What is the 7th summit: is it Carstensz, Kosciuszko or Mt Cook??

[7summits]

This is a poll about the classic 7th summit issue:
Possible answers:
- Carstensz Pyramid, Irian Jaya
- Mt Kosciuszko, Australia
- Mt Cook, New Zealand
- I don't know
- I don't care, but this site is cool ;-}

Is Autralia a continent as Encyclopedia Britannica says so? But then there would be 6 summits as Eurasia is one continent. Is it a political border? Or a geaographical one? Oceania vs Australia?

Many sides of the story are explained in this FAQ. But what do you think?

Looking forward to seeing your votes and comments here!

[peak_bagger]

I dont think Kociuszko is even a question, as the highest peak in australia is Mawson peak at 2745m
this peak is located on heard island which is part of Australian teritory

[Ronald Naar]

It is Hkkabo Razi in Burma.

I plan to climb it in august 2003.

[7summits]

Well, 'Ronald', I thought that most Australians would know that Burma /Myanmar is part of the Asian continent  

It is Hkkabo Razi in Burma.

I plan to climb it in august 2003.

[Matt B]

Kociuszko is definately a consideration.  If the continents are defined as a large land masses, islands are excluded - they are not part of any continent.  Else if we're talking the division of the entire political world into 7 units "continent" then it's Carstensz.  

I dont think Kociuszko is even a question, as the highest peak in australia is Mawson peak at 2745m
this peak is located on heard island which is part of Australian teritory

[peak_bagger]

if were talking political boundries than is'nt Carstwnsz in Indoneasia which is part of asia, and as we all know the highest peak in asia is everest.

we must remember that a continent is difined by land mass and not political boundies,

Kociuszko is definately a consideration.  If the continents are defined as a large land masses, islands are excluded - they are not part of any continent.  Else if we're talking the division of the entire political world into 7 units "continent" then it's Carstensz.  

I dont think Kociuszko is even a question, as the highest peak in australia is Mawson peak at 2745m
this peak is located on heard island which is part of Australian teritory

[Attic Tony]

Kosciuszko is the highest point on the Australian landmass.
But, although most of Indonesia is part of Asia, Irian Jaya is part of the Australian continent in the same way as, for example, the UK is part of Europe. So Carstensz is the true 7th summit.
I'd still climb both though  

[trunl]

it is well documented in our history that there are in fact SEVEN continents North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Antarctica, AND Australia.

[Ron]

Kosciuszko is the highest point on the Australian landmass.
But, although most of Indonesia is part of Asia, Irian Jaya is part of the Australian continent in the same way as, for example, the UK is part of Europe. So Carstensz is the true 7th summit.
I'd still climb both though  

i agree m8

[trunl]

actually that would mean that there is no 7th summit as you describe a land mass as a continent a and carstensz in the highest oceania one

[dave]

This is ridiculous , Australia is a continent and Kosciousko is the highest point.

Just admit the reason its not here is because its too flat and easy to climb.  That's the real reason its not on the list.

Let's just be honest! ! !

[7summits]

This is ridiculous , Australia is a continent and Kosciousko is the highest point.
Just admit the reason its not here is because its too flat and easy to climb.  That's the real reason its not on the list.
Let's just be honest! ! !

Well, thanks for your comment. Kilimanjaro is just as easy to climb, but that is not the point. We think it is ridiculous to exclude non-volcanic islands that are on the same continental plate. The Torres Strait, which is only abot 15 meter deep now was not there between 20-60,000 years ago. Back then the island of Guinea was even connected by a landbridge to Australia!
You can read abou the remaining islands and their history here.
If there is another ice age, than the strait will be dry again, so then suddenly Guinea is part of the continent again? According to your vision, on which continent is an island like Jersey? Or Schiermonnikoog for that matter  
Check out this site about the history of Papua. Here's a quote:

The first settlers to Papua New Guinea migrated from Southeast Asia probably at least 40,000 years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch, or ice age. At that time the polar ice caps were larger than they are today, and with more water locked in the ice caps, the oceans were considerably shallower. Many of the present Indonesian islands were part of the Asian landmass, so there were fewer water barriers to human migration. New Guinea was attached to Australia and to Indonesia’s easternmost islands by a land bridge, although it was separated from Indonesia’s central islands by water.

[trunl]

we're not talking 20-60,000 years ago. we're talking about today.

[7summits]

The continents are the same today, just the water level is a few meters higher. You tell me how that changes the continents underneath?
You tell me on what continent Papua is? And the UK? And Tasmania?

[trunl]

Papua is part of asia. it is listed as it being part of asia in several sources. just tell me if you want me to find some, and i will.

[Ron]

Reveal your sources

[trunl]

in yahoo weather, you go to asia, then papua.

in www.hrw.org/doc?t=asia&c=png, you go to asia, then papua.

papua is listed in Asia Business Today.

at cartographic.com, you look at maps of asia, and papua is listed under there.

is that good enough?

[7summits]

in yahoo weather, you go to asia, then papua.

in www.hrw.org/doc?t=asia&c=png, you go to asia, then papua.

papua is listed in Asia Business Today.

at cartographic.com, you look at maps of asia, and papua is listed under there.

is that good enough?

No. As asked before, what about the UK, Tasmania, Schiermonnikoog?
And maybe even more important: what about Papua New Guinea, the other half of the same island?? Politically (as that is what you mean) this belongs to Australia. Would that mean that one island belongs to 2 continents?
You can as much find yahoo pages as you want, but it will not change the fact that Papua/PNG are on the same continental shelf as australia, just like tasmania. All other Indonesian islands (that were never connected to Papua) are on the asian shelf. The fact that Indonesia took Papua over from the Dutch (in 1962) does not mean it is suddenly on teh asian shelf, nor does it mean that under the Dutch it was part of the European continent. Politics and geology are 2 completely different things.

[trunl]

i completely understand what u are saying. first of all, if a single island can be split between countries, then, yes, it can be split between two continents, even if it is on the australian shelf. second of all, show me a single source that states what you say. i gave you 4.

[7summits]

first of all, if a single island can be split between countries, then, yes, it can be split between two continents, even if it is on the australian shelf. second of all, show me a single source that states what you say. i gave you 4.

This is the silliest thing I ever heard
You have no clue what a continent or geology is. Clearly a waste of my time.
Check out the Carstensz list and tell those climbers that they are all stupid and that you will tell them what a continent is.
Let's agree to disagree, ok, and leave this thread open for others...