5 Famous Summit Climbers

In order to make the list of 5 famous summit climbers, one must reach the highest point of a mountain. Of course, these 5 famous summit climbers have done more than that. These brave soles have reached the tops of multiple mountains, won climbing competitions, and overcome life-threatening obstacles.

1. Richard Bass. Richard Bass did not stop with one summit, he became the first man to summit the tallest mountain on each continent (an achievement referred to as "Seven Summits"). He also holds the record for oldest man to have climbed Mount Everest. 
2. Samantha Larson. The only female to make the list of 5 famous summit climbers, Samantha Larson gained summit fame when she became the youngest climber to climb the "Seven Summits," a task which she began at just twelve-years-old. In 2007, she became the youngest person to climb Mount Everest at eighteen-years-old.
3. Sir Edmund Hillary. You have a pretty good chance of making the list of 5 famous summit climbers when you are the first person on earth to summit Mount Everest. In addition to reaching the top of the worlds most famous mountain, Hillary became a well-known philanthropist and was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1953.
4. Reinhold Messner. Reinhold Messner may be considered the most extreme climber to make the list of 5 famous summit climbers. Known for his daring climbs, including a climb of Mount Everest without any supplemental oxygen, he was the first mountaineer to summit all fourteen mountains that are at least 8,000 meters high.
5. Christian Stangl. Christian Stangl is famous for his unique way of getting up mountains. Stangl practices what he calls "skyrunning," in which he runs up high mountains directly from base camp to the summit and back without the aid of supplementary oxygen.