1. California School for the Deaf
Middle School
May 18, 2010
Presenter Heidi Zimmer

2. Seven Summits
• summit =
– 1) the highest point, peak
• continent =
– 1) mainland
– 2) great divisions of land on the globe

3. How many great divisions of land
on the globe (continents)?

4. Denali (Mt. McKinley) 20,320’ Mt. Vinson 16,067'
Aconcagua 22,834' Mt. Kosiusko 7,310’
Mt. Elbrus 18,510' Carstensz Pyramid 16,023'
Kilimanjaro 19,340' Mt. Everest 29,035’

5. Australasia or Meganesia
• Country
– Australia
– Irian Jaya
• Mountain
– Mt. Kosiusko
– Carstensz Pyramid
• Height
– 7,310 feet
– 16,023 feet

6. What made me want to
pursue a mountaineering
career?

7. What make me want to pursue a
mountaineering career?
 My personal jigsaw puzzle: to
offer make the big picture
 Step by step process
 Vision

8. My personal jigsaw puzzle: to
offer make the big picture
 Childhood
 Classic “Heidi”
 Natural Athletic Talent
 Challenge and Adventure
 Parents
 Deaf Role Models and Deaf Culture

9. Childhood
The house in Tempe was built some time
between 1915 and 1919.

10. Classic “Heidi”
• Book and film is famous
classic “Heidi”
• Actress - Shirley Temple
acting out “Heidi” in the
1950’s film.
• Influence of my “name”
• Switzerland

11. Classic “Heidi”
• “I will climb the
mountain someday.”

12. Natural Athletic Talent
• Involvement in the
Deaflympics: 1969
and 1973
• Variety of volleyball
teams and Track
and Field teams in
Junior High
School, High
School, and
University

13. Challenge and Adventure
• My passion: mental and
physical challenges and
adventure!
Heidi - Outward Bound student
Heidi and Sally crossed United States by
bicycle when we were college students.

14. Parents
 Culture
 History
 Famous Biography
 Motto “Never Give Up, Try Again”
and “Climb Every Mountain”

15. Deaf Role Models and Deaf Culture
• Dr. Larry Newman, former
Math teacher and former
NAD President
• “DO IT”
• Deaf Culture and other
role models

16. Step By Step Process
The steps:
 bottom line: experience through Backpack trips
 taking the courses
• Outward Bound School
• Basic Mountain Training Course
• Glacier Travel and Ice Climbing
 gaining experience
• member of Sierra Club
 training
• biking and running on the hill, carry a load on
the hill,plus more exercises

17. Vision
• Why not!
– In 1983 Dick Bass and
Frank Wells set out on the
ultimate peakbaggers’
odyssey: to climb the
highest point on every
continent.
• Goal:
– Mt. Everest
– Seven Summits
– oldest woman

18. Record of the oldest Person
– Yuichiro Miura, a 75 year old Japan, has become the
oldest climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
– Tame Watanobe, a 63 year old Japanese woman, has
become the oldest woman climber to reach the summit
of Mount Everest.

19. Concept of what mountaineering is
like? Including expedition trips :
Mountaineering and Climbing
Slides of Mountaineering style

20. Mountaineering
Mountaineering, there are differences between
rock climbing, wall climbing, and ice climbing.

21. Rock Climbing

22. Ice Climbing

23. Wall Climbing

24. Slides of
Mountaineering style

36. Cervasse

73. Denali
June 13, 1991 at
5:00 PM
HEIDI ZIMMER
First Deaf Woman
Denali
in North America

74. Co-Deaf Authors
Mabs Holcomb and Sharon Kay Wood

75. Summary
• Goal:
– determination to finish the task at hand
– not easy due to money and resource
• Commercial Expedition fees (only land costs):
– Mt. Vinson $34,450
– Carstensz Pyramind $18,000
– Aconcagua $ 4,000
– Mt. Everest $65,000-85,000 (for South Col. Route) lots of sacrifices!
• Goal to complete Seven Summits:
– four more to go
» Mt. Vinson December 2010
» Carstensz Pyramind September-October 2011
» Aconcagua February 2012
» Mt. Everest March-May 2013

76. Summary
• Goal:
– lots of sacrifices!
“What do you love doing?”
“Adventure” I answered. “So where is
the most adventurous place to do what
you love, be challenged?”
Heidi Zimmer
Deaf Woman Mountaineer/Adventurer

77. Achievement
• Commitment:
– Keep my goal
– Follow your dream
– Don’t let anyone tell you it is impossible; instead work hard and take
advantage of opportunity
– NEVER GIVE UP
• Possibility:
– Use all the possibilities open to you now
• Take risk, be creative, solve problems, be willing to try different ways even if
they are uncomfortable
• Make mistakes, continue to evolve and grow

78. Achievement
• Action:
– Do it
• Quality of Life:
– PAH! Completing the “big four” - commitment, possibility,
action, and quality of life
– Victory
– Joy/Happiness
– FULFILLMENT

79. Summary
“The main obstacle to progress in our
community is the Deaf, Hard of
Hearing, and Deaf-Blind people who
want to change everything..or nothing.”
Heidi Zimmer
Deaf Woman Mountaineer/Adventurer

80. More information, check on my website:
www.heidizimmer.com