13 yr old to climb Everest, what do you think?

I read that a 13-year old is climbing Everest. He is going with Dad and step-Mom. The cost is $125,000. The parents want to "help him" reach is dream - the youngest Seven Summit climber. I am a climber. I certainly relate to wanting to climb Everest. However, I do not think any 13-year old has the judgement to be on Everest. I think the parents are out for fame and I would almost call this child endangerment. Put half the money in a fund for the kid's college or to buy a house when he is an adult and put the other half in a fund for him to climb Everest when he is over 18, and an adult, and on his own, without Mom and Dad. He may be the youngest climber record holder if he succeeds, but I for one would hold his accomplishment in higher esteem if he were to do it on is own when older - and maybe at that time he could actually do a more significant route. I cannot help but remember a few years back when a young girl and her Dad were trying to have her be the youngest to pilot cross-country and crashed.

People with that kind of money to blow don't care about college funds, other than 529 plans, and Everest has ceased to be a big deal years ago when it became a tourist destination. Have him sail single handed across the Pacific or enter him in the Tour de France....that would get my attention.
Money buys 'accomplishment' these days,including 'astronaut'...which at one time was a monumental thing.

I suppose if he's summited the other six highest points already, then it may be within hailing distance of sensible to let him attempt Everest. He would already have risked his life many times over to get to that point, and would at least have some high-peak skills and experience. Denali and Aconcagua are no cakewalks. The antarctic high point, either.

As for him succeeding and holding this "record", I agree that it is a perfectly senseless record to hold, and it bestows the kind of pointless fame that won't do him or anyone else a bit of good. AS for it being his "dream", not every dream a 13 year old conceives is worth encouraging.

I just hope he comes down alive, with all his fingers and toes intact.

Well I wrote a long thing on another group, I'll just say that the fingers and toes are the least of it. Oxygen deprivation in the brain from the altitude takes its toll. The Goddess extracts her due, the Goddess at the summit of Everest rides a Tiger, people come back from there missing pieces of their eyesight, portions of their brains etc. Other teenagers have died at altitude. If he lives to be 30 what will he think of his accomplishment then? What will he think of his parents? Maybe instead he can be the first 13 year old to die up there, nice record huh?
Jim

This probably makes sense to the parents from a financial standpoint. They have to spend money to get this kid to the top (another figure I read was well below 125K) but they stand to make much more $$$ with endorsements, book deals, speaking engagements, yada yada. I truly hope that money is not their primary motivation. One article called this adventure an ego trip for the father. I don't know these people at all and I can't judge them but that is entirely possible.

If this kid makes it to the top will he really have "climbed" the mountain if his father/guide gives him massive amounts of assistance??? I would be really surprised if he wasn't short roped to the top as are many "clients" who pay huge sums of money to guides. Is this what mountain climbing is all about? Then again it could be argued that everyone since Hillary had some degree of help to reach the summit.

IMO anyone who summits Everest, or any other big peak, but has all their meals cooked for them, all their ropes fixed for them, most of their gear carried for them, tents set up for them, and then gets personally guided to the top deserves to have their name on the summit roster but............with a big huge asterisk.

What's next, a 9 year old???? Where will it stop?

I would not could not as a parent of three!, ever risk such a climb with my children. I am not a climber myself , just a hobbiest hiker. However, I do not care how much money you have, you should not put your children at such risk! There have been allot of adult deaths attempting the Everest summit. I dont care if Sherpas paid 1,000,000 a Piece were carrying my child. No Way!

If the kid is prepared, has experience, it's what he wants to do and they have that kind of money to throw at it and know the risks. find. I certainly could have managed to kill myself doing stupid and inglorious things in the bush at 13.

Yes kids can die doing stuff like this. They can also die playing hockey or soccer, and they can certainly die driving to school. Is *this* kid ready or fit for that? don't know. but I'm certain it is *possible* for a kid that age to do it given that you have guides taking money to drag fat our of shape old guys up it.

Would I want anything to do with it? No. modern stories off Everest leave me with nothing but a feeling of complete disgust, and the thought that it has become a high altitiude dumping ground and playground for those suffering from the problem of too much money and not enough to do with it, and guides who will take it and walk by hurt climbers to get thir party to the top.

