Highpoints in the Alps

While in the broadest sense mountaineering – reaching the summit of geographically prominent points -- has been around as long as mankind, the concept of “high-pointing” is relatively new. Starting in the early 1900’s, a few pioneers of high pointing began visiting the highest geographic point in each of the 50 states of the United States . In the early days, this endeavor involved dispute and lore, as the tools to precisely map every square inch of the country were just beginning to find wide-spread use – and this was perhaps a significant part of the charm.

Over the years, this pursuit has been taken up by thousands of individuals, generated at least five guide books for the high points of the United States, and expanded to include other quirky geopolitical goals; visiting the highest point in each county in a state; summiting every peak in a region above some round number (such as 2000’);  and reaching the highest point on each continent (the now famous “Seven Summits”).

No official definition exists, but High Point Press takes the view that any geopolitical region can be “high pointed.” In particular, High Point Press promotes the pursuit of national highpoints. For each sovereign nation in the world, High Point Press has identified the highest geographic point, defined as the highest point, as measured above sea-level, within the internationally recognized borders of that country.

To learn more about the details of high pointing, including complete lists of national highpoints, definitions, controversies, and latest reported conditions, visit http://www.highpointguides.com/