KATIE Sarah still has plenty of mountaineering highs ahead despite becoming the first South Australian woman to conquer the Seven Summits challenge.

Only a small group of elite climbers, including Sarah's former colleague and climbing partner Duncan Chessell, have stood on the tallest mountain peaks on each of the seven continents.

The Adelaide-based mother of three teenage boys recently climbed Alaska's Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, and Russia's Elbrus, the tallest mountain in Europe, to complete her seven herculean tasks in just five years.

"It hasn't always been easy but my perseverance has paid off and I hope I have been a good example to my sons," the modest mum, in her early 40s, said.

"Each of the mountains and the countries are just so different and diverse that each experience is fun - well definitely my definition of fun anyway."

Her recent ascent of Elbrus was the only time on a climb she has experienced climatic conditions that resulted in a failure to make the summit at the first attempt.

Sarah is fully aware of the deadly dangers climbing at extreme altitude but wasn't prepared for the risks on the lowest of the seven summits.

"I walked up Mount Kosciusko (2228m) with a couple off friends in January 2010 not really thinking it was perfect snake weather," she laughed.

"We ended up dodging a couple of tiger snakes which is certainly the most dangerous wildlife I've ever encountered on a mountain."

Four months after her 'stroll' up Kosciusko, she became the first South Australian woman, and only the sixth Australian woman, to stand on the summit of Mount Everest, which reaches almost 9km (8850m) to the sky.

She was so taken with the experience she now owns and operates DCXP Mountain Journeys (formerly Chessell Adventures) and takes people on wilderness adventures to the Himalayas in Nepal and Tibet, to Tanzania for Africa's highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, and to the Andes in South America.

With a background in endurance events including triathlon, marathon running and rock climbing, mountain climbing was a natural progression.

Sarah has a long list of adventures she would like to achieve, including walking from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole.

She would also like to raise more funds for the Leukaemia Foundation (her mother died of cancer), having raised $10,000 for the charity during her Seven Summits challenge.

Wherever she is the world, Sarah's three boys are not far from her thoughts, and taking them on some of her adventures is another ambition.

"The boys are in their late teens now so they're pretty independent," she adds

"I think they're pretty proud they have a mum who does something a bit different and they tell me I haven't embarrassed them yet.

"I think that might be my biggest achievement of all."

Katie's Seven Summits were: Mt Vinson - Antarctica 4892m on 29/12/08, Mt Kosciusko - Australia 2228m - 29/01/10, Mt Everest - Asia 8850m 25/05/10, Mt Kilimanjaro - Africa 5895m 03/09/10, Mt Aconcagua - South America 6961m 06/02/12, Denali - North America 6194m 31/05/13, Elbrus - Europe 5642m 21/06/13.