Johann Peries, the first Sri Lankan man, and the second Sri Lankan to summit Mt Everest, set upon the quest of scaling the “Seven Summits” – the highest peaks in each of the seven continents.
He has now climbed five of them: Mt Everest (Asia), Mt Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mt Kosciuszkow (Australia), Mt Aconcagua (South America), and most recently Mt Denali (North America). He was unable to summit the last two due to adverse weather.
Now, Johann is undertaking the sixth mountain in the series of seven – the highest peak in Europe, Mt Elbrus, in Russia. After this, he will attempt Mt McKinley, in Antarctica – in 2024. Johann left for Mt Elbrus on Tuesday, attempting to, yet again, take the Sri Lankan flag to the summit.
Johann said, “When I set off for the seven summits, I knew that the dreams and wishes of the entire country were with me. I hope my efforts to tackle the great outdoors will resonate with more and more Sri Lankans and they will be encouraged to step out and try new physical activities to test their endurance and build the tenacity to achieve their dreams. The pride that I feel in unfurling the national flag on the world’s highest peaks is overwhelming. I would like to thank all my partners and well-wishers for their support of my latest endeavour.”