A personal message Robert Alt wrote from his expedition in Antarctica to The Buckeye Institute’s supporters on December 29, 2022, explaining the inspirational role his late father plays in his mountain climbing.

Location: Antarctica
Height: 16,050 feet (4,892 meters)

Located within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains in the western part of the continent, Vinson Massif overlooks the Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is characterized by extremely cold, harsh, and remote conditions. Discovered in 1935 by American Lincoln Ellsworth, its first successful summit occurred in 1966 by an expedition organized jointly by the American Alpine Club (AAC) and National Geographic Society. It was named for Carl Vinson, a U.S. congressman (D-GA) who championed the exploration of Antarctica.

Location: Western Papua (Indonesia) – Oceania
Height: 16,024 feet (4,884 meters)

Located in the Sudirman Range of the west-central highlands on the island of New Guinea. It was first summitted in 1962 by an expedition led by Austrian Heinrich Harrer (author of Seven Years in Tibet, 1953), New Zealander Philip Temple, Australian Russell Kippax, and Dutch Albertus Huizenga