13-year-old American conquers Everest
Jordan Romero
Jordan Romero
A 13-year-old American boy on Saturday became the youngest person to conquer Mount Everest, his website said, setting a new but controversial world record.
Jordan Romero was one of more than 50 mountaineers who reached the top of the world's highest peak early Saturday, among them Apa Sherpa, who broke his own world record by summiting for the 20th time.
The 13-year-old from Big Bear, California was "unbelievably happy" when he called in from the summit via satellite phone, said a statement on his website, www.jordanromero.com.
"The team just called in and confirmed that they are standing on top of Mount Everest - the highest peak in the world. Their dreams have now come
true," it said.
"Everyone sounded unbelievably happy. They also thanked everyone who supported them and encouraged them throughout their journey."
Jordan is three years younger than the previous record holder, believed to be Temba Tsheri of Nepal who reached the peak at age 16.
The Californian's successful climb brought him a step closer to achieving his ultimate goal - set when he saw a mural at school aged just nine - of
becoming the youngest person to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents. He now has only the Vinson Massif in Antarctica to climb.
Scores of supporters posted congratulations on his website, but the expedition has also attracted criticism from mountaineers, some of whom said
Jordan was too young to undertake such a dangerous climb.
Hundreds of people have died trying to climb Mount Everest, many succumbing to altitude sickness or accidents, and the route that Jordan and his father and stepmother took is notorious for avalanches and high winds.
Authorities in Nepal do not grant climbing licences for Everest to anyone under the age of 16 and the Romeros chose to climb from the Tibet side which Jordan's father, a paramedic, said he judged to be less dangerous.
Also on Saturday a Nepalese Sherpa climbed Mount Everest for the 20th time, beating his own world record, an official said.
Apa Sherpa, 50, reached the summit of the world's highest peak early on Saturday morning, a spokesman for the tourism ministry said.
"He reached the top of Everest this morning. He is in sound health and is now heading back to base camp after spending around half an hour on the summit," Laxman Bhattarai told AFP.
Sherpa, who first scaled Everest in 1990 and has been dubbed the "super Sherpa" for the apparent ease with which he climbs the mountain, dedicated his latest expedition to the impact of climate change on the Himalayas.
"I am thankful to have been able to climb Mount Everest for the 20th time," he said in a statement published on his website.
"I also climbed to bring attention to the damage done to the Himalayas because of global climate change."
Thousands of people have climbed Mount Everest since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to conquer the 8848-metre mountain in 1953.
www.jordanromero.com
