The seasons of the 7 summits

Nine in ten summits of Everest on our record were reached in May. On Vinson almost every one falls between late November and January. Kilimanjaro, by contrast, is climbed in every month of the year.

These figures come from the dated ascents of the 7 summits finishers on our record, counting only dates known to the month or the day. That is about 4,000 summits. They show when finishers actually stood on top, which is not always when the brochures say the season is.

Everest: May, and very little else

Of 660 dated Everest summits, 612 fall in May. October and June add about 20 each, and the rest of the year is close to empty.

The reason is the jet stream. For a few weeks before the monsoon it lifts off the summit, and the winds drop enough to climb. Expeditions spend April acclimatizing, then wait for the window. The Everest guide covers both sides of the mountain, and the FAQ on Nepal or Tibet compares them.

Vinson and Aconcagua: the southern summer

Vinson is the most compressed of all. Of 542 dated summits, 297 were in December and 210 in January, with a few in late November. Outside that window there is no flight to the mountain.

Aconcagua runs a little longer. Almost half of its 485 summits fall in January, with February and December next. The park normally issues permits from 15 November to the end of March, and the high season runs from 15 December to 31 January. For 2026-27 the permit window is shorter, from 1 December to 15 February, after heavy snow. The FAQ on the Aconcagua season has the park's dates.

Denali and Elbrus: the northern summer

Denali peaks in June, with 58 percent of its summits, and May and July share most of the rest. Early May is colder, while late July brings softer snow bridges on the glacier.

Elbrus is a July and August mountain: two thirds of its summits fall in those two months. June and September are quieter and colder, and a few strong parties climb it in spring. The FAQ on the best months for Elbrus goes into the weather.

Kilimanjaro: every month, with two dips

Kilimanjaro has no single season. August and February are the busiest months, each with about one summit in six, and January and September follow close behind.

The dips are the rains. April and May together hold just 4 percent of the summits, during the long rains, and November is quiet during the short ones. You can climb in the wet months, and the FAQ on the rainy seasons explains what changes.

Carstensz Pyramid: windows set by people, not weather

Carstensz Pyramid sits close to the equator, where the weather is wet in every month. Its summits cluster in October and November, then March, and those peaks follow the permit and departure windows that organisers run rather than any dry season. This year the autumn window closed early, when wildfire smoke grounded the helicopters.

Kosciuszko: the Australian summer, mostly

Kosciuszko is climbed all year, with the most summits from October to January. The winter months, June to August, hold the fewest, when the walk becomes a snow trip. The FAQ on Kosciuszko in winter covers that version.

What this means for a plan

Because the seasons overlap so little, a 7 summits calendar almost plans itself. The southern summer covers Aconcagua and Vinson. Spring is for Everest, and early summer for Denali, then Elbrus. Kilimanjaro and Kosciuszko fill the gaps.

The statistics page shows these summit windows for every peak, drawn live from the same records.