The Summit (TV series)

This article is about the Australian reality television series. For the Canadian miniseries, see The Summit (TV miniseries).

The Summit
Genre	Reality competition
Presented by	Jai Courtney
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	10
Production
Production locations	Mount Aspiring / Tititea, Southern Alps mountain range, South Island, New Zealand
Running time	90 min (with ads)
Production company	Endemol Shine Australia
Original release
Network	Nine Network
Release	14 May 2023 (2023-05-14)

The Summit is a 2023 Australian reality television series, the premise being that a group of contestants have to reach the top of a mountain, undertaking various tasks along the way. Each contestant has a backpack with a portion of the grand prize of A$1,000,000.

The series first premiered on 14 May 2023 and was produced by Nine Network and Endemol Shine Australia. Auditions for a second season opened in August 2023, with filming to take place over three weeks between November and December 2023.

Format

Contestants must work together to create various tasks, within fourteen days. They are initially strangers to each other. Where a contestant stops competing, the prize money reduces; similarly all the money will be lost if the group does not reach the summit in the allotted time.

The series is hosted by Australian actor Jai Courtney.

Mountain's Keeper

The Mountain's Keeper will make appearances throughout the series; she keeps track of the trekkers' movements, is fully aware of the procedures necessary to reach the summit, and will be keeping an eye on the group at all times. The Keeper will occasionally instruct the gang to get rid of someone in order to advance.

Checkpoints

The team may stay in a sizeable campground and get a variety of amenities, including food, when the trekkers reach a checkpoint. The team must, however, vote one of its own team members off the mountain at the majority of checkpoints, with the evictee's money still in the game.

Endgame

Should the remaining team members make it to the summit, then the prize fund will be divided among the successful team members by the eliminated players. This was alluded to on the show with the saying “Be carful with who you meet on the way up, because you don’t know who you’ll see on the way down” as said by Jai on the start of their journey.

Location

The series was filmed in parts of the Southern Alps, South Island, New Zealand. The destination summit is Mount Head; several episodes were shot on Rees Valley and The Branches high-country stations in the province of Otago, north of Glenorchy. Lake scenes were shot at Lochnagar, head waters of the Shotover River. Both locations are on private or leasehold land. The series places emphasis on the sociological aspects of competition and reward, as the group works together to complete the arduous task of climbing the mountain, while also having to work against each other out of self-preservation.

Season 1 (2023)

Contestants

Name	Age	State	Occupation	Status	Reason for exit
Isaac Compton	36	NSW	Musician	Day 14	Completed
Brooke Kilowsky	38	SA	Parent	Day 14	Completed
Lulu Hawton	38	WA	Boxer	Day 14	Completed
Jans Andre	28	Qld	Entrepreneur	Day 14	Lulu chose to eliminate
Alex Silvagni	35	WA	Former AFL player	Day 13	Eliminated at checkpoint
Indy Thompson	23	Tas	Marine scientist	Day 13	Lulu chose to eliminate
Josh Waldhorn	52	Vic	Graphic designer	Day 11	Majority group voted to eliminate
Sam Molineaux	28	NSW	Personal trainer	Day 8	Eliminated at checkpoint
Phillip Kuoch	29	Vic	Doughnut bakery owner	Day 8	Eliminated in challenge by sacrifice
Annikki Chand	27	Qld	Dance teacher	Day 7	Eliminated at checkpoint
Jacqui Cooper	50	Vic	Olympic aerial skier	Day 6	Brooke chose to eliminate
Gemma Mullins	29	Vic	Health coach	Day 5	Eliminated at checkpoint
Catherine "Kitty" Connor	60	NT	Outback registered nurse	Day 3	Withdrew voluntarily
Stephen Butler	34	Qld	Sock designer	Day 2	Majority group voted to eliminate

Elimination

Colour key:

