How the 7 Summits Got Their Names

You may have heard of the seven summits ofis the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
the world, the highest mountains in each of theWhile the exact meaning of the word Kilimanjaro
seven continents: Aconcagua, Carstensz Pyramid,is unknown it is thought to be a mixture of the
Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Denali, Vinson, and of courseSwahili and Kichagga languages to mean (just like
Mt Everest. But do you know the origins of theirSnowdon and Mont Blanc) white mountain. Boring
names? Didn't think so. Many mountains haveright? Not when we consider the other Swahili
some kind of elaborate story behind their nativename for the mountain: Uhuru. The word Uhuru in
names, and some are just, well, boring. There areSwahili means freedom (specifically from non
lots of mountains such as Snowdon, Mont Blanc,black races) and was a name given to the
Dhalugiri and countless others which are simplymountain to commemorate Tanzanian
local terms for 'white mountain'. So, do theindependence from Great Britain in 1961. Uhuru is
magnificent seven summits of the world have aalso the name for a supposed planned attack on
decent name to back them up?all South African whites in the future, which will
Mt Everestfollow the death of Nelson Mandela.
At the time of its first measurement (by meansMount Elbrus
of triganomic calculation), Everest was namedDue to its location in the Caucasus Range of
peak XV. When the time came to give it aRussia on the border of Asia and Europe, there is
'proper' name, Andrew Waugh, the surveyor whodispute as to whether Mount Elbrus should be
discovered the official height, wanted to preservecounted as Europe's highest peak or if the title
the name which the local Nepalese gave theshould instead go to Mont Blanc (that one with the
mountain. This was quite hard as the Tibetan andboring name). Fortunately for me, Mount Elbrus is
Nepalese borders were closed to foreigners atofficially in Europe and I can make this section a
the time. Despite this many native names werebit more interesting than writing 'because it has
known for Everest (most famously Chomolungmasnow on it'. Saying that, the translation of Elbrus
which means 'Earth Mother') but Waugh found itfrom Arabic is, surprise surprise, white mountain!
hard to pick a favourite. Instead, he decided toThankfully there are several meanings behind the
name it after his chief Colonel Sir George Everest.name. It can also mean 'twin peaks' which is quite
Interestingly Everest (the man) rejected thean obvious name when you look at it. More
proposal for the name as it was unable to beinterestingly, Elbrus is a different spelling of the
written in Hindi and the local natives couldn't toword Alborz, which, as well as being a mountain
pronounce it. Regardless, in 1865 the Royalrange in Iran, it is a legendary mountain in Persian
Geographical Society officially named the highestmythology. Mount Hara (known as Alborz) was
mountain in the world Mount Everest.supposedly the first mountain on earth and grew
Aconcaguain 800 years with its roots growing deep into the
The origin of the name of the highest mountain inground and its peak attached to the sky, with the
South America is disputed, with three possibilitiessun, moon and stars all moving around it.
given. The names given from the QuechuanMount Vinson
language were Ackon Cahuak and Anco Cahuac,The Vinson Massif is located in Antarctica, roughly
which mean 'sentinel of stone' and 'white sentinel'750 miles from the South Pole, and is home to
respectively. Other indigenous peoples of theMount Vinson, the highest mountain of Antarctica.
Andes, the Mapuche, called the mountainAs well as being the highest mountain in
Aconca-Hue, meaning 'comes from the other side'.Antarctica, the Vinson Massif also boasts the title
Why they gave it these names is a mystery,of coldest mountain on Earth with a record low of
however 'comes from the other side' is known to−128.6 °F (-53.6 °C). It was first seen
refer to the Aconcagua River.(although it was thought to exist before this) in
Denali1958 by a US Navy aircraft that was flying over
Mount Denali, the highest mountain in Northernthe area. Mount Vinson was officially named in
America, is located in Alaska. There has been2006 by the US Advisory Committee on Arctic
some controversy over the years as to theNames after congressman Carl Vinson, a keen
name of the mountain, with the Americanssupporter of Arctic exploration who provided
preferring to call it Mount McKinley, and prettysubstantial funding.
much everyone else wanting to call it its nativeCarstensz Pyramid
name Denali. The name Denali came from theNow known as Puncak Jaya, this mountain is
native peoples of Alaska called the Athabaskanslocated on the island of New Guinea and is the
and translates as 'The Great/High One'. Americanhighest in Indonesia. The mountain was named
naming of the mountain came in 1897 when aCarstensz Pyramid by Dutch explorer (New
gold miner from New York, William Dickey, namedGuinea was formerly a Dutch colony) Jan
the mountain after the Republican presidentialCarstensz in 1623 who, when he returned to
nominee William McKinley. Despite popular pressureEurope, was ridiculed for claiming that there was a
from everyone who isn't a republican from themountain so close to the equator with snow on it.
USA to change the official name back to Denali,The current name of the mountain, Puncak Jaya,
American congressmen in charge of namingcame about in the 1960s when Indonesia took
geographical features have kept the mountain ascontrol of the province it lies in. The name was
Mount McKinley.first changed to Puncak Soekarno after the
Kilimanjaropresident of Indonesia, but was later changed to
Situated in North East Tanzania, Mount KilimanjaroPuncak Jaya, Jaya meaning 'victorious' or 'glorious'.