Youngest ever to climb Mt. Everest.

Necromancer24 · May 22, 2010

BEIJING – A 13-year-old American boy became the youngest climber to reach the top of Mount Everest on Saturday, surpassing the previous record set by a 16-year-old Nepalese.

Jordan Romero called his mother by satellite phone from the summit of the world's highest mountain, 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) above sea level. He is now one climb away from his quest to conquer the highest peaks on all seven continents.

"He says, 'Mom, I'm calling you from the top of the world,'" Leigh Anne Drake told The Associated Press from California, where she had watched her son's progress on a GPS tracker online.
"There were lots of tears and 'I love you! I love you!'" Drake said. "I just told him to get his butt back home."
The teenager with long curly hair — who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa when he was 9 years old — says he was inspired by a painting in his school hallway of the seven continents' highest summits.
"Every step I take is finally toward the biggest goal of my life, to stand on top of the world," Jordan said earlier on his blog.
The former record for the youngest climber to scale Everest had been held by Temba Tsheri of Nepal. He reached the peak at age 16.

Also Saturday, officials said a Nepalese Sherpa who lives in the Salt Lake City suburb of Draper broke his own world record by climbing Everest for the 20th time. Apa, who goes by one name, went up with fellow climbers on a mission also to collect garbage, a growing environmental problem on the mountain.
Mountaineering Department official Tilak Pandey said several climbers took advantage of Saturday's clear weather to reach the summit.

Jordan's climbing team reached the peak hours earlier than expected.
"The first thing, they all hugged each other and said, 'I love you, I can't believe we're finally here' and started crying," said Rob Bailey, the team's spokesman, by phone from the United States.
Jordan, from Big Bear, California, was climbing Everest with his father, his father's girlfriend and three Sherpa guides. He left for the peak from the base camp on the Chinese side.
Everest was his first challenge above 26,240 feet (8,000 meters).

Unlike neighboring Nepal, the other approach to Everest, China has no age limit for climbers. Jordan registered with Chinese officials in April, said Zhang Mingxing, secretary general of China Tibet Mountaineering Association.
No interview with Jordan would be possible until he returns to advance base camp, which could take a couple of days, Bailey said. Climbers stay overnight at three or four camps before the summit, depending on their route and pace.
Jordan carried a number of good luck charms, including a pair of kangaroo testicles given to him by a friend who has cancer.
"That's the one that probably meant the most," Bailey said.

At the summit, Jordan left behind his lucky rabbit's foot and planted some seeds that a Buddhist monk at a local monastery had given him for luck on his journey, Bailey said. Then he took the satellite phone and called his mom.
Jordan continues the recent trend of young adventurers. Earlier this month, 16-year-old Australian Jessica Watson became the youngest person to sail around the globe solo, nonstop and unassisted. Thousands lined Sydney Harbor to cheer as she cruised past the finish line in her pink yacht.

A Dutch court late last year blocked an even younger sailor, 14-year-old sailor Laura Dekker, from pursuing a similar round-the-world voyage, ordering her to prepare more and wait at least until this year before starting.
And in January, 17-year-old Johnny Collinson of Utah became the youngest person to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents.
Just one mountain remains in Jordan's own quest to climb those peaks, the Vinson Massif in Antarctica.
Jordan's team leaves for Antarctica in December, Bailey said.
"A piece of cake," his mother said.
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He climbed Mount Everest when he was 13 and Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa when he was 9. Do you think you could do that? This kid certainly has the guts to do it. I couldn't imagine myself climbing Mt. Everest when I'm 30.

Sources:

http://www.boston.com/news/world/as...ar_old_becomes_youngest_to_top_mount_everest/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100522/wl_afp/nepalchinaeverestclimbingrecordchild_20100522061200

Necromancer24 · May 22, 2010

wutz_ur_a sl said: ↑

LMFAO that is not true! This has to be a hoax, ass!
Click to expand...

Don't be foolish. Do you think I wrote that whole news story just to trick someone?
Just to prove you wrong, I got back on my computer to find the source:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100522/wl_afp/nepalchinaeverestclimbingrecordchild_20100522061200

MiP2 · May 22, 2010

I see someone has balls :l

lacuna · May 22, 2010

That is awesome that a kid would be that dedicated.
And for being a 13 year old AMERICAN.
Most of them at the that age are either selling drugs, or playing video games.

bad_moose · May 22, 2010

Bugger, I can no longer stereotype all American's as fat and/or lazy. Jokes :L

Anyway, that kid must have put so much effort into this whole achievement, doing something like that at 13 is incredible. There are fully grown men who have failed to climb Everest.

acashedbowl · May 22, 2010

I couldnt imagine what that call was like to his mom. I could never seeing myself do that at age 13 damn. Let alone at age 9 climb Mt. Killamanjaro. Crazy kidd... This is such an incredible thing to do at such a young age.

K-C-D · May 22, 2010

Wow, I couldn't imagine. Coolest kid in school?

lacuna · May 22, 2010

acashedbowl said: ↑

I couldnt imagine what that call was like to his mom. I could never seeing myself do that at age 13 damn. Let alone at age 9 climb Mt. Killamanjaro. Crazy kidd... This is such an incredible thing to do at such a young age.
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I agree, 13 years old.
You think 6-7th grade.
Thats still a very small kid, im proud to hear something like this.

Panzy Wanzy · May 22, 2010

Good on him, I've always wanted to climb Mt. Everest, hopefully some day in my 20's. He is very brave, I admire that.

blindkilla · May 22, 2010

I'm doubting he climbed Everest. There are climbers with years and years of climbing experience that have a lot of trouble with it. I can't see how a 13 year old would be physically capable of it.

&#9612;WeÃ…Â¡ &#9612; · May 22, 2010

Anything he can do i can do better..

Feren Silver · May 22, 2010

cosrob97 said: ↑

wow that's accomplishment. Ill like to see anybody get off there computer and climb it.
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It's not a matter of 'getting off the computer to do it'. You can't just one day leave and say I'm going to climb Mt. Everest, it's something you have to have experience at.

It's an amazing feat not the less. At age 13 I don't even think I would even want to climb a mountain, let-alone the highest mountain in the world.

The funny part is, if he's that good of a climber, what does he do for the rest of his life? Hasn't he accomplished everything big in the climbing world?

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