Like Phat, I gave up on the Everest scene some time ago. It shows some very bad trends in society today.

It's only the desire that make people to attain impossible things possible. Although safety is major concern but it's only the courage that make it happen.

I do not see this as "attaining the impossible through courage". Everest is quite possible. The issue is if this is appropriate, given the real risk of death, simply to break a record as the youngest. By the way, I never have heard if this kid actually made it. If climbing Everest is the goal, doing it as an accomplished mountaineer, as a selected member of a real expedition, without help from Dad, would be more meaningful.

Just wondering, what with Sherpas going on strike (last I heard) after the tragic avalanche, if anyone is climbing this year?

I heard they cancelled the whole climbing season on Everest.

Me too. Fate might have stepped in and this kid has benefitted.

This is definitely a case of parents looking for their 15 minutes. They will certainly spin as hard as possible to legitimize this, but the root of the motivation is their desire to be noticed.

It really doesn't matter if the kid is a skilled climber. Hell, I had a higher IQ than Richard Nixon when I was 13 but I wasn't ready to run the country and my mom would've never let me.

Anyway... if this were not motivated by parental vanity than, like my mom, they'd tell the kid to wait, and would supply a strong list of reasons why, the final being it's not his decision to make.

Pondering the notion that parents actually sit and think up these schemes does make me wonder though. They must go something like this:

"What if we put little Johnny in a specially made diving bell and drop him to the bottom of the Mariana Trench."

(google, google, google)

"Wow dear, that's brilliant! He'll only be 6 months old by then. The records our's for the taking. I'll call the travel agent, you call CNN and tell them it's on for next Summer!".

That can't be far off, and we can all safely bet our asses CNN is going to feature it too.

This post is 2010. If the kid climbed, it was a few years ago, and not impacted by this year's closure. I just never kept up on this story so do not know if it really happened.

On any serious climb, each person must be ready to be on their own, regardless of how many guides or parents are in the party. A 13-year old, no matter how motivated, strong, or skillful, does not have the judgment or years of experience to be placed in that situation. I have less problems with old folks trying to be the oldest to climb- they are at the end of their lives and dying on Everest may just be a fine way to go and they are old enough to make their own decisions, no matter how stupid. But the goal of being the "youngest" is another matter. I can see why the kid wanted to do it; I do not see how any parent could enable such risk.

He made it safely. He has climbed the highest peaks in all seven continents and now he is climbing the highest peaks in all 50 states.

Wikopedia article

It sounds like he had extensive experience before climbing Everest.

Hmmm. I guess he's already peaked out then.

According to that Wikipedia article, after he climbed Everest he (of course) got a book deal, touting his achievement. Why am I not surprised?

I still think this whole adventure was a very bad idea for a child that age. If he had "a dream" that really meant that much to him, he could easily have waited a few more years to accomplish it. The only difference about being the youngest-ever blah blah blah is you might be listed in the Guiness Book of World Records, which is a very immature ambition in itself.

Hat's off for that girl but credit also goes to her parents. Well climbing The Everest is not a Joke. It needs courage and will power. Really hat's off for this girl.

Jordan Romero (conceived July 12, 1996) is a U.S.A Jordan was 13 years of age when he achieved the summit of Mt. Everest. Romero was joined by his dad Paul Romero, his progression mother Karen Lundgren, and three Sherpas, Ang Pasang Sherpa, Lama Dawa Sherpa, and Lama Karma Sherpa.The past record for most youthful to climb Everest was held by Ming Kipa of Nepal who was 15 years of age when she achieved the summit in 2009. Jordan was the most youthful individual to summit Everest until Malavath Poorna, an Indian young lady summited when she was 13 and eleven months - only one month more youthful than Jordan when he achieved the summit.

Everest is one hard mountain to climb and especially for a 13yr, i have been on K2 and i know its the 2nd tallest but the most hardest. so knowing this i would suggest to not take a kid to Everest, it is a bit lighter then K2 but still height matters, climate matters.

I agree with the college fund idea and 13 is the age kids are developing different skills. Key word is developing. They need to wait and not put the child in danger.

Too dangerous. The parents have no idea of the risks.