Central Ohio Resident/The Buckeye Institute CEO Returns from Russia After Achieving Elite Mountaineering Feat

Aug 7

Robert Alt Becomes First Think Tank President in History to Climb All Seven Summits of the World

The Buckeye Institute proudly announced the triumphant return of its intrepid leader Robert Alt who journeyed to Russia and climbed the tallest mountain in Europe (Mt. Elbrus), fulfilling his longstanding goal of summiting the respective peak of each of the seven continents on Earth.

“I set out eleven years ago to honor my late father and have now spread his ashes at the highest point on every continent,” said Robert Alt, president and chief executive officer at The Buckeye Institute, who joins an elite group of fewer than 500 people in history to have climbed all Seven Summits of the World, which he accomplished as follows:

Europe—Elbrus 2026
Asia—Everest 2025
Oceania—Puncak Jaya/Carstensz Pyramid 2025
North America—Denali/McKinley 2023
Antarctica—Vinson Massif 2023
South America—Aconcagua 2019
Africa—Kilimanjaro 2015

Alt provided additional context about his latest trip, “When I descended Elbrus in 2017, shy of reaching its summit, I was coughing up blood, having contracted high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), unsure whether I would be able to go back and finish the job. More recently, there were unique challenges traveling to Russia under Level 4 (Do Not Travel) U.S. State Department warnings, so I am especially grateful to have safely completed this personal mission.”

“Through my expeditions over the years, I have been fortunate to experience far more natural beauty than any human should expect during his or her one wild and precious lifetime, but the sunrise on the morning I ultimately summited Elbrus was the undisputed icing on my mountaineering cake—the most powerful and inspiring display of color and light I have ever seen. What a fitting tribute and awesome sendoff for my brainiac physics professor, outdoor-loving, ultramarathoning, rock-climbing dad.”