Seven Summits details the coming together of two professional businessmen, for one common goal, to climb the highest peak on each continent. The surprising part of the story? Neither one has much, if any, climbing experience.

Dick Bass is an entrepreneur and the owner of Snowbird Ski Resort. While telling an elaborate story one evening at Snowbird, he happens to be chided by a female employee after finding out she is a guide on Mt. McKinley. He asks her to guide him, and her reply was icy, “Bass, your hot air won’t get you up that mountain.” This propels him to prove her wrong, and he succeeds. The event inspires him to such a monumental degree, he dreams up the Seven Summit quest.

Frank Wells, at the time, was an executive with Warner Brother’s studios. He’d met a professional adventurer named Jack Wheeler through Clint Eastwood, and told him he had a dream of climbing the Seven Summits. Through a twist of fate, Jack had recently met Dick Bass just before Dick climbed Mt. Mckinley. He realized Dick and Frank were about the same age and set up a meeting between them. He had hoped Dick would give Frank some pointers about Mt. Mckinley, not even realizing both men had the same goal.

Thus, the true of start of the story. Two businessmen, in their early fifties, decide to engage on this adventure that takes them though trials unexpected. Their naivety buoys them forward in such a manner, it is an asset, as they lack any self doubt in their initial plans. Successful in their careers, they can’t fathom anything from stopping them.

The stakes continually get higher. They start with Mt. Elbrus, which Dick summits, but Frank does not. As Frank attempts to get in better shape, a too good to be true offer comes along for both men. An American group had two openings on their trip to Everest, and they offered the men a chance to join if they would help finance the expedition. Frank must then choose between his job, and an attempt at climbing Mt. Everest.

Frank decides to go ahead with the climb, and joins Dick Bass on Mt. Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America, two months prior to the Everest trip. Frank has now failed summitting Mt. Elbrus, Rainier, and a volcano in Hawaii (the latter two were training attempts). He has quit his job, and raised the stakes, despite his recent failures.

The trip to Everest is not without tragedy, and this was only their second of the Seven Summits to attempt. While the story overall is not without some bravado, it is an interesting read about two men's journey on a crazy quest. To keep you entertained on a cold winter’s day, curl up with a blanket and read the rest of the story!