Mom Of seven Climbs 2nd Highest Summits On 7 Continents

What drives some to train for marathons or extreme sports or climb mountains?  

It takes not only training, drive, and courage, you need a level of passion very few are distined to realize.  After a tragic car accident in 2018, 

Jenn Drummond, the mother of seven, a successful business owner, decided then to live a more adventurous life. 

The Utah outdoor enthusiast began her incredible journey at Ojos Del Salado in Chile/Argentina, 

South America in December, 2020, and completed her seventh summit at Mount Logan in the Yukon Territories in June, 2023. 

She became the first  woman to climb  the 2nd highest summits on each of the seven continents. The now world record holder, author and podcaster host of Seek  Photo Credit James Patrick 

Your Next Summit, shares her passion for mountaineering, describing the seven summits, and what is next for her.

Christine had a chance to go one on one to get an extraordinarily interview that will inspire you to create your own summit in life, read on: 

What inspired you to become a mountaineer, and how did you get started in climbing?

When I moved to Park City, Utah, I was introduced to the mountains and fell in love at first sight. 

In 2016 I went to Jackson Hole with friends to climb the Grand Teton.  It was there that I fell in love with mountaineering. 

Life got busy now that we were settled into the community, so my mountaineering goals got put on hold for a later date.

Could you describe your journey to summiting each of the seven summits? Were there any particular mountains that presented unique or unexpected challenges?

Each mountain was its own unique journey, and the experience introduced me to many different landscapes and cultures.

Ojos Del Salado- we were the first climbing team back in the area after Covid.  

This mountain was extremely windy! When shipping containers are left at camp locations so you can sleep in them and not worry about a tent ripping due to wind, you know you are in the windy territory!

Mt. Kenya- This is a multi-pitch rock climb that you are racing against the sun to climb. 

 Since it is located at the equator, you have 12 hours of daylight to work with; we did some of the repelling off the mountain in the dark, which was sometimes scary.

K2- took two attempts. During the first attempt, we had one team member die, and another one lost his fingers to frostbite. 

The 2nd attempt was successful, thankfully.  I helped a Pakistani climber reach the top on my second attempt, which was rewarding. (sponsored him financially).

Dykh-tau- is located in Russia.  They lost all my luggage on the way to this climb; I almost turned around before I started but decided to rent gear and give it my best shot.  

We got lucky and summited, but during the climb, we got caught in an electrical storm that was pretty dangerous!

Mt Tyree- is located in Antarctica!  This climb takes four guides and one client.  

When I summited, I was the first American female and second female to summit the mountain.

Mt. Logan- was another mountain that took two attempts.  On the first attempt, we had to turn around due to bad weather. 

On the second attempt (the one I just finished), only 3 of us were on the team, and one of the teammates had to be rescued due to a frostbite injury.  

We were caught in a storm one day that we were worried would rip the tent, so we had all our gear on and had to unbury our tent from the snow accumulation 3x in a 12-hour period.

Mt. Townsend- Australia, was the easiest of the climbs, but I climbed it in November, so there was still snow on the ground (not expected!)

As the first woman to accomplish this feat, what kind of impact do you hope your achievement will have on other women and girls who are interested in mountaineering or pursuing their own dreams?

It causes people to evaluate the narratives they subscribe to. We are our limitations, we are capable of so much.   

Please have the courage to pursue what inspires you, it makes you a better person.

Were there any moments during your climbs when you faced significant obstacles or adversity? How did you overcome those challenges?

I was going for a summit push on a mountain named Broad Peak which is next to K2.  

It is another 8000m peak that is “Safer” than K2 that sometimes teams acclimate on since K2 is so much more dangerous.  

On our summit push, we ran out of rope, fuel cans were missing, and the rope setters didn’t have the mountain set as promised.  

I decided to turn around because there were too many red flags, but I have team members who didn’t get stuck on the mountain for a long time, a person died from another team, and one of our teammates had severe frostbite. 

What kind of physical and mental preparation did you undertake before each climb?

The mental game is more important than the physical game.  I pursued this quickly, so my fitness carried over from one mountain to another.  I had to be very intentional about my training!

Tell us about the importance of nutrition and do have a favorite recipe?

With food.. Input = output.  You need to feed your body well if you expect it to perform.  Once you get used to eating healthy, your body craves greens!  I love a strawberry spinach salad. 

Do you have a favorite song while training or relaxing?

Song while training… on top of the World by Imagine Dragons.  Relaxing… I love to listen to instrumental music. 

Can you share any memorable experiences or encounters you had with fellow climbers or locals during your expeditions?

The people of Nepal are beautiful; the culture is so loving. They honor the pursuit of being like the USA honors the pursuit of doing. I am always grateful for the time I get to spend there.

How has your perspective on life or personal growth changed as a result of your seven summits achievement?

I remember being at the top of Mt. Everest for about 10 minutes due to the weather and thinking; you better be in this for the entire journey because if you are only in it for the summit, you are missing the whole point of the pursuit.  

Truly the joy is in the journey. I am much better at learning to appreciate all aspects of the pursuits I take on, not just the Summit.

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for aspiring climbers, especially women who aspire to take on similar challenges?

Start one level outside of your comfort zone and keep expanding from there. This world is our playground, so get out and play.  

When you are having fun doing what you love, the people around you see it, and if they are not supporters from the get-go, they will become supporters because they can’t help but be mesmerized by your joy.

Beyond the seven summits, do you have any other mountaineering goals or future expeditions in mind?

I plan to take a couple of my kids on a climbing trip this fall and look forward to spending some time in the European mountain ranges!

Our Fitness Friday feature is submitted and written by Christine Blanchette so please follow her on Twitter as well as her Run With It Youtube Channel.