Rest of the World

In the forest to the north-east of the Republic of Congo lies Lake Télé, a little-known lake to which hardly anyone has ever travelled. For some, it is a mythical lake because it is the source of legends, and can only be visited after an expedition lasting several days in the forest, which is as demanding as it is memorable.

Drowned in the equatorial mist, the Carstensz Pyramid, 4,884 meters high, located in Indonesian New Guinea (Irian Jaya), was only climbed in 1962. The highest peak in Oceania, its ascent completes the challenge of the Seven Summits, the seven highest peaks on the continents. A look back at the history of the exploration and conquest of Puncak Jaya.

Among the ‘Seven Summits’, the seven highest peaks on the continents, Mount Kilimanjaro occupies a special place: Hans Meyer, a man of science rather than a mountaineer, climbed it for the first time in 1889. Above all, he did it for the honour of his country and its Emperor: the Germany of Frederick William II. This first ascent remains unknown to the French. And with good reason, as Bismarck's Germany was our sworn enemy at the time, there was no question of highlighting this masterly achievement.

At an altitude of 6,500 meters in the winter of 1954, the six young French climbers on the south face of Aconcagua were playing for their lives. They could not survive another bivouac. In the indifference typical of those years when news still travelled slowly, a drama was unfolding up there. The roof of the Americas attracts many pretenders every year. And with good reason: it is one of the most accessible summits in the Seven Summits challenge.

It was our passion for exploration and adventure in all its forms that prompted us to found Secret Planet, and later its extreme expedition business, Expeditions Unlimited. Long before we became the French leader in high-attitude and polar expeditions, we were already passionate about ocean crossings on legendary yachts, with exceptional skippers, in exploratory mode or ocean racing.