Solo climber scales 6th of `7 summits`

Solo climber scales 6th of `7 summits`
The Yomiuri Shimbun

A Sapporo mountaineer reached the summit of the highest mountain in Antarctica early Saturday, leaving only Mt. Everest remaining in his bid to scale the highest peaks on all seven continents by himself.

Nobukazu Kuriki reached the top of the 4,897-meter Mt. Vinson Massif at 2:57 a.m. According to Kuriki`s backers in Sapporo, he had originally planned to make his ascent on Tuesday, but good weather and other conditions enabled him to attack the summit from Camp Three, the closest camp to the top at a height of about 4,200 meters, at about 8 p.m. Friday.

"I made it [to the top]," a composed Kuriki, 25, told his backers by telephone on his return to the camp later that morning. "The weather was great and I`m in good shape."

"It`s going to be tough as we don`t have much time, so let`s work hard together," Kuriki said of his scheduled attempt on the 8,848-meter peak of Mt. Everest in the spring.

Kuriki made the first of his solitary climbs in June 2004, when he scaled North America`s highest peak--Alaska`s Mt. McKinley.

He followed this with successful attempts on South America`s Mt. Aconcagua (Argentina), Europe`s Mt. Elbrus (Russia), Africa`s Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), and Oceania`s Mt. Carstensz Pyramid (Papua New Guinea).