Since Struppa's passion was ignited, he has climbed three of the seven summits — the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. Despite the dangerous element associated with mountain climbing, Struppa says the danger is what makes the sport so popular.

"I've seen people die, unfortunately," Struppa said. "You see a lot of that drama, which is part of the attraction. That is what makes [mountain climbing] exciting."

Mountain climbing has grown in popularity since Struppa started climbing. Many guiding agencies have reported a steady increase of visitors every year. Aconcagua Expeditions, a group based in Argentina, had 7,290 visitors during the 2005-2006 season, up from 4,567 in 2001-2002, according to statistics on its website.

“The reasons vary, obviously, to why people want to climb [the seven summits] but usually they’ve been hiking and trekking for a long time … and something inspires them to do it,” said Matt Schonwald, who works at Mountain Madness.

Struppa had no previous hiking experience before training with the agency. The training predominately focused on helping him get into shape, and it allowed him to practice hiking in high altitudes and steep, upward climbing settings. Struppa said he found the training to be difficult, but enjoyed the experience.