Summit

A summit is a minor twist that originated in and reappeared in , , , and . Starting in , summits appeared as a recurring twist and were referred to as "journeys" to a location known informally, including by cast members and commentators, as "Shipwheel Island".https://ew.com/tv/survivor-42-chanelle-howell-interview/https://twitter.com/AMikeBloomType/status/1501741539713863682https://robhasawebsite.com/survivor-42-know-it-alls-episode-3-recap/ Since , the locations have varied on the summit.
==Overview==
Summits see ambassadors from each pre-merge tribe meet in private at a location separate from the tribal camps, and may require them to make a decision, either for themselves or for their tribe. In earlier seasons, summits were generally used to facilitate the next phase of the game, such as the merge or a tribe switch. Starting in , summits became a recurring twist which gave players the chance to receive advantages. 
==Strategy==
Summits allow ambassadors to converse with each other in private, giving them an opportunity to discuss important game matters with each other. This may result in ambassadors, either knowingly or unwittingly, giving away their tribe dynamics to the other ambassador, which can help or hinder their game. Summits can also give ambassadors an opportunity to strategize with each other, making alliances and deals to work with each other later in the game.
The journeys introduced in gave ambassadors the ability to directly build trust through the decision game. Ambassadors may choose to play collaboratively during the game of chicken to gain an ally down the road, or play selfishly, though this comes at the risk of losing their own vote. The mechanics of the games played on journeys have evolved since 41.
==Twist History==
===Borneo===
 In , an ambassador for each tribe (Jenna Lewis for Pagong and Sean Kenniff for Tagi) was pre-selected by production to attend a summit on Day 19 to facilitate the merge. The two ambassadors were first given the opportunity to assess the opposing tribe's camp and interacting with members of the other tribe. Later that day, they formally met with host Jeff Probst at a sand spit, where they were treated to a luxurious meal and stayed overnight, being asked to make three important decisions: what the merged tribe would be called, which camp the newly-merged tribe would live at, and which three items from the other camp they would be allowed to bring with them. The following morning, Jenna and Sean easily decided on living at the Tagi beach for its abundance of food and more organized atmosphere, christening the merged tribe "Rattana".
===Marquesas===
In , Tree Mail on Day 19 instructed both tribes to choose a member to whom they would give a map to an unknown destination. Maraamu selected Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien, while Rob Mariano volunteered for Rotu. The two ambassadors met with Probst at a tohua, a traditional Marquesan structure in which chiefs from different tribes would meet. They were given pizza and beer and would stay at the tohua overnight to discuss the name of the merged tribe and which camp it would live at. The following day, Kathy and Rob settled on living at the Rotu camp, naming the merged tribe "Soliantu".
===The Amazon===
In , tribes received Tree Mail on Day 13 that told them to send their youngest member (Jenna Morasca for Jaburu and Dave Johnson for Tambaqui) on a journey. The two paddled to an Amazon retreat, where they met with Probst and were treated to a feast and instructed to get to know each other overnight. The following morning, Probst met with them again and surprised them by revealing that the two would now choose new tribes. The two would alternate choosing members for their new tribes, first picking someone from the opposing tribe, then choosing someone from their own. The tribe switch resulted in Alex Bell, Matthew von Ertfelda, and Rob Cesternino moving to Jaburu, while Christy Smith, Heidi Strobel, and Jeanne Hebert were switched to Tambaqui.
===Guatemala===
On Day 9 of , the tribes convened for what they believed was a Reward Challenge. There, each tribe was told to nominate the man and woman they believed most deserved being rewarded with a picnic. Nakúm selected Judd Sergeant and Margaret Bobonich, while Yaxhá selected Amy O'Hara and Gary Hogeboom. The two pairs left their tribes for a summit atop a Mayan pyramid. Unbeknownst to them, a tribe switch occurred in their absence, and they would return to camp to meet their switched tribes.
===Millennials vs. Gen X===
In , tribes were instructed by Tree Mail on Day 8 to conduct a rock draw, with the four members selecting the colored rocks being sent to a summit. CeCe Taylor, Chris Hammons, David Wright, and Paul Wachter drew the colored rocks for Takali, while Figgy Figueroa, Jay Starrett, Taylor Stocker, and Will Wahl did so for Vanua. The ambassadors were taken to a different island, where they feasted on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while getting to know each other. Unlike most summits, no game-changing twist occurred, nor was any advantage on offer.
