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How high did Alexander von Humboldt climb on Chimborazo?
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Alexander von Humboldt
Alexander von Humboldt, oil on canvas by Julius Schrader, 1859; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
In 1802, the German explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt reached an altitude of 19,286 feet (5,878 meters) while attempting to climb Chimborazo in Ecuador. Although he did not reach the summit, his ascent stood as a world mountaineering record for nearly 30 years.12