Today, hundreds of people have accomplished one or another version of the Seven Summits Mountaineering Challenge. In some mountaineering circles, there is some depression that all the really historical mountaineering feats have been accomplished. One article in Alpine Journal opined, "The original reports of the first ascenders of these mountains arouse nostalgic feelings. It took them months or even years to reach their goals; their expeditions were real in the sense of the Latin word expeditio, which means travelling to foreign unknown hostile country where the outcome is uncertain. I envy Stuck, Grove, Meyer, Zurbriggen, Hillary, Harrer and all the others for their adventures which are not repeatable any more."
At the same time, it has become apparent that only those with financial resources are able to pull off the Seven Summits challenge. Rock and Ice in an editorial piece decried how the wealthy have simply dominated what was once a pristine challenge of outdoor sport. There is some truth to this. As detailed by Men's Journal, it costs roughly $60,000 to climb Everest alone between permits, gear, equipment, and hiring assistants. The Vinson Massif is slightly cheaper between $40,000 to $50,000.
Because of this, some mountaineering purists have called for harder mountaineering challenges that mirror the Seven Summits.
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