| Jordan Romero | |
| Birth Date: | 12 July 1996 |
| Birth Place: | Redlands, California, U.S.[1] |
| Known For: | Youngest person to climb Mount Everest |
| Occupation: | Mountain climber |
| Years Active: | 2006–present |
Jordan Romero (born July 12, 1996)[2] is an American mountaineer 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 on May 22, 2003.[4]
Upon climbing Vinson Massif in December 2011 at the age of 15 years, 5 months, 12 days, Romero became the youngest person in the world to complete the Seven Summits (highest mountains on each of the continents), a title previously held by George Atkinson. After this experience, Romero wrote a novel for children called ‘No Summit Out Of Sight’.[5]
| Noted summits Romero has climbed[6] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Summits | Country | Continent | Elevation ft | Elevation m | |
| July 2006 | Mount Kilimanjaro | Tanzania | Africa | 19,820 | 5,892 | |
| April 2007 | Mount Kosciuszko | Australia | Australia | 7,310 | 2,228 | |
| July 2007 | Mount Elbrus | Russia | Europe | 18,510 | 5,642 | |
| December 2007 | Aconcagua | Argentina | South America | 22,841 | 6,962 | |
| June 2008 | Denali | United States (Alaska) | North America | 20,320 | 6,194 | |
| September 2009 | Mount Carstensz Pyramid | Indonesia | Asia | 16,024 | 4,884 | |
| May 2010 | Nepal - China | Asia | 29,029 | 8,848 | ||
| December 2011 | Vinson Massif | N/A | Antarctica | 16,050 | 4,892 | |
Romero is now trying to climb the highest point in each of the 50 US states.[7] He had already climbed Denali in June 2008.[7] (see also Peak bagging (Climbing list))
| The "50 US States Summits" Romero has climbed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Summits | State | Elevation ft | Elevation m | Notes |
| June 2008 | Denali | Alaska | 20,320 | 6,194 | [8] |
| August 2012 | Kings Peak | Utah | 13,286 | 4,123 | [9] |
| 2012 | Mount Mansfield | Vermont | 4,393 | 1,338.99 | |
| 2012 | Mount Washington | New Hampshire | 6,288 | 1,916.58 | |
| 2012 | Mount Katahdin | Maine | 5,269 | 1,605.99 | |
Romero grew up in Big Bear Lake, California, and currently resides in Portland, Oregon. He was born to Paul Romero and Leigh Anne Drake.[10]
See main article: Mountaineering and Glossary of climbing terms. Prior to climbing Everest, Romero had already climbed five of the seven highest peaks in the world in his desire to scale the tallest peaks on the seven continents (counting two for Oceania). He finished the seven summits with Mount Vinson in Antarctica at age 15.[11] Before climbing Everest, Romero's highest peak was Aconcagua, 6962m (22,841feet) in elevation. His group chose a northern route out of Tibet and carried a GPS tracking device and satellite phone.[12] Along the way to the top, Romero conducted an interview from an intermediate base camp 18,700 feet above sea level.[13] Upon reaching Mount Everest's summit, a Skype interview was accomplished[14] and Romero also called his mother, who had been following the climb on a map which included GPS coordinates, pictures and video.
Before he climbed Mount Everest, there was some criticism over whether a 13-year-old boy 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."[15] Because Nepal does not issue permits to people under 16 years of age, Romero and his team decided to climb from the Tibet side.[16] 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 who reach the top. [17]
After Romero climbed Mount Everest, he and Katherine Blanc wrote a book The Boy Who Conquered Everest: The Jordan Romero Story.[18] At the end of 2014 Romero with Linda LeBlanc wrote another book No Summit out of Sight: The story of Jordan Romero .[7] [19]