Welcome to my new limited series on climbing the Seven Summits. Episode 1 was an introduction plus a brief update on the Autumn climbing activity in Nepal and Tibet. For the next eight weeks, I'll drop a new episode discussing one of the 7 Summits in detail.

Today is eposide 2 Mt. Kościuszko.Australia's Kościuszko (7,310'/2228m), located in the Snowy Mountains, is the lowest of the 7 Summits but is perhaps the most controversial. First, there is the pronunciation, then there is the debate about how it compares to other high peaks in Oceania (is New Zealand continent?) ), and last is the relative ease of this "hill" located next to a ski resort. In any event, today, it's considered one of the seven on the Bass list, so most people seeking the 7 Summits will tick the box. The first summit was in 1840 by the Polish explorer Paul Strzelecki. I assume the First Peoples or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples or the Morano had a crack centuries earlier, but I could be wrong, as many Indigenous people treat mountains as sacred and not to be climbed.

Episodes will drop each week: