Jordan Romero

Jordan Romero (born July 12, 1996)^[2] is an American mountain climber who was 13 years old when he reached the summit of Mount Everest. Romero was accompanied by his father Paul Romero, his step-mother Karen Lundgren, and three Sherpas, Ang Pasang Sherpa, Lama Dawa Sherpa, and Lama Karma Sherpa.^[3] The previous record for youngest to climb Everest was held by Ming Kipa of Nepal who was 15 years old when she reached the summit in 2009.^[4] Jordan was the youngest person to summit Everest until Malavath Poorna, an Indian girl summited when she was 13 and eleven months - just one month younger than Jordan when he reached the summit.^[5] He was inspired to climb the tallest mountains of each continent when he saw a painting in the hallway of his school that had the seven continents' highest mountains.^[6] He climbed the Vinson Massif in December 2011, breaking the record of George Atkinson being the youngest climber in the world to complete the Seven Summits, at the age of 15 years, 5 months, 12 days.^[7]

Everest as viewed from Nepal

Romero is now trying to climb the highest point in each of the 50 US states.^[8] He had already climbed Denali in June 2008.^[9] (see also Peak bagging (Climbing list))

State high points are shown as red circles. Low points are shown with green squares, except in states whose lowest elevation spans coastlines or lake shores (the Great Lakes or Lake Champlain).(See also List of U.S. states by elevation)

Personal life

Romero grew up in Big Bear Lake, California and currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah.^[15][16] He was born to Paul Romero and Leigh Anne Drake.^[16][17]

Historic climb

Wikinews has related news: California boy, 13, youngest to conquer Everest

Prior to climbing Everest, Romero had already climbed six "highest" peaks in his desire to scale the tallest peaks on the seven continents (counting two for Oceania).^[18] Before climbing Everest, Romero's highest peak was Mount Aconcagua, 6,962 m (22,841 ft) in elevation.^[18] His group chose a northern route out of Tibet and carried a GPS tracking device and satellite phone.^[16][17][19] Along the way to the top, Romero conducted an interview from an intermediate base camp 18,700 feet above sea level.^[15] Upon reaching Mount Everest's summit, a Skype interview was accomplished^[16] and Romero also called his mother, who had been following the climb on a map which included GPS coordinates, pictures and video.

Concerns about the climb

Before he climbed Mount Everest, there was some criticism over whether a teenager should be allowed to attempt this. David Hillebrandt, medical adviser to the British Mountaineering Council, questioned whether Romero was mentally mature enough and then went on to say, "It is totally against the spirit of true mountaineering. This sounds like it's about mass marketing, money and it's verging on child abuse. Nowadays, people are effectively being winched up (the mountains), using ropes that Sherpas have put in for them. It will all be done for him (Romero). He's a token passenger."^[20] Because of the concerns of climbing through the unpredictable Khumbu Icefall on the Nepal route, Romero and his team decided to climb from the Tibet side. On June 10, 2010, the Lhasa-based Chinese Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA), the official channel through which climbers must apply for permission to attempt peaks in Tibet, announced future age restrictions for all those attempting Everest from the north.^[21]

Book

After Romero climbed Mount Everest he and Katherine Blanc wrote a book The Boy Who Conquered Everest: The Jordan Romero Story.^[22] In the end of 2014 Romero with Linda LeBlanc wrote another book No Summit out of Sight The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits.^[23][24]

See also

• Matt Moniz, did 50 State Summits in 43 days with his father
• Malavath Purna, summited Mount Everest at age 13

References

External links

• Official website
• Flickr
• XDance Film
• Children's book: The Boy Who Conquered Everest