At the end of December, 15-year old American Jordan Romero completed his Seven Summits by summiting Mount Vinson in the Antarctic. Jordan, who became the youngest person to have completed the Seven Summits, began his quest back in 2006 when he climbed Kilimanjaro at age 10. Controversy ensued when he attempted Everest in 2010 aged just 13, with criticism coming from some quarters about the ethics of a young boy taking on such an objective. Undeterred though, Jordan topped out on May 22, and become the youngest person to have climbed Everest.
On completing his challenge on December 24th, which took in Carstensz Pyramid (above) as well as Australia’s Kosciuszko, Jordan said: “I did it. December 24 2011, I stepped onto the summit of Mt. Vinson Massif on the continent of Antarctica and completed my dream and goal of climbing the Seven Summits of the world. It was an amazing trip to the coldest place on earth. My team was amazing and wow… all of my hard work, preparation and training has paid off. It feels amazing! Six years of hard work and I feel like I am on the top of the world, well maybe it’s actually the bottom of the world.”
Jordan’s record of summiting Everest at age 13, and completing the Seven Summits at age 15 is unlikely ever to ever be beaten now, as both Nepal and Tibet have age restrictions in place for those applying for permits to climb Everest.
RELATED LINKS
www.jordanromero.com