Highpoints of the Americas

On the final highpoint, Huascaran Sur, Peru

Eric Gilbertson

May 26, 2010 – July 27, 2026

The Highpoints of the Americas is a challenging peakbagging objective consisting of climbing 35 country highpoints – the 23 country highpoints of North America plus the 12 country highpoints of South America. Nobody had previously completed this project.

Peaks have difficulties including weeklong jungle bushwhacks (Belize, Suriname), high altitude glaciated peaks (USA, Canada, Peru), high-altitude hiking peaks (Chile, Argentina), technical alpine rock climbs (Venezuela, Colombia, Guyana), politically spicy locations (Haiti, Honduras, Venezueala, Cuba), and landmines (Nicaragua). For three countries, the exact location of the country highpoint was not even known before I vistited the country, and I had to bring professional survey equipment to figure it out (Jamaica, Colombia, and Guyana).

Locations of the highpoints (map from peakbagger.com)

I started this project in 2010 on Denali, the USA highpoint, and between 2010-2015 climbed all 23 North American country highpoints with Matthew. We were the first to complete that project, and finished on Pico Turquino in Cuba in 2015. Around this time Venezuela became politically off-limits for Americans, which meant both the Venezuela and Guyana highpoint, on the Venezuela border, were practically not possible.

Between 2015 to early 2026 I finished climbing all remaining South America country highpoints, and only Venezuela, Guyana, and Peru remained. In January 2026, the US captured and imprisoned the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and this changed the political situation. Venezuela began issuing visas for Americans by March 2026, and by July I managed to climb the Venezuela and Guyana highpoints. I climbed my last highpoint, Huascaran Sur, of Peru, on July 27, 2026, to be the first person to complete the project.

List of the highpoints in reverse order I climbed them, with link to trip reports:

35. July 27, 2026 – Peru, Huascaran Sur
34. July 14, 2026 – Venezuela, Pico Bolivar
33. June 30, 2026 – Guyana, Mt Roraima
32. Jan 4, 2026 – Brazil, Yaripo/Pico da Neblina
31. Sept 7, 2025 – Suriname, Julianatop
30. Dec 23, 2024 – Colombia, Pico Bolivar
29. December 27, 2019 – Ecuador, Chimborazo
28. December 20, 2019 – Bolivia, Sajama
27. December 25, 2017 – Chile, Ojos del Salado
26. December 19, 2017 – Argentina, Aconcagua
25. June 11, 2015 – Cuba, Pico Turquino
24. May 16, 2015 – Canada, Mount Logan
23. September 20, 2014 – Belize, Doyle’s Delight
22. August 25, 2013 – Dominican Republic, Pico Duarte
21. August 23, 2013 – Haiti, Pic la Selle
20. March 30, 2013 – Panama, Volcan Baru
19. March 29, 2013 – Costa Rica, Cerro Chirripo
18. March 27, 2013 – Guatemala, Volcan Tajumulco
17. March 24, 2013 – Nicaragua, Cerro Mogoton
16. March 23, 2013 – Honduras, Cerro Las Minas
15. March 18, 2013 – El Salvador, Cerro El Pital
14. January 7, 2013 – Bahamas, Mount Alvernia
13. January 5, 2013 – Jamaica, Blue Mountain Peak (and June 23, 2026 for a resurvey)
12. January 3, 2013 – Saint Kitts and Nevis, Mount Liamuiga
11. January 2, 2013 – Saint Lucia, Mount Gimie
10. December 31, 2012 – Dominica, Morne Diablotins
9. June 30, 2012 – Paraguay, Cerro Tres Kandu
8. June 29, 2012 – Uruguay, Cerro Catedral
7. March 26, 2012 – Antigua and Barbuda, Mount Obama
6. March 25, 2012 – Barbados, Mount Hillaby
5. March 24, 2012 – St Vincent and the Grenadines, La Soufriere
4. March 23, 2012 – Grenada, Mount Saint Catherine
3. March 22, 2012 – Trinidad and Tobago, Cerro del Aripo
2. January 3, 2012 – Mexico, Pico de Orizaba
1. May 26, 2010 – USA, Denali