  – Completed The Summit and received a share of the prize

  – Eliminated and lost the money

  – Withdrew from the competition and lost the money

  – Eliminated at a checkpoint and money was stolen

  – Eliminated at a checkpoint, money was stolen, but stole from the cash pot

  – Trekker had immunity

  – Given Power to Eliminate (PE) a Trekker

Name	Days in
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
Isaac														Completed $250k
Brooke						PE								Completed $150k
Lulu													PE	Completed $90k
														PE
Jans														Eliminated -$71.5k
Alex													Eliminated	—
Indy													Eliminated -$71.5k	—
Josh											Eliminated -$71.5k	—
Sam					Immunity			Eliminated Stole $10k	—
Phillip								Eliminated -$71.5k	—
Annikki							Eliminated	—
Jacqui						Eliminated -$71.5k	—
Gemma					Eliminated	—
Catherine			Withdrew -$71.5k	—
Stephen		Eliminated -$71.5k	—
Prize	$1m	$928.5k	$857k			$785.5k		$704k			$632k		$560.5k	$490k

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original air date	AUS viewers
1	1	"Days 1-2"	14 May 2023 (2023-05-14)	401,000
The 14 trekkers meet for the first time and each receive a backpack with $71,430 inside (equivalent to $1 million all together), they are given 14 days to reach the top of the mountain. Nevertheless, by the end of the episode, all contestants are seen walking along the floor of the Rees Valley, having not gained any altitude. During the first challenge to cross a (staged) rickety bridge, a helicopter appears which turns out to be the Mountain's Keeper. The Keeper dispenses a letter that tells half the group who have crossed the bridge they must eliminate one trekker on the other side. Stephen is voted out in majority rules and as he crosses the bridge it is cut by Isaac, leaving Stephen behind. This reduces the prize money to $930,000.
2	2	"Days 3-5"	15 May 2023 (2023-05-15)	400,000
Now down to 13 trekkers, some of the trekkers aren’t happy with Kitty as she is slow and unable to keep up. At a pit stop (Twenty Five Mile Creek, Rees Valley), the group put it to her she should quit. She agrees she struggles and decides to leave the mountain and cut the prize down to $857,000. The trekkers continue, and the Mountain's Keeper drops a package at the bottom of the mountain where Sam, Gemma and Jans volunteer to grab it. Inside the package are some treats and a note. The note instructs that the one who carries the package back to the group before night will receive immunity. Sam withholds this information from the other trekkers. At the next checkpoint, before choosing to eliminate someone, host Jai tells the trekkers Sam has immunity.
3	3	"Day 6"	16 May 2023 (2023-05-16)	428,000
Still on day 5, the trekkers must now vote someone out after finding out Sam has immunity. Since they're not allowed to vote out Sam and feeling deceived by Gemma, all trekkers vote her out. On Day 6, there are 131 kilometres (81 mi) till the trekkers reach the summit and $857,000 in prize money remaining. The Mountain's Keeper drops a yellow package which Brooke races towards. The package says one of the trekkers has the power to vote someone off immediately; however the money goes too. Brooke has the choice to use the power or pass it to someone else. She uses the power and eliminates Jacqui and cuts the prize down to $785,500.
4	4	"Day 7"	21 May 2023 (2023-05-21)	441,000
It’s the half way point as Day 7 arrives. The first obstacle of the day is to cross two suspended ropes. Everyone makes it but as Jans (the last to cross) begins moving along, the Mountain's Keeper arrives. Jans begins to agitate the Keeper, which stresses out the other trekkers thinking there will be consequences. The second obstacle is abseiled down a cliff-face waterfall which all trekkers do, but Isaac has a fear of heights and begins to pull out. After a pep talk from Alex, he abseils down and threatens to quit. They arrive at the checkpoint and it's time to eliminate a trekker. Some believe Isaac should go, and some want Annikki to go. In the end seven trekkers vote for Annikki to leave.
5	5	"Day 8"	22 May 2023 (2023-05-22)	386,000
