Cooped Up? Get Uncooped.

Since the Earth's mountains only rise so high, and an Everest summit is no longer that unique of a feat, the new record push seems to be to climb to the top of the world as early in life as you can. The record was previously set by a 16-year-old Nepalese boy named Temba Tsheri, and and now a 13-year-old Californian, Jordan Romero, is on a mission to break that record. He set out earlier this week with a team headed by three Nepalese sherpas, which includes his father, a mountaineer and paramedic, and his stepmother, also a mountaineer. Romero has already summited the highest peaks on the six other continents and hopes to round out his list with Everest.

Just last year, Utah teen Johnny Collinson became the youngest westerner to summit Everest and followed that up in January, becoming the youngest in the world to summit all Seven Summits. In 2007, 18-year-old Samantha Larson became the youngest American to make the climb. Noticing a pattern? Seems like being young is the new Everest.

Romero's ascent is scheduled for May 15 to May 25.

Via Times Online and Daily Mail

• climbing
• Everest
• mountains
• mountaineering
• world_records