Peries eyes Mount Denali to complete Seven Summits challenge

Peries is the first Sri Lankan to summit Mount Vinson in Antarctica

Peries returned to Sri Lanka on February 24 after successfully summiting Mount Vinson in Antarctica, becoming the first Sri Lankan to do so

He added that the support he has received from people in Sri Lanka has been both overwhelming and wonderful

He was the second Sri Lankan to summit Mount Everest back in 2018

The feat of achieving ‘The Seven Summits challenge’ has been accomplished by only around 360 individuals worldwide

Sri Lankan mountaineer Johann Peries is just one summit away from completing the world’s most coveted mountaineering achievement—the Seven Summits challenge. Peries returned to Sri Lanka on February 24 after successfully summiting Mount Vinson in Antarctica, becoming the first Sri Lankan to do so, followed by Mount Aconcagua in Argentina. This leaves him with Mount Denali in Alaska to complete the challenge. 

The Seven Summits challenge involves scaling the highest peaks on each of the seven continents, a feat accomplished by only around 360 individuals worldwide. Peries had already summitted four peaks previously: Mount Everest (Nepal, Asia), Mount Kosciuszko (Australia), Mount Elbrus (Russia, Europe) and Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania, Africa). He was the second Sri Lankan to summit Mount Everest back in 2018.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror about his experience, Peries noted that he first took on the challenge of Mount Vinson before attempting Mount Aconcagua. “The logistics of getting to Antarctica, where there is no civilization, were very exciting. You have to reach a place called Union Glacier — that’s where everyone gathers. It’s a camp, and they call it a little village. This is where all the infrastructure is. From there, you take another flight on a snow plane to the base camp — the climb begins from this point,” he said. 

Peries explained that due to bad weather, he was unable to reach base camp for 13 days. “Finally, when the weather cleared, we were able to reach base camp and begin the climb, which we successfully summitted. What’s noteworthy about the climb in Antarctica is that the view consists of nothing but black, white, and blue — rock, snow, and the blue sky. It was very different from all the other climbs I had done before, and it was special to be there,” he observed.

The climb took Peries a total of seven days to complete.

Due to the 13-day delay, his time for rest and recuperation before attempting Mount Aconcagua was cut short. “I had only three days to recover,” he stressed. “It was really tough — my feet were swollen and bleeding, but I had to make a conscious effort and keep the two days to fly back to Punta Arenas in Chile, and thereafter to Mendoza in Argentina. So I flew there during those two days and the rest of the time I just stayed in the hotel with my legs up on the bed and rested because I needed the swelling to go down and the injuries to heal. Then, I was ready to start Mount Aconcagua in just three days,” he reminisced. 

Mount Aconcagua was also a successful summit for Peries. “The entire climb took 20 days. This was very different, as there was a lot of rock. We had a three-day walk just to reach base camp, trekking over rock, dust, and shrub—it felt like going through a desert. From the base camp, you finally see the mountain, and as you start the climb, you begin experiencing a bit of ice and snow,” he said.

Mount Denali is the final peak on the list, which Peries will be attempting to conquer in late May. Although he had previously attempted Mount Denali in 2023, he was forced to turn back on day 21 due to an approaching storm. “The season is the same as when I went in 2023, but nature is beyond our control, so I’ll have to pray for good weather and hope it lasts,” he remarked.

He added that the support he has received from people across the island has been both overwhelming and wonderful. As he prepares for the final mountain of the Seven Summits challenge, he hopes for even greater participation. “The people of Sri Lanka have been following my journey and standing by me, which has been a huge source of strength. I would love for that support to grow — for there to be more enthusiasm and participation in this final summit. Having the encouragement, strength and energy of everyone behind me will help me reach the top,” he said.

When asked how he plans to celebrate upon reaching the summit of Mount Denali, Peries said with a laugh, “I would love to pop a bottle of champagne up there, if that’s possible, to complete the 7th summit and say that it’s finally complete, but taking a bottle of champagne up the mountain is going to be a challenge. But I will think of something so that I can end it with a finale!”

 In 2018, Johann Peries became the second Sri Lankan to summit Mt. Everest