===Survivor 41===
In , summits, now referred to as "journeys", were used as a recurring twist to introduce advantages into the game. Although the mechanics for choosing an ambassador differed on each occasion, each journey concluded with the ambassadors playing a game of in private. They are given a choice between "protecting" or "risking" their vote; if all of them choose "protect", the status quo remains. If all of them choose "risk", they would all lose their vote at the next Tribal Council they attended. If there is a split decision, only those who chose "risk" would receive an advantage.
On Day 2, each tribe was instructed to choose one member to get on a boat to go on a journey, where they would make a decision. Danny McCray volunteered for Luvu, JD Robinson was selected by rock draw for Ua, and Yase agreed to send Xander Hastings. The boat took each castaway to another island, where they were instructed to hike to the top of a hill while getting to know each other. Once at the top of the hill, they were told to separate, after which they would make a private decision. They were each given a choice between keeping their vote for their first trip to Tribal Council, or risk their vote. If all three chose "protect", they would keep their votes. If they unanimously chose "risk", they would all lose their votes. But if there was a split decision, all three still keep their votes, but those who chose "risk" would obtain an Extra Vote, the result of which they would find out at their first Tribal Council. Danny opted to keep his vote, while JD and Xander risked theirs, each earning an Extra Vote.
After coming in first place during the Immunity Challenge on Day 5, Luvu was tasked with selecting a member of the losing Yase tribe to go on a journey, along with a member of either Ua or one their own. They chose Evvie Jagoda, with Luvu's Deshawn Radden volunteering to go with her. At the island, they were faced with the same dilemma the previous ambassadors encountered. Evvie told Deshawn that they could not risk their vote for the upcoming Tribal Council, encouraging Deshawn to risk his. They followed through with their agreement, resulting in Deshawn receiving an Extra Vote.
On Day 6, Sydney Segal of Luvu, Brad Reese of Ua, and Tiffany Seely of Yase each found an envelope labeled "Beware Advantage" at each of their tribe camps. The note instructed them to sneak out of their camps that night into a waiting a boat that would take them to an island where they would make a decision. There, they faced a dilemma of choosing between a tarp for their tribe or a Vote Steal for themselves. If all three chose a tarp, then each tribe would receive a tarp. If they unanimously chose a Vote Steal, they would all lose their votes. But if there was a split decision, those who chose a tarp would get nothing, but those who chose a Vote Steal would obtain one. Tiffany and Sydney chose a tarp, but did not receive one as Brad decided to choose a Vote Steal.
After Yase came in first place in the Day 11 Immunity Challenge, they were tasked with choosing a member of their own tribe, and a member of either Luvu or Ua to go on a journey to make a decision. Liana Wallace volunteered to go, with Yase selecting Shan Smith of Ua to join her. On the island, they faced the same dilemma the first two sets of ambassadors did. Shan opted to keep her vote for that night's Tribal Council, encouraging Liana to take the advantage. Back at camp, Liana was informed that she received the Knowledge is Power advantage.
===Survivor 42===
The mechanics for journeys employed in Survivor 41 were reused in .
On Day 2, each tribe was instructed to choose one member to get on a boat to go on a journey, where they would make a decision. Drea Wheeler volunteered for Ika, Maryanne Oketch volunteered for Taku, and Jenny Kim drew the short stick and was sent for Vati. The boat took each castaway to another island, where they were instructed to hike to the top of a hill while getting to know each other. Once at the top of the hill, they were told to separate, after which they would make a private decision. They were each given a choice between keeping their vote for their first trip to Tribal Council, or risk their vote. If all three chose "protect", they would keep their votes. If they unanimously chose "risk", they would all lose their votes. But if there was a split decision, all three still keep their votes, but those who chose "risk" would obtain an Extra Vote, the result of which they would find out at their first Tribal Council. Jenny opted to keep her vote, while Drea and Maryanne risked theirs, each earning an Extra Vote.
After placing first in the Immunity Challenge on Day 7, the Taku tribe selected Chanelle Howell from the losing Vati tribe to go on a journey. In addition, Taku selected Omar Zaheer to represent their tribe on the journey. There, Chanelle and Omar both decided to risk their vote with an Extra Vote on the line. That night at Vati's Tribal Council, Chanelle discovered that she had lost her vote as a result. On Day 14, Omar would discover at the final twelve Tribal Council that he had lost his vote as a result of this decision.
After placing first in the Immunity Challenge on Day 11, the Ika tribe selected Lydia Meredith from the losing Vati tribe to go on a journey. In addition, Ika selected Rocksroy Bailey to represent their tribe on the journey. Because Lydia and Rocksroy both decided to protect their votes, no advantage was introduced.
