Madison Mountaineering – Success on Carstensz Pyramid
Madison Mountaineering, an elite mountain guiding company led by founder Garrett Madison, specializes in leading expeditions to the world’s most iconic and demanding peaks. Destinations include Mount Everest, K2, and many of the world’s other 8,000-meter peaks in the Himalayas.
Madison Mountaineering also leads climbs on the Seven Summits – the highest peak on each of the seven continents. They also lead special climbing projects to find and ascend unclimbed mountains. Madison Mountaineering also ventures to Indonesia to guide and climb Carstensz Pyramid (4884m/16,024ft), a challenging destination.
Their 2025 expeditions have enjoyed considerable success, putting all their team members atop the highest mountain in Oceania, a member of the famous Seven Summits, over three straight days. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, recently reported his final dispatch on the expedition.
Oldest Person to Climb the Seven Summits
Hello! This is Garrett checking in for the Madison Mountaineering Carstensz Pyramid expedition. Today is October 22nd, and we have concluded our climbs. All six climbers made the summit, along with me and some of our local guide friends. Over three days, we climbed because of helicopter schedules and acclimatization, so we had three different summit days. Everyone made the summit! A special congrats to Art Muir, who became the oldest person to climb Carstensz Pyramid and finish the Seven Summits at age 79—way to go, Art!
The 2025 Madison Mountaineering Carstensz Pyramid Team / Madison Mountaineering
Puncak Jaya – ‘Carstensz Pyramid’
Puncak Jaya, or Carstensz Pyramid (“CP”), located in Indonesia, stands 16,024 feet. The mountain remained closed to foreigners from 2019 through most of 2024 due to unrest in Western Papua.
The conflict between the government of Indonesia and the rebels of the ‘Free Papua’ coalition presented untenable conditions for tourists, including climbers, during this combustible period. A brief climbing opportunity last year mobilized mountaineers from around the world eager to notch a checkmark on their Seven Summits dreams.
The highest peak in Oceania, often included among the Seven Summits, stirs controversy. Located in the Sudirman Range of the western central highlands of Papua Province, Indonesia, the mountain was first climbed in 1962 by Heinrich Harrer.
The renowned Austrian mountaineer wrote “Seven Years in Tibet.” Puncak Jaya’s glaciated, rugged summit makes it one of the few places in the tropics where permanent ice exists. Many mountaineers seeking to complete the Seven Summits often include Carstensz Pyramid as an eighth summit for safe measure.
The Seven Summits Debate
The ‘Seven Summits’, which comprise the highest peak on each of the seven continents, include Australia, so contended the late Dick Bass. Bass became the first person in history to climb all Seven Summits in 1985. But others questioned Australia as a continent, and a debate ensued.
The debate centers around whether Australia or Australasia (Oceania) deserves the designation as a continent. Australasia includes Australia and two additional subrealms – New Zealand and the Australasian Islands, and East Indonesia.
Madison Mountaineering – Garrett Madison
Garrett Madison founded and leads Madison Mountaineering. An elite climber, he excels in leading teams in the Himalayas and iconic climbing destinations worldwide. He has reached the summit of Mt. Everest 15 times. In 2011, Garrett led the first Everest–Lhotse Combination in history, guiding climbers to the summits of the two 8,000-meter peaks back-to-back in less than 24 hours. Madison Mountaineering continues to lead the combination, most recently in 2025.
In 2014, Garrett led the ‘guided’ ascent of K2. He successfully led teams to the summit of K2 again in 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2024. As an Emmy award-winning producer, Garrett is regularly consulted on Everest and other film productions, including Sports Illustrated’s Capturing Everest. Garrett’s forthcoming book, “High-Stakes Leadership: When Your Life And The Lives Of Others Hang In The Balance,” will expound upon many of his mountaineering and leadership experiences.