.

We were at the bottom of the glacier by 10.30am. Here we were glad to peel off some layers, unrope, remove harnesses and drink, drink, drink. We were now at the level of the top of most of the clouds. Some clouds were also intermittently swirling around the summit. Looking up we could still see the Americans.

Clouds billow at the foot of the Jamapa Glacier on Pico de Orizaba

Boiling clouds at the foot of the glacier

After 20 minutes we were ready to move. Whilst going down the snow was a pleasure, if steep, we were now faced with the usual loose terrain found on volcanoes. Here I started slipping behind the others (as well as slipping occasionally on the loose stones). I was tired and a headache was starting to develop. But we were back at the tents before noon and packed up our gear in the swirling murk.

High camp in cloud on the descent

I popped a couple of pills and left a couple of minutes before the others. I was almost half way to the hut before they caught me and we were all back down by 1.15pm. There is not much more to say other than we had the 90 minute roller coaster ride followed by 20 more minutes to Tlachichuca and our accommodation for the night. We never did see a storm though it was a bit gloomy at first the following day.

So that was more or less the end of our Mexican adventure. The following day we went straight to the airport for our flight south. Many thanks to Jagged Globe who made the in-country arrangements and to Miriam Diaz and Ricardo Lugo who ensured a safe and fulfilling experience.

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Thank you for taking the trouble to read this blog.  You can find out more about me by clicking on the “About Me” tab above.

The blog started out just as a mix of mountain climbing and other travel reports interspersed with a few random musings prompted by a trip that I made to Mexico and South America in November and December 2014.  You can find details of that trip using the Tags and the Archive below.

It has since developed into a bit of a resource on the Volcanic Seven Summits or the V7S.  For this the best place to start is probably here.  Comments are welcome!

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