Jordan will attempt the ascent to 29,035 feet with his father and his father’s girlfriend, both experienced outdoors people. When Jordan was only 9, a school mural of the seven summits inspired his ambitious goal. “I told my dad about it and he didn’t say no. He just explained the difficulties and what I’d have to do. We started training right away,” said Jordan.
At the age of 10, he became the youngest American to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. He is steadily checked off four of the tallest peaks since then, including Alaska’s Mount McKinley.
Despite his penchant for tall mountains and thin air, friends and family describe Jordan as unusually grounded for a 13-year-old. He said he understands the risks of climbing Everest, which kills climbers almost every year.Jordan’s father, Paul Romero, said he wants nothing more than to make his son’s dreams come true. “It’s his quest and we are just along for the ride,” said Romero, a helicopter paramedic who lives in the San Bernardino Mountains ski town of Big Bear Lake.
Jordan’s mother, Leigh Anne Drake, said she supports her son but she also sees her ex-husband’s influence in the project.She said her son is taking two months of homework to Nepal so he can keep up with school.The current record holder for the youngest to climb the peak is Temba Tsheri of Nepal who was 16 and lost five fingers during his ascent due to frostbite.
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