Jordan Romero becomes youngest to reach Everest

Jordan Romero becomes youngest to reach Everest

Saturday, May 22, 2010

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There's a brief posting on Jordan Romero's website stating that the 13-year old has successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest, thus becoming the youngest person to reach the top of the world.

Here's what was posted on his blog earlier today:

The team just called in and confirmed that they are standing on top of Mt. Everest - the highest peak in the world. Their dreams have now come true. Everyone sounded unbelievably happy. They also thanked everyone who supported them and encouraged them throughout their journey.

I’m sure we’ll hear more from them soon!

A subsequent posting on the blog also states that the Team’s SPOT GPS is indicating that the team has arrived safely back at Camp 2 (24,750 ft) roughly 26 hours after reaching the summit.

For Jordan, Mt. Everest just became the sixth of the "Seven Summits" - the highest points on each continent - that he has now summited. He hopes to become the youngest to reach all "Seven Summits" by tackling Mt. Vinson in the Antarctic later this year.

Congratulations to Jordan!!




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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We proceeded on....

We proceeded on....

Friday, April 23, 2010

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"We proceeded on" was the phrase Meriwether Lewis often used in his journals as he and William Clark made their trek to the Pacific Ocean and back. This phrase would be quite appropriate for a few modern day travelers as they proceed on with their own expeditions.

I thought I would take this opportunity to provide an update on some of these treks that I've mentioned on this blog in the past.

Blind Hiker makes it to Damascus:
That title sounds almost biblical. However, some of you may recall a story I did a few weeks ago regarding Mike Hanson, the blind hiker who was attempting to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. Mike just reached the town of Damascus in Virginia the other day. Getting to Damascus wasn't easy. In a 3/27/10 posting on his blog, Mike stated that he needed to bypass the Smoky Mountains due to the unusually deep snow and ice conditions at the higher elevations. Mike plans to hike that section after reaching Maine in a couple of months.


Hiking the AT to Restore Shuckstack Tower:
Peter Barr is also hiking the Appalachian Trail. In addition to hiking the iconic trail, Peter is also using his trek to raise money to restore the Shuckstack fire tower in the Great Smoky Mountains. Peter recently crossed Big Bald Mountain and was in Erwin, Tennessee as of yesterday. You can find more information regarding his campaign and follow along on his website.


Section hiking the MST:
Smoky Scout and Danny Bernstein continue to tackle their section hike of the Mountain-to-Sea Trail. So far they've covered 237 miles of the roughly 1000-mile trail. Both are blogging about their journeys as they make their way across North Carolina. You can follow along by clicking here and here.


13-year-old makes it to Everest Base Camp:
This story is gaining some major national and international recognition. Jordan Romero, a 13-year-old from California, has reached Base Camp on Mt. Everest. If successful this climbing season, he will become the youngest person to ever reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Everest would also be his sixth of the "Seven Summits" - the highest points on each continent. He hopes to become the youngest to reach all "Seven Summits" by tackling Mt. Vinson in the Antarctic later this year. Since his arrival at Base Camp, Jordan has been training and has already made it up to intermediate base camp at 18,700 feet.

Jordan was recently interviewed on the Today Show. Here he is at Everest Base Camp:





Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

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13-year-old about to attempt Mt. Everest

13-year-old about to attempt Mt. Everest

Thursday, April 15, 2010

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About a year and a half ago I posted an article about a then 12-year-old who was on his way to conquer Mt. Vinson, the highest point in the Antarctica. Although that expedition was abandoned, Jordan Romero now has his sights squarely on Mt. Everest, the second last hurdle for him in becoming the youngest person to reach the highest point on all seven continents.

The record is currently held by Johnny Collinson who reached the top of Mt. Vinson earlier this year, thus completing all Seven Summits at the age of 17.

As of right now Jordan is on his way to Base Camp at the foot of Mt. Everest in the Himalayas. If successful, he'll become the youngest person to conquer the world's highest mountain. The current record for the youngest climber of Everest is held by Nepali Temba Tsheri, who was 16 when he reached the peak in 2001.

If Jordan succeeds in the Himalayas this spring, he will then attempt the Vinson Massif later this winter, at which point he would smash Collinson's record by three years.

When I first came across Romero's story I was truly impressed and thought it was amazing that someone of his age could be so focussed on such a feat. However, I don't have any children. A friend of mine brought Romero's quest up in a recent blog posting that provides the perspective from a father.

My friend, Dana, points out this quote from Jordan in a recent Outside Magazine article: “I just focus on the goal I set when I was nine, which is to climb the Seven Summits.”

As Dana more or less points out: Where or how did Jordan come up with such an idea at the age of nine?

Is he being pushed into a dangerous situation by his dad, perhaps for his own ambitions?

Dana compares Jordan exploits to his own on a bike ride up Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park as a young teenager. You can read the article by clicking here. In addition to offering a different perspective on this story, Dana provides an entertaining tale of his cycling exploits on the highest road in the United States.

So, what do you think? Is Jordan's goal and aspirations admirable and exciting, or is he being pushed by an irresponsible parent?

On a related but slightly less serious note, Gadling has this report on their website:

Pregnant mountaineer Kate Suleman is preparing to climb Mt. Everest, which at 29,035 feet in height, is the tallest mountain on the planet. If she is successful, her unborn fetus will set a new record for the youngest person to ever reach the summit of the mountain. Click here to read the full report.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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