Jordan Romero Summits Carstensz Pyramid

I've written about Jordan Romero in the past. He's the 13-year old who is attempting to become the youngest person to complete the Seven Summits, and the latest entry on his blog indicates that he is now one step closer to that goal.

Jordan is currently in Indonesia where the word is that he has successfully reached the summit of Carstensz Pyramid, the tallest peak in Oceania. In the process, the teenager also managed to set a new record as the youngest person to complete that technical climb and reach the top of the 16,023 foot mountain. He now has just Mt. Vinson in Antarctica and Everest in Asia to complete the Seven Summits.

The current record for the youngest person to complete the Seven Summits is held by Johnny Strange, who finished his quest this past spring by topping out on Everest. Johnny is 17 years old, so obviously Jordan has a few years working in his favor to catch him. Despite that, his website says that he hopes to finish off the two remaining peaks within the next year, presumably going for Vinson in the December/January timeframe and then turning towards Everest in the spring.

The Seven Summits represent the highest mountains on the seven continents, and over the past 25 years or so have become one of the landmark achievements for outdoor adventure. The list has actually grown to include 8 mountains, as Mount Kosciuszko, the tallest point in Australia, has been supplanted with the much more challenging, and taller, Carstensz, but most of the Seven Summiteers do both, just to cover their bases. Besides those two, Vinson and Everest, the list includes the following: Mt. Elbrus (Europe), Denali (North America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), and Aconcagua (South America).

I know we recently had some discussion around here regarding Laura Dekker and her plans to sail solo around the world at the age of 13, and now we have another 13-year old who is planning on tackling Everest next year. The difference between these two is vast however, as Jordan won't be making his Everest attempt alone, and his father, who goes with him on every climb, happens to be a high altitude medical specialist. That said, I'll still say that Everest isn't the best place for a 13-year old kid. I know they'll use sound judgement in their approach, but much like Laura, I think it would be okay for them to wait a few years before making the attempt. After all, what is the hurry?