13-year old Jordan Romero summits Everest

by Kraig Becker on

13-year old Jordan Romero reached the summit of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world, earlier today, setting a new record for the youngest person to achieve that feat. The successful summit also leaves him just one peak shy of his ultimate goal, to become the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits.

For much of the week, high winds buffeted the mountain, preventing climbers from going to the summit. But today, as predicted, a new weather window opened, granting access to the peak once again. This change in the weather has spurred another round of summit bids from both the north and south sides of the mountain. Jordan, and his team, topped out on the north, or Tibetan, side of Everest.

With Everest now added to his resume, Jordan can now turn his attention to the one mountain that remains on his list of the Seven Summits. This fall, he’ll travel to Antarctica to climb the 16,050 foot tall Mt. Vinson, the tallest peak on that continent. While not nearly as high as Everest, which stands at 29,029 feet, the extreme cold and harsh Antarctic conditions give the mountain its own unique challenges.

Jordan’s summit of Everest wasn’t the only one of note today. Climbing legend Apa Sherpa claimed his 20th summit of the mountain, extending his own record in the process. Apa first climbed Everest back in 1990, and has not failed to reach the top of the mountain in any year since then, an impressive feat of skill and endurance.

Congratulations to both Jordan and Apa on their amazing accomplishments.

First summits of the year on Everest

by Kraig Becker on

The first summits of the spring season on Everest took place two days ago when a group of Sherpas completed fixing ropes to the summit of the world’s tallest mountain. In all, nine Sherpas, from three different commercial climbing teams, stood on the peak at an altitude of 29,029 feet. With their work complete, the door is now open for other climbers to soon follow.

The nine Sherpas were working cooperatively on the South Side of Everest to place the all important ropes for their paying clients, who will begin making their way up the mountain sometime next week. The team consisted of three Sherpas from each of the three largest mountain guide companies operating on Everest, Himalayan Experience, Alpine Ascents, and International Mountain Guides, who joined forces to ensure a safe climbing environment for all the teams.

For their part, the climbers on the Nepali side of the mountain are finishing up their acclimatization process and are preparing to make their summit bids. Early indications are that those bids will begin next Thursday, on May 13th, weather permitting. After years of planning and weeks of preparation, the finish line is in sight, for these mountaineers, many of whom have payed upwards of $50,000 for the chance to stand at the top of the world.

The story is a bit different on the North Side of the mountain, which falls in Tibet. Bad weather on that side of the mountain has prevented the Sherpas from fixing the ropes, so for now, there is no access to the summit. The climbers approaching the summit from the north, including 13-year old Jordan Romero, must be patient and wait for now. Once the weather clears however, there is sure to be a rush to the summit on that side of the mountain as well.

Korean woman becomes first to climb all 8000 meter peaks

by Kraig Becker on

44 year-old Korean climber Oh Eun-Sun put her name in the record books last week, and joined very elite mountaineering company in the process. On Tuesday, she reached the summit of Annapurna, the 10th highest mountain in the world at 26,545 feet, and in doing so, became the first woman to climb all fourteen of the worlds mountains over 8000 meters (26,246 feet) in height.

For Oh, who climbed with a South Korean television crew in tow, the summit was the culmination of more than a decade of preparation, training, and climbing. In her home country, she was already a celebrity, and millions watched live on television as she made those final steps to the top of the mountain. Having completed her task, she is now likely to be one of the most famous athletes in South Korea.

Located in Nepal, Annapurna is widely considered to be one of the toughest, if not the toughest, of the 8000 meter peaks to climb. While shorter in stature than its more famous cousin, Mt. Everest, it is far more technical to climb. Additionally, the mountain is notorious for its poor weather and avalanches are common on the steep upper slopes. Oh herself failed to summit Annapurna last fall, prompting a return trip this spring to give it another go.

Oh Eun-Sun’s claim to being the first woman to summit the world’s highest peaks is not without controversy however. Spanish climber Edurne Pasaban has called into question Oh’s summit of Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world at 28,169 feet. Pasaban cites a lack of photo evidence and interviews with Sherpas who say that the Korean climber didn’t reach the summit on that mountain. Pasaban has been in pursuit of the 8000 meters peaks herself, and is likely to summit her final mountain, the 26,289 foot Shisha Pangma, located in Tibet, this week.

