7 Summits with a Purpose is an initiative that started in 2012 by Saray Khumalo when she summited Mount Kilimanjaro. After climbing the mountain she set her sights in summiting the rest of world's seven highest peaks for the purpose of raising funds for the Nelson Mandela Library Project. By summiting the Seven Summits and becoming the first African female to summit Mount Everest, Saray aims to be an example to the next generation of African leaders; to inspire them to pursue their dreams and summit their everyday peaks in education and other spheres of life, knowing that nothing is impossible if we dare to dream!

The 7 Summits are the highest point on each of the seven continents around the world. It is a goal for climbers around the world and at least 350 people had successfully completed the 7 Summits by 2012 with at least 50 of them being women. About 30% of the 7 summiteers have climbed both the Australia's Kosciuszko (2228m) and New Guinea's Carstensz Pyramid, aka Puncak Jaya (4884m) located on the Oceania continent.
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Dick Bass the first 7 Summitter, choose Australia as one of the 7 continents and Kosciuszko as it's mainland high point. However Canadian Pat Morrow, who was competing with Bass to finish the 7 challenged Bass's summit of Australia's Mt. Kosciuszko as the highest peak in Oceania saying that Carstensz Pyramid on Irian Jaya (Papua) in Indonesia's New Guinea was the true highpoint for the Australasian continental mass. Italian Reinhold Messner jumped in and agreed with Morrow. Today Carstensz is considered one of the seven but some 7 Summiteers try to bag the lower Kosciuszko to meet both the Bass and the Messner lists.

Below is a list of the 7 Summits:

Everest, Nepal - 8850m
Aconcagua, Argentina – 6980m
Denali, Alaska – 6194m
Kilimanjaro, Africa – 5896m
Elbrus, Russia – 5642m
Vinson, Antarctica – 4897m
Carstensz Pyramid, New Guinea – 4884m

So far Saray has summited:

Mt Kilimanjaro (5896) – summit 2012;
Elbrus traverse (5642) – summit 2014;
Aconcagua traverse (6980) – summit 2015;
Everest expedition attempt:
2014 reached Everest Base camp - Mountain closed after an avalanche that claimed 16 Sherpa lives
2015 reached Everest Camp 2 - Expedition abandoned after an earthquake in Nepal

For more information on Saray Khumalo and her Seven Summits with a Purpose expedition, click on her website logo at the bottom of the page.