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ITV's The Summit has quickly climbed its way to the top spot in our TV viewing schedules (see what I did there?) and, naturally, we are all now completely obsessed with the idea of visiting our nearest mountain range.
The locations in The Summit are nothing short of breathtaking. Thinking rolling hills, serene mountain lakes and spectacular views as far as the eye can see. While we might not all be up to the challenge of The Summit, a lot of us are probably casually Googling flights to New Zealand right about now.
What is The Summit about?
It's about climbing a summit! Of course, there's a little more to it than that. Fourteen contestants join host Ben Shephard in a competition that sees them scaling one of the tallest mountains in New Zealand.
As if the harsh conditions and the steep ascent weren't enough, they also face a series of challenges from the Mountain's Keeper.
When is it on ITV?
The Summit launched on ITV on 10 February at 9pm and the first four episodes are all available on ITVx. The show is airs on ITV on Tuesday evenings, with episode 5 landing this evening, 24 February, at 9pm. There are a total of eight episodes, with the finale due to air on 17 March.
The Lady tells the fictionalised true story of Jane Andrews and Sarah Ferguson.
Where is The Summit filmed?
If you can't help but be reminded of The Lord of the Rings while watching The Summit, there's a pretty good reason for it: it was filmed in the Southern Alps in New Zealand. Needless to say it's the perfect setting for a show all about climbing. A 500 km-long mountain range that carves through New Zealand's South Island, it's a breathtaking landscape filled with towering peaks, epic glaciers, and beautiful lakes.
“It's my favourite country in the world, I travelled there when I was 19,” host Ben Shephard said of the filming location to RadioTimes. "So to go back in this extraordinary backdrop and to film a show that's all about adventure and challenges, and these 14 remarkable people, just ordinary people facing this extraordinary challenge. It was an absolute thrill. Every step of the way was jaw-dropping, not least for the contestants or the contributors, but for the backdrop, for the challenges, for the drama and the way that Matt and Andy [and] the team had put this show together."
Specific locations in the Southern Alps include Glenorchy near Lake Wakatipu, Mount Cook National Park, Glenorchy, Mount Aspiring National Park and the Rees River.
