Christian Stangl made it...

The seven highest summits of all continents within a glimpse of time to become world record.

Vienna – December 9th, 2007. Nine hours and ten minutes from the base camp to the summit: Extreme alpinist Christian Stangl has reached Mount Vinson’s peak – with it’s 4,892 m the highest mountain of the Antarctica. Thus the Austrian has climbed the last peak of his „Seven Summits Speed-Tour“: He managed the seven highest mountain giants in a record breaking time. All in all it took the outstanding athlete 58 hours and 45 minutes to the summits of all seven mountains: Vinson, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Carstensz, McKinley and Everest.

Christian Stangl made it: After nine hours and ten minutes of skyrunning he reached the highest point of the Antarctica last friday at around four p.m. local time. The former record was held by Slovenian alpinists who made it in 19 hours. Stangl has atomised this time.

Stangl started from the base camp at an altitude of about 2,200 meters and at minus 15 degree Celsius. The first eight kilometers to the foot of the Vinson the Styrian went by ski. From there he carried the skis on his shoulders put on the crampons and continiued in fast pace uphill.
„No problems, everything went accordig to schedule. Only on the shady side of the mountain it was extremely uncomfortable as icicles grew out of my nose and mouth,“ claims Stangl. 200 meters under the peak a steep and rocky wall had to be managed. Finally there was the summit at 4,892 meters, at the comfortable temperature of minus 15 degress, no wind, clear blue sky. An intensive awareness of success and the pride of having conquered seven mountains in a record breaking time.

„The feeling was beyond description – all white around me, snow as far as you could see, an amazing and exhiliarating view,“ Stangl continues. Then - time to go back. To descend from the very top by ski , as initially planned was not possible. On the foot of the rock Stangl put on his skies and speeded downhill. After another two and a half hours Stangl reached a camp at the foot of Mount Vinson, where an Austrian team of mountaineers was about to get settled. The collegues welcomed him with standing ovations. The weather got worse and worse. However, Stangl concludes „for a skyrun a tiny gap of good weather is sufficient, and this is exactly what I was the case at the Vinson.“

The „Seven Summits“, the seven highest mountains of the continents, are what many alpinists dream of. Stangl has now made them all: Vinson, Everest, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Carstenz and McKinley. And within times which most of us can hardly even imagine, he is now keeping the world record for all of them: 49 minutes for the Carstensz-Pyramid in Indonesia or 16 hours and 42 minutes for the Everest. In a total of 58 hours and ten minutes - the absolute record time for all seven mountains. Just as a comparison: if one would add all hours needed to reach those summits so far this would result in a total 500.

Christian Stangl is Mr. Skyrun. A Skyrunner climbs alone without crew, artificial oxygene and camps. He takes the fastest track against the clock. The Skyrunner wears only light gear. Christian Stangls aim in skyrunning is to make each of the highest mountains in a single day.

Seven Summits – all moutains, time needed (base camp to summit)

Mt. Vinson 4.892m Antarctica 9h 10 min

Mt. Mc.Kinley/Denali 6.194m USA 16h 45min

Carstensz Pyramide 4.884m Indonesia 49min

Mt. Everest 8.848m China 16h 42min

Mt .Elbrus 5.643m Russia 5h 18min

Kilimandscharo 5.895m Tansania 5h 36min

Aconcagua 6.956m Argentine 4h 25min

Total: 58h 45min