TEHRAN - Iranian mountaineer Amin Aziznia has made history by becoming the first Iranian man to conquer the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent.

The seasoned climber, who previously scaled Everest in 2023, embarked on a four-year odyssey to achieve this remarkable feat, motivated in part by a desire to challenge stereotypes about Iranian mountaineering prowess.

“This is a major mountaineering challenge that has been accomplished by many men and women around the world, and I am the first Iranian man to achieve it,” Aziznia said in his exclusive interview with Tehran Times.

“I climbed the highest peaks of each continent: Everest in Asia, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Denali in North America, Aconcagua in South America, Wilhelm in Oceania and Australia, Mont Blanc in Europe, and Vinson in Antarctica, as Antarctica is considered a continent and not just ice.

“This project took me four years, starting with Mont Blanc in Europe, followed by Kilimanjaro, and then the remaining five continents within a year,” he added.

The Iranian climber revealed a pivotal moment in his decision to pursue the Seven Summits challenge.

“One of the things that motivated me to do this was an incident where, at a high altitude, some Americans asked me if Iranians climb mountains and conquer peaks. This bothered me a bit because Iran has many great mountaineers who have broken numerous records in the Himalayas and opened new routes,” he said.

“It was surprising to me that because Iranians don't travel outside of Nepal and Pakistan, they think we don't work in other places. Therefore, it was very important for me to complete this project on other continents to show the world that Iranians can also achieve great things in mountaineering,” Amin Aziznia continued.

Despite the immense physical and financial challenges, Aziznia persevered: “The challenge was also very expensive for me and I spent around three to four hundred thousand US dollars for all these expeditions. I hope this will be the beginning for the Iranians to undertake more climbs on different continents.”

He also talked about himself and his future plans: “About myself, I studied chemical engineering at Sharif University and went to the University of British Columbia in Canada for my doctorate. I live in Vancouver, Canada, but I have a close connection to Iran and I am proud to have raised the Iranian flag on the highest peaks in the world.”

“I started mountaineering in Iran, in the Tochal and Damavand mountains, and fell in love with it and will continue this path. I have targeted several other large mountains in Pakistan, Nepal, and Tibet, as well as some mountains in South America and Central Asia,” Aziznia concluded.