===Survivor 43===
The mechanics for the journey were updated in . Every journey now involved one member of each of the three tribes, as opposed to the two previous seasons where most journeys were attended only by two players. Instead of playing a game of chicken, these three players would make a public decision between "protecting" and "risking" their votes. Those who "risked" their vote would draw a token from a bag corresponding to the number of players who risked their votes. Only one token contained an advantage; the players who drew an empty token would lose their vote at the next Tribal Council.
On Day 2, each tribe was instructed to choose one member to get on a boat to go on a journey, where they would make a decision. Mike Gabler was selected for Baka, Karla Cruz Godoy for Coco, and Dwight Moore for Vesi. At the journey, the three players waded their way through the ocean to a spit. There, Karla protected her vote, while Gabler and Dwight opted to "risk" their votes. When they returned to their respective camps, Dwight discovered that he had lost his vote, while Gabler found that he received a Hidden Immunity Idol that could be used at either of his next two Tribal Councils.
After coming in first place during the Immunity Challenge on Day 7, Baka was tasked with choosing one member of each tribe to attend the journey. Noelle Lambert from Vesi, Owen Knight from Baka, and James Jones from Coco were chosen to head on their journey. There, James and Owen both agreed to protect their votes, giving Noelle the advantage. At camp, she learned that she had received the Vote Steal.
On Day 11, Vesi placed first in the Immunity Challenge and selected Geo Bustamante from Coco and Jeanine Zheng from Baka to attend the journey. Vesi then nominated Jesse Lopez to represent them on the journey. The three players had to row a boat across turbulent waters to reach a spit, where Geo attempted to persuade Jeanine and Jesse to give him the advantage. He proved unsuccessful as all three players decided to risk their votes. At camp, Jeanine and Jesse learned that they had lost their votes, while Geo discovered that he had won the Knowledge is Power advantage.
=== Survivor 44 ===
In , the journey reverted to the mechanics originally employed in Survivor 41, where the castaways would make their decisions in private. Each castaway was met with a bag containing three packages; two contained a note that would render them ineligible to vote at their next Tribal Council, while one contained an advantage. In a change from the previous seasons, each castaway was mandated to draw a package from the bag. If they received the advantage, they were free to go. However, if they found that they lost their vote, they were offered the chance to draw another package. Here, they could either draw the package containing the advantage, or draw the other package and lose their vote at their next two Tribal Councils.
On Day 2, Ratu, Soka, and Tika decided randomly to send Lauren Harpe, Matt Blankinship and Sarah Wade respectively to the first journey. There, Lauren received the Bank Your Vote advantage on her first draw, while both Matt and Sarah lost their votes. Both Matt and Sarah opted to draw another package. To his dismay, Matt found that he was now ineligible to vote at his next two Tribal Councils. Meanwhile, Sarah received the brand new Inheritance Advantage, which she could use to "inherit" any and all advantages and idols played at any Tribal Council until the final seven.
On Day 8, Soka placed first in the Reward Challenge and was given the chance to select one person from each tribe to go on a journey. Soka elected Carson Garrett to represent Tika, Jaime Lynn Ruiz to represent Ratu, and Josh Wilder to represent their tribe. At the journey, Carson, Jaime and Josh were each given an idol that would expire at the end of the tribal phase of the game; they did not have to risk their votes. Additionally, it was revealed that Carson, Jaime, and Josh would be switching tribes. Carson joined Ratu, Jaime Soka, and Josh Tika.
On Day 11, Ratu placed first in the challenge and selected Brandon Cottom to represent their tribe on a journey. They chose Danny Massa from Soka and Carolyn Wiger from Tika to join him. On the journey, the three castaways were told to walk along the beach together. At the end of their walk, they were surprised by the fact that there would be no game to be played, nor was any advantage up for grabs. Instead, they would enjoy a feast in the Survivor Sanctuary together.
===Survivor 45===
The first journey of occurred on Day 4. Bruce Perreault, Brandon Donlon, and Drew Basile represented Belo, Lulu, and Reba on the journey respectively. After taking some time to get to know each other, the three men parted ways and found themselves each faced with an individual challenge where they would have three minutes to find a lockbox combination by matching a set of numbered tiles bearing line patterns. Each person could either choose to protect their vote or compete for an advantage, failing which they would lose their vote. Bruce chose not to compete, while Brandon and Drew elected to compete. Drew succeeded and received the Safety Without Power advantage, while Brandon lost the challenge and left, unable to vote at his next Tribal Council, where he would be voted out.
