A little-known fact about Robert Alt: He said he’s afraid of heights.
That wouldn’t be so shocking if he hadn’t scaled the highest peaks on each of the seven continents, known as the Seven Summits. But as of July 1, the CEO of The Buckeye Institute has accomplished just that.
Alt began by scaling Mount Kilimanjaro in 2015, followed by Aconcagua in 2019; Mount Vinson Massif and Mount McKinley, formerly known as Denali, in 2023; Mount Everest and Puncak Jaya/Carstensz Pyramid in 2025; and finally Mount Elbrus in 2026.
Alt was driven to face his fear of heights and scale the summits to honor and spread the ashes of his late father. Bob “Dr. Bob” Alt was an endurance athlete who had always wanted to climb Mount Everest but didn’t get the chance to make
the trek before his death in 2010.
Alt reached the peak of Mount Elbrus, the highest of the Caucasus Mountains in southwestern Russia and the final summit on his list, over the summer.
What would Alt’s father say now that he’s one of fewer than 500 people in history to have scaled the Seven Summits?
“I think he would have been surprised as much as anything, just because I had not attempted anything like this during his lifetime,” Alt said.
Mount Elbrus was a particularly challenging climb, according to Alt.
After first attempting to reach the peak in 2017, he was forced to descend just shy of reaching the summit after contracting high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). Alt described the strong form of acute mountain sickness as “one of the widow-makers of the mountain.”
He then faced a new set of challenges upon entering a nearby hospital he described as having unsanitary conditions for treatment.
“My wife actually was absolutely remarkable in getting me out of that hospital and to a hospital in Moscow, where I was able to get better care,” Alt said. He credits her with saving his life.
After consulting with pulmonologists and determining that he was not at risk of contracting HAPE again, the CEO headed back to Mount Elbrus in 2026.
His second attempt, however, was nearly thwarted again, this time by a Level 4 do-not-travel advisory from the U.S. Department of State, but he was ultimately able to enter the country and complete the climb.
“As I was approaching the summit, the sunrise came up, and it was literally the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen,” Alt said. “I don't think I will ever forget it, and it was just such an appropriate way to cap off my seventh summit.”
Now that Alt has accomplished what he set out to do, he’s already considering new ways to honor his father – like participating in the Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko race that runs directly through Australia’s highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko.
Despite all the setbacks, Alt said the motivating theme for him throughout this experience has been realizing what a strong motivator love can be.
“Being able to do this to honor my father has been such a strong ‘why’ to give me the strength and resilience to carry on, even in tough times,” he said.
Reporter Kelly Tucker can be reached at ktucker@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Buckeye Institute CEO joins fewer than 500 to conquer Seven Summits
