Wanaka adventurer seven times on high

Wanaka adventurer Guy Cotter is back home after becoming the fourth New Zealander to reach the peak of the highest summits on the seven continents.

He completed the task this month when he climbed North America's highest peak, Mt Denali (6194m) - something he first attempted 14 years ago.

Cotter, 42, guided world-record breaking climber Annabelle Bond, 36, of Britain to the top of Mt Denali.

She became the youngest and fastest woman to achieve the seven summits, completing the mission in a year and raising US$1.5 million ($2.1 million) for a cancer charity.

Her success, just four days within her deadline of May 15, was a highlight of Cotter's trip, and climbing Denali was a career highlight for himself, he said.

"It really is a great, big, cold and remote mountain. An extreme wilderness. It is different to the Himalayas, where you have Sherpa support. At Denali you have to carry enough own fuel and food [on foot] for 21 days."

Cotter, the director of Wanaka-based company Adventure Consultants, had always wanted to return to Mt Denali after his first attempt.

He is a leading high-altitude mountain guide, so it seemed inevitable he would one day chalk up the seven summits, but had not set a time frame to do it.

- NZPA