No one knows exactly what went through Pat Morrow’s mind after completing his legendary Seven Summits expedition—the ascent of the highest peaks on each continent. What is certain is that, in a casual discussion at the University of Indonesia’s Salemba campus back in 1997, he spoke briefly and humbly about dreams.
“That project is just like your own dream. We can dream of anything—even climbing the seven highest mountains in Java, for instance. And completing that is a joy,” he said.
Inspired by legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner, Pat Morrow followed in the footsteps of someone who had disputed the original Seven Summits list proposed by Richard Bass. While Bass included Australia’s Mount Kosciuszko as the Australasia continent’s highest peak, Messner argued that Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya) in Papua, Indonesia, was more geographically appropriate. Pat aligned with Messner’s vision and completed his final climb on Carstensz Pyramid in 1986.
Since then, many have followed his path—including a team from the University of Indonesia’s student mountaineering club, Maoala UI, though they managed to conquer only five of the seven summits. By 2004, at least 81 climbers had completed the challenge, a testament to the inspirational trail Pat blazed.
“It all started with a dream,” Pat once wrote in an email. “Without dreams, we have nothing to fight for,” he said philosophically when asked what motivated him to take on such dangerous climbs.
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That dream brought Pat not only fame and achievement but also a fulfilling life: a beautiful wife named Baiba, the distinction of being the first to climb the Seven Summits according to the Messner variation, and a decorated career in adventure filmmaking—including winning awards at the prestigious Banff Mountain Film Festival.
His career soared after summiting Everest in 1982, having previously climbed Denali (McKinley) in the U.S. and Aconcagua in Argentina. After meeting Messner, Pat was determined to realize his vision of the Seven Summits. He quickly ticked off Mount Elbrus in Russia and Kilimanjaro in Africa in 1983, followed by Vinson Massif in Antarctica two years later. He concluded his journey at Carstensz Pyramid, standing 4,848 meters high in the heart of Papua’s Jayawijaya Mountains.
His book, Beyond Everest – Quest for the Seven Summits, sparked debates over which version of the Seven Summits list was “correct.” But Pat stood firm, arguing that adventure—not height alone—defines a mountain’s challenge. “First be a mountaineer; collecting accolades can come later,” he once said, reinforcing his belief that Carstensz should represent Australasia over the much lower Kosciuszko.
In recent years, Pat has focused on documentary projects and charitable work. His website reveals an astonishing range of travels with Baiba, his wife and former nurse turned wilderness photographer. In 2000, he filmed volcanic landscapes in Kamchatka, Russia, and skied Shishapangma, one of the world’s 14 highest peaks. In 2001, he trekked across the Kunlun Mountains in China and, in 2003, crossed the Andes by paraglider and trekked through Bhutan—all while also documenting Buddhist temples in Myanmar and creating a film on Musashi.
His latest efforts have been humanitarian. He visited schools in Kashmir after a major earthquake, creating a documentary to raise awareness and funds through the Central Asia Institute for school reconstruction.
After finishing his film The Magic Mountain, Pat began shifting his perspective on adventure. In an interview with National Geographic, he shared a new insight:
“Climbing mountains is amazing,” he said, “but getting to know the people who live around them is even more extraordinary.”
Today, Pat prefers traversing towns and villages, particularly in Tibet and Nepal, meeting people along ancient trails. On one such journey, he passed through Pokhara (1,981 meters), Ghandruk, Gurung, Machhapuchhare, and finally Annapurna South.
“Every stop offers spectacular scenery,” he said. “Each place seems made for world-class camping.”
Pat has indeed transformed. For him, adventure is no longer just about summits. In Nepal, he discovered wonders beyond snow-capped peaks. “They are here to change us, not for us to change them,” he reflected.
His change of heart was perhaps sparked by the death of a close Sherpa friend, Lhakpa Tsering, in January 2003. Their bond began on Pat’s Everest climb in 1982, where both reached the summit together. Lhakpa later joined several of Pat’s expeditions, including a 1991 Canadian mission. Pat was devastated by his passing and decided to honor him by founding a scholarship fund for Lhakpa’s children.
“To whom else should we extend the love left behind, if not to those he left behind?” Pat said.
The film The Magic Mountain also won the Audience Choice Award at the 2005 Banff Mountain Film Festival. It captured not just mountain beauty, but the spiritual richness of Nepal’s people and culture.
Pat’s storytelling has evolved from written words to photography, and now to film. One of his latest works features a high-altitude hockey game at 3,747 meters in Leh, Nepal—a documentation of Canadian efforts to bring skiing to the region. (Sulung Prasetyo)
