'Mom, I'm on top of the world!'
Source: Agencies |
May 23, 2010, Sunday
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A 13-YEAR-OLD American boy became the youngest climber to reach the top of Mount Everest yesterday.
Jordan?Romero called his mother by satellite phone from the summit of the world's highest mountain, 8,850 meters above sea level. He is now one climb away from his quest to conquer the highest peaks on all seven continents.
"He says, 'Mom, I'm calling you from the top of the world'," Leigh Anne Drake said from California, where she had watched her son's progress on a GPS tracker online.
"There were lots of tears and 'I love you! I love you'!" Drake said. "I just told him to get his butt back home."
The teenager with long curly hair - who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa when he was nine - says he was inspired by a painting in his school hallway of the seven continents' highest summits.
"Every step I take is finally toward the biggest goal of my life, to stand on top of the world," Jordan said earlier on his blog. The former record for the youngest climber to scale Everest had been held by 16-year-old Temba Tsheri of Nepal.
Also yesterday, officials said a Nepalese Sherpa, Apa, who lives in Salt Lake City broke his own world record by climbing Everest for the 20th time.
Mountaineering Department official Tilak Pandey said several climbers took advantage of yesterday's clear weather to reach the summit.
Jordan's climbing team reached the peak hours earlier than expected.
"The first thing, they all hugged each other and said, 'I love you, I can't believe we're finally here' and started crying," said Rob Bailey, the team's spokesman.
Jordan, from Big Bear, California, was climbing Everest with his father, his father's girlfriend and three Sherpa guides. He left for the peak from the Chinese side.
Jordan carried a number of good luck charms, including a pair of kangaroo testicles given to him by a friend who has cancer.
At the summit, Jordan left behind his lucky rabbit's foot and planted some seeds that a Buddhist monk had given him to bring luck, Bailey said.
Just one mountain remains for Jordan - the Vinson Massif in Antarctica. The team leaves for Antarctica in December, Bailey said.
"A piece of cake," his mother said.
Jordan?Romero called his mother by satellite phone from the summit of the world's highest mountain, 8,850 meters above sea level. He is now one climb away from his quest to conquer the highest peaks on all seven continents.
"He says, 'Mom, I'm calling you from the top of the world'," Leigh Anne Drake said from California, where she had watched her son's progress on a GPS tracker online.
"There were lots of tears and 'I love you! I love you'!" Drake said. "I just told him to get his butt back home."
The teenager with long curly hair - who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa when he was nine - says he was inspired by a painting in his school hallway of the seven continents' highest summits.
"Every step I take is finally toward the biggest goal of my life, to stand on top of the world," Jordan said earlier on his blog. The former record for the youngest climber to scale Everest had been held by 16-year-old Temba Tsheri of Nepal.
Also yesterday, officials said a Nepalese Sherpa, Apa, who lives in Salt Lake City broke his own world record by climbing Everest for the 20th time.
Mountaineering Department official Tilak Pandey said several climbers took advantage of yesterday's clear weather to reach the summit.
Jordan's climbing team reached the peak hours earlier than expected.
"The first thing, they all hugged each other and said, 'I love you, I can't believe we're finally here' and started crying," said Rob Bailey, the team's spokesman.
Jordan, from Big Bear, California, was climbing Everest with his father, his father's girlfriend and three Sherpa guides. He left for the peak from the Chinese side.
Jordan carried a number of good luck charms, including a pair of kangaroo testicles given to him by a friend who has cancer.
At the summit, Jordan left behind his lucky rabbit's foot and planted some seeds that a Buddhist monk had given him to bring luck, Bailey said.
Just one mountain remains for Jordan - the Vinson Massif in Antarctica. The team leaves for Antarctica in December, Bailey said.
"A piece of cake," his mother said.
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