It's Day 8 and thanks to Jans' taunting, the Mountain's Keeper challenges the trekkers to a 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) sprint with their money on their backs on uneven terrain. Isaac and Philip are the last to cross, however Philip sacrifices himself and is eliminated and loses his money. The remaining trekkers make it to the second last checkpoint (at Lochnagar, Shotover River), where they’re told they now must travel by kayak as the terrain is too harsh (which is not actually true because in reality Lochnagar is a popular location for trekkers and easily negotiable on foot). Before they can vote someone off, they must retrieve a second set of kayaks as there are not enough. Jans, Sam, Josh and Indy retrieve the kayaks, while the others remain on shore. The Mountain's Keeper, however, drops a bag into the lake where Alex swims in to grab it. Inside it says whichever team Alex was on are immune and have control over who gets eliminated on the other team at checkpoint.
6	6	"Day 9"	23 May 2023 (2023-05-23)	395,000
Still on Day 8, Alex and his team must now vote a trekker off. Sam is eliminated and has his money taken in a unanimous decision, but the Mountain's Keeper gives him one last task: he can take $10,000 from the prize fund if he can successfully steal the bag containing more than $200,000 in stolen money, leave it on the shore, and vanish. Sam completes this task successfully and is awarded the $10,000. On Day 9, the travellers discover the money has vanished and learn that the Mountain's Keeper has dumped it in the middle of a lake (Lochnagar). They dive in together to grab the bag and open it to receive the money, minus $10,000. As they continue, Jans becomes concerned about being exposed now that Sam is gone and devises a strategy to attempt to become friends with everyone. But, not everyone thinks it's sincere.
7	7	"Days 10-11"	28 May 2023 (2023-05-28)	448,000
The group face a near vertical 200 metres (660 ft) rock climb and as the only trekker with mountaineering experience, Josh leads the group on the task. Ironically Josh is the one who struggles most on the nine-hour challenge and some start to view Josh as the weakest link – however, they all make it. Moving forward, the Mountain's Keeper drops a package, opened by Isaac, inside a note says the first to the helicopter will receive an automatic seat to the next stage. As there are only six seats but seven trekkers, the group must then vote out one trekker, and all but Indy vote out Josh. In a twist, the already-eliminated trekkers return and now hold the power of how the money will be shared between the remaining trekkers who reach the summit.
8	8	"Days 12-13"	29 May 2023 (2023-05-29)	421,000
It's Day 12, and it seems the trekkers are on track to make it to the summit, however, a radio message from a safety officer tells them the conditions are too harsh and they must return the previous campsite for safety. On Day 13, they get the go ahead and on their way they receive a letter from the Mountain's Keeper stating the only way to get to the next stage is to fly at the end of the long line hanging underneath a chopper. Lulu goes first and is met with another note stating to move forward one trekker must be eliminated. Lulu calls over Isaac, Brooke and Alex and she decides whether Jans or Indy must go, however since Jans is carrying the stolen money, she choose to eliminate Indy with the support of Isaac, Brooke and Alex. As the remaining trekkers continue, the Mountain's Keeper lets them each call a loved one at home. The five remaining trekkers make it to the last checkpoint where yet again they must vote someone out
9	9	Days 13-14	30 May 2023 (2023-05-30)	413,000
Still on day 13, the trekkers must now vote someone out. Jans believes because Alex was a former AFL player he already has money, however some feel Jans should go, ultimately three trekkers vote for Alex who must leave and money stolen. On Day 14, the four remaining face a harsh challenge to hang upside down on a single rope drag themselves across the 30-metre gap. Although afraid and backs out at first, Isaac eventually crosses with the rest of them. Continuing on, the Mountains Keeper drops the last package which Lulu reaches first. Upon opening and reading the letter, Lulu bursts into tears and exclaims "Oh my god guys".
10	10	"Day 14"	4 June 2023 (2023-06-04)	462,000 / 487,000
Still on Day 14, the package read that Lulu must vote out one person, she chose Jans. Moving on, Isaac, Lulu and Brooke reach the summit where they’re met by the eliminated trekkers who decide how the prize of $490,000 will be split. Each trekker give their reasons why they deserve the money. In the end, the money was split, however, not equally. Lulu receives $90,000, Brooke receives $150,000 and Isaac receives $250,000; more than half the prize money.

International version

A US version will air on CBS with New Zealand actor Manu Bennett as host.

See also

Similar shows

• Australian Survivor
• The Bridge

External links

• Official website