London boy breaks Seven Summits record with Everest climb

[alp227]

Source: BBC News

A boy of 16 has become the youngest person in the world to scale the highest mountains in every continent.

George Atkinson, from Surbiton, south-west London, began the Seven Summits challenge by scaling Kilimanjaro in 2005 and completed it by reaching the top of Mount Everest on Thursday.

He broke the record of US teenager Johnny Collinson, who completed the challenge at the age of 17 last year.

George's mother Penny said she felt "elated and emotional".

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13572636

[PfcHammer]

1. Did he actually scale Everest?

More likely the parents paid Sherpas to drag their kid up the side of the mountain.;-)

[Lucky Luciano]

2. He still has to climb himself. Sherpas help carry stuff, but he carried himself.

I say job well done! I am jealous and must earn more to afford a life of adventure like that!

[applegrove]

3. That is horrible. He's just a baby. He should not be taking his life in his hands like that.

[rfranklin]

4. Yes, imagine the cost of this so what "achievement"

I would rather laud the kids who make an effort to work on a Habitat for Humanity project or helping out seniors or tutoring other students. This is completely self-indulgent.

Mountainclimbing is fun. I've done it. But it sure isn't significant after thousands of people have done the same thing. Now, maybe if it was a toddler...

[former9thward]

5. Good for him!

I see in the OP he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro the same year I did. I wonder if I saw him.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. I added paper to the copy machine yesterday.

I didn't need any sherpas helping me, either. We all have our achievements.

Darn, what happened to my life?

[nyy1998]

7. Congrats! nt