Any chance the Nepalese and/or Chinese would deny him a permit?
The 13-year old boy’s website: TouristSecrets | TouristSecrets | About Us
He has seven corporate sponsors for the Everest expedition and a connection with the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. And, he is accepting donations.
He also has 28 other corporate sponsors.
I don’t think it is wise for ANYONE to climb Everest, personally. It is such a high death rate. I mean, people lose their lives every year on Everest. But the thing is, I don’t think anyone is too young to risk their lives. Back in the old days, boys were married and had already had kids by the time they were thirteen. Just because our standards today say he is too young doesn’t mean that he is too young mentally or physically.
In what society?
Telemark, you’re still acting quite like you don’t understand the ramifications of climbing Everest. That you continue to compare it to climbs in New England is evidence of this, and I don’t care how bad the weather gets up there. You can drive right to the top of the presidentials for god’s sake. They’re $%^&ing foothills compared to the Himalaya. That you reject the Russian Roulette comparison is further evidence of this. Death comes swiftly and randomly on Everest, to people of all skill-levels, and all the preparation in the world cannot save them.
Why? Are you afraid your child would be, uhhh . . . not . . . endangered? 
Xanth.
Just drop that line, I understand the risks. I compare it to New England because people are having the same arguments about kids here that they are in Nepal. It’s the Himalayan climbers who compare the conditions on Washington to Everest because they are, in fact, similar. 100+ MPH winds, temps of -30 F, yes, these are the conditions that are fairly common in the Presidentials in winter. That’s why Everest climbers regularly come here to train. No, it doesn’t have the altitude issues, but that’s not the only dangers.
There was a rescue on Jefferson (actually a body recovery but they didn’t know that at the time) where Rick Wilcox (noted Everest climber and all around big-time mountaineer) reported that the conditions he encountered were worse than anything he saw on Everest. They were pinned down by the wind, and had to struggle to save themselves with their goggles frozen over and visibility at zero. They had to abandon the rescue and with great difficulty they got their own rescue team back down with some frostbite.
I’m not saying that it’s as dangerous as Everest, but there are real, objective, and severe dangers of climbing the Whites in winter, and people bring their young children up there every year in pursuit of age records.
Because there are lots of things I wouldn’t let my child do that I would hate to legislate against other parents deciding is OK for their children. I wouldn’t let my child ride a quad, or watch very violent movies, but I’m not going to prevent other families from doing that. Why is this so hard to understand?
High altitude mountaineering is an extremely dangerous activity. If you do it long enough you will die, the numbers are against you in every way. I’d be happier if no one I knew wanted to do it, but they do. I wish they wouldn’t free solo rock climb either, but they do. I just feel uncomfortable legislating against any activity.
Yes, The Presidentials are a walk in the park compared to Everest. You don’t need oxygen and you can turn around or call for help. I was reading that he has already been up some of the toughest. I hope he makes it but if he doesn’t his parents are responsible for allowing him to try and beat a sherpa girls record. I think she was 14 or 15? If he doesn’t make it I wonder if his parents will come back to the states or stay out of the country? They will most likely be arrested for child endangerment.
One of my favorite films is K2 Ultimate High. I would never want to climb anything like that but I do respect the grit it takes for people that do. In the Daily Examiner they said he will be in a special tent as to not get brain damage.
I wish him all the luck, he is going to need it.
Are kids climbing these New England mountains in the dead of winter? For that matter, how many adults are doing that? Beside the one in training for nasty things of course.
And is there an Everest Death pool slot open? Because I wanna place big money on either this family not making it or one of three dieing in process.
It didnt work for Bear Grylls 
Because you still don’t get it. Climbing an 8,000 meter peak is nothing like riding a quad or watching an R-rated movie. It is quite literally much more like playing Russian Roulette. Or splashing around in a pond full of alligators.
And there are extreme differences between Everest and New England that you continue to ignore. The death zone. The icefall. The almost certain lack of rescue support.
This kid will probably die, and if he doesn’t, he will inspire other kids to go up there and die. It’s just a horrible, horrible idea.
Yes, people climb the mountains year round. Each year there are dozens of folks who finish their winter 4000’ers (there are 48 peaks). Kids are climbing them, my friend’s 6 year old has over a dozen winter peaks already. The ones training for big climbs go out purposely in the worst weather, but lots of us have been caught in it without warning.
And the numbers have gone up dramatically in recent years, along with speed records (summer and winter) and age records.
I think it’s hilarious that there’s such a thing as a “4,000er”. I don’t think a 4,000 foot hill deserves an “er” at the end. I’ve heard of 14ers and I hiked up one, but I’ve never heard of a 4-er.
DOZENS?
Well, that clinches it…its perfectly safe… besides the whole (a shit load of differences) :rolleyes:
IMO, it is (Everest) fracking russian roulette. The only arguement worth considering is what LEVEL is it? 1 in 10? No… 1 in 100?..that sounds reasonable…1 in a thousand?..thats probably being generous…
IMO the best outcome here long term could be the kid dies and one parent survives… or maybe both parents die and the kid survives…or both parents die and the kid survives…and in, addition, a few additional folks also die trying to save their ass. Maybe THEN, the TPTB will only issue permits to folks that have a decent chance of surviving the attempt. Apparently they did not learn enough from the late 90’s clusterfuck.
Don’t get me wrong. I’d go into space with a 1 in 10 chance of dieing. But I sure as frack aint going to pretend it was anything else, expect someone else to risk rescuing me, subject a kid to such a risk, and certainly NOT pretend it was anything else…
Hey,
If you can pull one off in Florida, you’ll make the headlines for sure
Dozens finish their list each year. Hundreds climb every weekend, year round. It’s extremely rare to find a trail that’s not broken out these days, except right after a storm. When I started you pretty much assumed you’d break out every trail all winter.
I’m not clear what point you’re trying to make here. I understand the odds and I’m appalled by them. What are you looking to get from me?
Yeah, it’s just like Russian roulette, guys. If you’re playing with a gun that has a hundred barrels.
Can’t 13 year olds go skydiving?
Yes, and east coasters have never heard that before. The standard routes to the highest peaks in NH are about a 4000’ gain, similar to many of the peaks in CO. Mountains are mountains, people will make lists of anything.
Isnt that the whole thing here?
When do the odds BECOME Russian Roulettish?
IMO somewhere between 1 in a 100 and 1 in 1000 REGARDLESS of skill/experience IS criminal to expose a child to.
And, I don’t care if this kid is the fracking Tiger Woods of frozen peaks (which I really doubt he is)…his odds are not any better than that.
The kid should have a face to whats left of face with Beck Weathers before he tries the climb.
