Youngest Everest climber wants others to 'go big'

BEIJING (AP):For Jordan Romero, the 13-year-old American who became the youngest climber to summit Mount Everest, it all began with the desire to dream big.

The eighth-grader from California said he first came up with the idea to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents four years ago. Last Saturday, he reached the top of the world's highest mountain - and nearly completed his quest.

"The record is one thing, but standing on top of the world is just the best feeling you could ever imagine," he said in an interview on Monday by satellite phone from the 21,320-foot (6,500m) Advanced Base Camp where his team was resting on its way down.

Two days earlier, Jordan had succeeded in scaling the 29,035-foot (8,850m) peak, accompanied by a team that included his father, his father's girlfriend and three Sherpa guides. Before him, the youngest climber to scale Everest had been Temba Tsheri of Nepal, who reached the peak at age 16.

Jordan said he hoped his achievement would encourage young people worldwide to set their own big dreams and pursue them.

"I'm doing this to inspire other kids, hopefully across the world, to get outdoors and to set goals in life. I'm doing this to set an example for them," he said.

His success means he remains just one climb away from his overall goal of reaching the highest peaks on all seven continents. The final peak is the 16,076-foot (4,900m) Vinson Massif in Antarctica, which he hopes to tackle at the end of the year.