A second journey occurred on Day 11 following the fifth tribal Immunity Challenge. After Reba placed first in the challenge, they nominated J. Maya to go on the journey before selecting Austin Li Coon and Kellie Nalbandian to represent Belo and Lulu respectively on the journey. There, the three players were instructed to vote between "Sustenance" in the form of sandwiches and juice and "Strategy" in the form of the Advantage Amulet. After some discussion, the trio decided to go for the Advantage Amulets.
The third journey occurred on Day 17 after the Immunity Challenge, upon which the three members of the blue team (Austin Li Coon, Emily Flippen, and Katurah Topps) who were eliminated first in the challenge embarked. There, they faced a challenge to recover their lost votes. Emily and Katurah failed the challenge, while Austin succeeded and regained his vote at the next Tribal Council.
The fourth and final journey occurred on Day 20; the Dakuwaqa tribe was instructed to either elect or randomly draw for one member to attend a journey. Emily was randomly selected to go for the journey. There, she was given the chance to risk her vote and compete for individual immunity. Faced with the "Savvy" puzzle from Day 1 that stumped four players, Emily balked and abstained from the challenge in order not to lose her vote.
===Survivor 46===
The first journey of occurred on Day 2. Tevin Davis, Maria Shrime Gonzalez, and David Jelinsky represented Nami, Siga, and Yanu respectively. The three contestants were told to play a game where each person would draw a card; the cards bore either a picture of a torch, a vote, or a skull. The person who drew the torch card would have to guess which of the other two players had the vote card. If they picked correctly, they (and the vote card holder) would win an advantage and the skull card holder would lose their vote at their next Tribal Council, and vice versa. Maria ended up picking the torch card and, after hearing Tevin and Jelinsky plead their cases, threatened to share with her tribe whomever ended up lying to her. Jelinsky dropped his bluff and confessed to being the skull card holder, leaving Maria with an easy decision which helped herself and Tevin win an extra vote.
The second journey of the season occurred on Day 7. After Nami won the third Immunity Challenge, they selected Liz Wilcox to represent them on the journey. Liz then picked Siga's Ben Katzman and Yanu's Bhanu Gopal to join her on the journey. There, Bhanu shared everything about his tribe's dynamics, to Liz and Ben's delight. Thereafter, the three castaways drew rocks, with the two players who drew blue rocks being offered a risky game where they stood to win an advantage. Liz drew the odd white rock and returned to camp, while Ben and Bhanu proceeded to play the game, a scaled down version of Cube Crisis. Neither player was able to complete the puzzle in time, leaving them with no vote at their next Tribal Council.
The third journey occurred on Day 11. Once again, Nami won the Immunity Challenge and selected Hunter McKnight to go on the journey. Hunter then allowed each of the other two tribes to nominate their representative; Yanu and Siga nominated Q Burdette and Tim Spicer respectively. At the journey, the three men agreed to form an alliance and bring in their closest ally to form a final six pact. Thereafter, they were instructed to nominate one person to compete for an advantage, with the challenge promising to test them on their Survivor knowledge. Hunter stepped up and proceeded to play the game, a variation of where he had to sort 20 Survivor logos in order of their season's air date. Despite being a superfan, Hunter failed to get the order correct and lost his vote at the next Tribal Council.
==Trivia==
* None of the advantages obtained in the summits were effectively used by the players who originally obtained them.
** JD Robinson was voted out after giving his Extra Vote to Shan Smith.
*** In turn, Shan's use of the Extra Vote to vote for both Naseer Muttalif and Heather Aldret did not impact the outcome of Tribal Council, as Naseer would have been voted out 3-2 without the need for a revote had she voted only for Naseer. However, it should be noted that the use of the advantage was to evenly split the vote between the two.
** Xander Hastings' use of the Extra Vote to vote for Liana Wallace twice did not impact the outcome of Tribal Council, as Liana would have been voted out 4-3 had he only voted once.
** Deshawn Radden's use of the Extra Vote to vote for Evvie Jagoda twice did not impact the outcome of Tribal Council, as Evvie was not voted out.
** Brad Reese was voted out while in possession of his Vote Steal, which he could not play at that Tribal Council because he was under the effect of the Beware Advantage.
** Liana was unsuccessful in her use of the Knowledge is Power advantage to steal Xander's idol.
* is the first season to have summits occur after the merge.
==References==
Category:Gameplay
Category:Twists
Category:Survivor (U.S.)
Category:Survivor: Borneo
Category:Survivor: Marquesas
Category:Survivor: The Amazon
Category:Survivor: Guatemala
Category:Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X
Category:Survivor 41
Category:Survivor 42
Category:Survivor 43
Category:Survivor 44
Category:Survivor 45
Category:Survivor (franchise)