Adventurer Jelle Veyt Traveling to Each of The 7 Summits Under Own Power

Mountaineer Jelle Veyt is riding his bike to Aconcagua in his quest to travel to, and climb, the 7 Summits under his own power.

Jelle Veyt in Turbo, Colombia / Jelle Veyt

Jelle Veyt and The 7 Summits

Jelle Veyt, an adventurer from Belgium, takes climbing the iconic 7 Summits to an entirely new level. The 7 Summits, the highest peak on each of the seven continents, not only requires extreme effort to climb but also presents a logistical challenge simply to get to each mountain. Planes, trains, automobiles and boots typically pave the way to arrive safely at the mountains’ base camps. With the exception of the boots, Veyt shuns such pedestrian modes of transport in favor of his own power. His power coupled with boats, skis, bikes and boots propel the Belgian mountaineer to his 7 Summits' destinations. Kristin De Abreu’s Article in ExplorersWeb revealed that Veyt’s travel itineraries have often faced bitter disappointment.

Jelle began his self-powered 7 Summits odyssey in 2013. In 2021 his attempted row from Portugal to Miami came up short due to unmanageable seasickness. He has since abandoned rowing the seas in favor of sailing. Three years later he managed to cycle across America to Alaska and successfully summited Denali (20,321 feet) – the highest peak in North America, to bag his 5th of The 7 Summits. On the move again, Veyt begins his journey to Aconcagua (22,841 feet) – the highest peak in South America. This segment will take place on a bike. Should he find success on Aconcagua he will head to Antarctica to challenge that continent’s highest peak, Mt. Vinson.

Jelle Veyt completes his kayaking portion to Aconcagua / Jelle Veyt

Aconcagua

Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the world outside of Asia, rises to 22,841 feet (6,961 meters). This mountain attracts mountaineers from around the world seeking to climb The 7 Summits and to prepare for higher Himalayan expeditions. The annual climbing season during the southern hemisphere’s austral summer opened on November 1st and will remain open to trekkers and climbers through April 30th. Located in the Andes mountain range of Argentina and near the border with Chile, Aconcagua receives environmental protection as part of the Aconcagua Provincial Park - a protected area known for its stunning alpine scenery. (Related Article on Aconcagua)

While it presents an extremely challenging climb, Veyt’s travel plans appear equally daunting. “I’ll be kayaking from Panama to Colombia, since there are no roads through the Darien Gap. It’s much safer to take this coastal kayaking route than to cross the jungle. This part of the journey will take me about two to three weeks. Afterwards, I’ll be cycling all the way from Colombia to Argentina. The plan? To climb Aconcagua by December 2025,” Veyt said.

Jelle Veyt Kayaks to Columbia / Jelle Veyt

The kayaking journey, which began in mid-October, included many obstacles including massive storms, intense heat, and a run-in with narcos toward the end of his journey to Columbia. After several hours of questioning, the hoodlums allowed Veyt to finish his long kayaking leg. When speaking with ExporersWeb, Veyt conceded that after approximately 11-years into his journey he has allowed an occasional respite from self-power, having recently accepted a bus ride to drop off his kayak in exchange for his bike - his final mode of transportation to Aconcagua. Safely in Columbia with his tuned bike ready to roll, Jelle prepared for the 8,000km journey to South America’s Aconcagua. We will track his ambitious progress and wish him every success.

The 7 Summits

• Mt. Kosciuszko (Australia): 7,310 ft.

• Mt. Vinson (Antarctica): 16,050 ft.

• Mt. Elbrus (Europe): 18,510 ft.

• Mt. Kilimanjaro (Africa): 19,339 ft.

• Denali (North America): 20,321 ft.

• Mt. Aconcagua (South America): 22,840 ft.

• Mt. Everest (Asia): 29,029 ft.