13-year old eyes Everest, Seven Summits

by Kraig Becker on

13-year old mountaineer Jordan Romero set off for Kathmandu yesterday, where he hopes to not only become the youngest climber to ever summit Mt. Everest but the Seven Summits as well.

We first mentioned Jordan more than a year ago. At the time, he had already well into his quest to climb the highest mountains on each of the seven continents, having completed Kilimanjaro (Africa), Elbrus (Europe), Aconcagua (South America), Denali (North America), and Kosciuszko (Australia). He has since added Carstensz Pyramid in Papua New Guinea, considered the highest peak in Oceania to his resume. That leaves just Everest and Mt. Vinson in Antarctica. left to conquer. If successful on Everest, he’ll go for Vinson in the fall.

Jordan and his team, which includes his father, will be climbing from the North Side of Everest, located in Tibet. The South Side falls under the jurisdiction of Nepal, who enforce an age requirement of 16 years or older on all climbers, but the Chinese have no such restrictions on their side of the mountain, which is why Jordan and company have elected to take on the mountain from the North. Curiously, the team is also making the climb with out the support of guides.

A few days back, we had a little fun here at Gadling with a host of April Fool’s Day travel posts. My contribution to those posts was written in the spirit of good fun of course, but was also meant as a bit of social commentary. While I completely respect what Jordan has accomplished as a climber already, I’m not a huge fan of the recent trend to have younger and younger kids attempting dangerous things in order to claim some dubious “youngest” record. Climbing Everest will be unlike any of the other mountains that he has summitted, and spending time above 26,000 feet, dubbed the “Death Zone” in popular culture, is dangerous for a full grown man or woman. It could be potentially disastrous for a young, still developing teen. Hopefully everything will go well, and he’ll come home safe and sound. Reaching the summit is optional, coming back home is not.

Kathmandu busy as climbers and trekkers descend on the Himalaya

by Kraig Becker on

Late March and early April are always a very busy time in Kathmandu as spring finally arrives, granting mountaineers and trekkers access to the Himalaya at last. The city is generally crowded, colorful, and chaotic to begin with, but when the spring climbing and trekking seasons begin, that chaos is taken to another level. Most will only be in town for a brief stay, while they collect their required permits and gear and head out to their various mountain destinations in preparation for their adventures ahead.

Of course, Mt. Everest is one of the top draws for adventure travelers heading to both Nepal and Tibet this time of year. As of this writing, China has once again closed Tibet to visitors, although that is expected to change in the next few days. Once access to the region is restored, mountaineers will travel to Everest’s North Side, officially kicking off the climbing season there, which will run into early June, when the monsoon returns.

On the Nepali side of the mountain, it is business as usual, with regular flights to Lukla already in full swing. The mountain village serves as the gateway to the Khumbu Valley, which in turn gives access to Everest itself. Climbers who are taking on the mountain from the South Side must first make a ten day trek to Base Camp, where teams of Sherpas have been busy preparing for the their arrival for over a week now. Reportedly, poor weather prevented a number of flights from getting out of Kathmandu, over the weekend, but things have improved now, and the regular shuttles are back on schedule.

The route to BC is a popular one with trekkers as well, and although they’ll never stand on the summit of the 29,035 foot tall Everest themselves, they still enjoy the challenges of hiking through the Himalaya. Along the way, they’ll stay in rustic tea houses and experience Sherpa culture first hand, while basking in some of the most breathtaking (literally and figuratively) scenery found anywhere on the planet.

While Everest may be the most famous mountain in the Himalaya, it is hardly the only attraction that draws climbers and trekkers to Nepal. The Annapurna Circuit is widely considered one of the best, if not the best, trekking route in the world, and it attracts its fair share of backpackers as well. This trek runs around the amazing Annapurna Massif, which includes six major peaks, each of which is at least 7200 meters in height. The crown jewel of those peaks is Annapurna I, the 10th highest mountain in the world at 26,545 feet, and one of the toughest to climb as well.

The hustle and bustle of Kathmandu will continue for the next couple of months, with travelers coming and going. Most trekkers will hang around the region for two to three weeks, while the climbers will stay put for as much as two and a half months. Right now, more than any other place on the planet, adventure is in the air in the Himalaya and for travelers that make the trip, the rewards are endless.