Eastern Iowa Woman Conquers Each of the “Seven Summits”
Known collectively as the "Seven Summits" they are the highest peaks on each of the 7 known continents, and one Eastern Iowa woman has completed the entire quest to reach each one.
General Mills employee Jen Loeb of Marengo started her journey in 2016. Mount Everest alone is considered one of the most challenging mountains to climb, so she decided after hitting the peak there, why not try for all seven? According to KCRG, her attitude towards the quest wasn't quite that casual.
(There) has to be a little bit of fear respect for the mountain. When I decided to do Everest I also decided at that time to complete the seven summits
The final peak, which she completed just a couple of weeks ago, was Vinson Massif in Antarctica. She had visualized achieving something no other Iowa woman had ever done, and Loeb did it.
Make no mistake, she felt her share of fear along the way.
There is nothing ever guaranteed in climbing. There is no guarantee of good success and there is no guarantee of coming home. Some people who asked me if I have a death wish, nothing could be further from the truth. I live life to the fullest. I also wanted to push myself, to see how much I could accomplish, how far I could go
The Seven Summits consist of these peaks:
- Mount Everest (Asia)
- Aconcagua (South America)
- Denali (North America)
- Kilimanjaro (Africa)
- Elbrus (Europe)
- Mount Vinson (Antarctica)
- Puncak Jaya (Australia–Oceania)
I don't know about you, but I am exhausted just thinking about it. Kudos to Eastern Iowa's Jen Loeb and may her next adventure be just as exhilarating and memorable.