Carstensz stands 4884 meters (16,024 feet) in height and is seen as a bit more of a technical challenge than some of the other Seven Summits. Located in a remote region of Papua New Guinea, it takes several days to trek into Base Camp, where climbers are faced with the start of a rocky and challenging ascent that features an exposed approach to the summit.
Alan set off for New Guinea last week and of course it requires considerable travel time just to get to the island. Since then, he's had to wait on some logistical hurdles to be cleared so that he could actually begin the expedition in ernest. You can read about those issues on his always well written blog, and today's update indicates that he is en route to the Pyramid at last. Considering Carstensz is the one peak in the Seven Summits that I know the least about, I'm particularly looking forward to reading Alan's thoughts on the climb.
Once he's done in New Guinea, he'll next fly off to Australia, where he'll take a stroll up Mt. Kosciuszko, the tallest mountain on that continent at 2228 meters (7310 feet). Depending on your definition of the Seven Summits, which is to climb the highest peak on each of the seven continents, Kosciuszko is often included on the list. Most climbers going for this achievement climb both Carstensz and Kosciuszko just to have all of their bases covered.
After these two climbs are complete, Alan will have just one mountain remaining on his list. That is of course Denali, the tallest peak in North America. He attempted to climb that peak in July, but bad weather denied Alan the summit. We'll have to wait to see if the mountain is a bit more accommodating next summer.