The Seven Third Summits are the third-highest mountains of each of the seven continents. All of these mountain peaks are separate peaks rather than a sub-peak of the continents' high point. Christian Stangl from Austria claims to be the first person to reach the summit of all seven third summit mountains by climbing Puncak Mandala and Puncak Trikora. He did this as a part of his Triple Seven Summits project. However, this claim is controversial since Stangl chose Sumantri (4,870 m (15,978 ft)) as his second summit on the Australian continent (according to peakbagger.com); and Puncak Mandala (4,758 m (15,610 ft)) as the third summit; the former being higher in the past due to its glacier (now melted), and the latter considered the actual second summit.
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Seven Third Summits definitions
The definition of continent is a matter of some dispute among mountaineers seeking to complete this challenge.
The main ridge of the Greater Caucasus range is generally considered to form the boundary between Europe and Asia. In that case, Mount Elbrus (5,642 m (18,510 ft)) and Dykh-Tau (5,205 m (17,077 ft)), are the two highest mountains in Europe. Excluding the Caucasus Mountains, Mont Blanc (4,808 m (15,774 ft)) and Monte Rosa (4,634 m (15,203 ft)) would be Europe's two highest mountains.
The Australian continent is defined as comprising the mainland of Australia and proximate islands on the same continental shelf, including Tasmania and New Guinea. In the convention of the seven continents, one of the continents is the region of Australasia, which includes for example the mountainous islands of New Zealand. For both the geological and conventional continent, New Guinea's Puncak Jaya / Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 m (16,024 ft)) and Puncak Mandala (4,758 m (15,610 ft)) are the two highest summits. When considering a continent as a continuous landmass surrounded by oceans, mainland Australia would be its own continent, with Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 m (7,310 ft)) and Mount Townsend (2,209 m (7,247 ft)) as its two highest summits.
The Bass and Messner list
The Third Seven Summits list follows the Seven Summits list created by Richard Bass, who chose the highest mountain of mainland Australia, Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 m (7,310 ft)), to represent the Australian continent's highest summit. Reinhold Messner proposed another list (the Messner or Carstensz list) replacing Mount Kosciuszko with Western New Guinea's Puncak Jaya (4,884 m (16,024 ft)), which is part of Indonesia.
Following the Bass list, Mount Twynam is the third-highest summit (2,196 m (7,205 ft)) in Australia. According to the Messner list, Puncak Trikora (4,750 m) on New Guinea is the third-highest of the Australian continent. Heights of mountain peaks in West Papua are poorly established. However, SRTM data do support Puncak Mandala being taller than Puncak Trikora.
Both lists consider the Caucasus Mountains as European. This makes Shkhara (5,193 m (17,037 ft)), located on the border between Georgia and Russia, the third-highest summit in Europe. Those who exclude the Caucasus Mountains from Europe will count Dom (4,545 m (14,911 ft)), located in Switzerland, as Europe's third-highest summit.