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20 December 2007, 15:45. Elbrus, all programs »

Next time you think it’s cold outside, think about Jordan Romero. The 11-year-old is headed for climates unthinkable to most people with temperatures 20 degrees below zero on the warm side. For Jordan, it’s just another day on his quest.

Jordan set out two years ago to become the youngest person to climb the world’s seven summits, make that eight. He added one due to controversy about continents. On Dec. 18, Jordan, his dad Paul Romero and stepmother Karen Lundgren left their Big Bear Lake home for South America. The goal is the highest peak in the country, Mt. Aconcagua, at 22,841 feet.

Mt. Aconcagua is Jordan’s fourth summit since his quest began. He conquered Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro, Australia’s Mt. Kosciuszko and Russia’s Mt. Elbrus as a 10-year-old.

“Actually, I’m very excited,” Jordan says about Mt. Aconcagua. “I’m confident we’ll make it to the top.”

Altitude and the weather can slow you down, Jordan says. Training is essential, so Jordan, with his dad and Lundgren, spends a great deal of time scaling the mountains in and around Big Bear Valley. He hikes, practices climbing with an ice ax and carries around a backpack that weighs almost as much as he does. Oh, and he sleeps in a really cool bed.

Jordan’s bed is enclosed in a plastic chamber of sorts that allows him to simulate high altitude. He describes the bed as one of those plastic bubbles people with diseases live in. Before leaving for South America, Jordan was sleeping at 20,000 feet. “When I wake up, I feel just great,” Jordan says with a smile.

Lundgren explains there are monitors that allow her and Paul, or Jordan, to monitor the boy’s blood oxygen levels when he’s in the tent. Jordan’s levels dip low, but he appears to have no problems, Lundgren says. There aren’t any studies done on how altitude affects kids, so Jordan’s climb will be more than just reaching a peak.

Paul says climbing the summits is Jordan’s decision. “He went from a bug and snake kid to this,” Paul says. But the climbs have taught Jordan life lessons. Jordan has seen and met people of all races and cultures, from dirt poor to celebrities.

Jordan will be learning through research on his South American climb. Jordan has been assigned to study the team of nine on the climb and the effects of altitude. He will use the Lake Louise consensus criteria. Jordan says he’ll be surveying the team twice a day to see how everyone is handling the ascent toward the sky.

On the climb to the top of Russia’s Mt. Elbrus, Paul struggled with altitude sickness, Jordan says. “So we’ll be watching him,” Jordan says as Paul’s face reddens slightly.
Acclimatizing is important for this trip, which tries Jordan’s patience. He prefers to head straight to the top, but this trip requires a different approach. It will take at least a week to reach the summit, Jordan says. At each stop, the group needs to acclimatize before moving on.

“We leap frog our own load,” Paul says, explaining that gear is moved to a higher camp then the team goes back down to spend the night before traveling up to spend the night at the next level.

The climb is weather dependent. Winds blow at 100 mph and temperatures at the summit could be 65 degrees below zero. “We’re definitely not staying there long,” Jordan says.

But before he can get there, Jordan and Lundgren need to convince the South American authorities to give Jordan a permit to climb Mt. Aconcagua. Kids under age 14 aren’t allowed without permission.

Considering Jordan’s previous accomplishments, chances are strong he’ll be granted access, and if he makes the climb he will set a new record. Samantha Larson climbed Mt. Aconcagua at 13, so Jordan will be the youngest if he succeeds.

Besides scaling the world’s highest summits, Jordan considers himself just a regular kid. He’s a sixth-grader at Big Bear Elementary who plans to bring his teacher a post card because she collects them. He likes soccer, making “giant humongous snowballs” and sledding during recess. He’s been skiing all his life and Jordan plans to try out for the Snow Summit Development Team this year.

Jordan is also an animal lover. Whether he accomplishes his eight-summit mission or not, Jordan says he plans to become a zoologist and own the world’s largest animal park. Jordan’s pets of choice don’t require leashes and rabies shots. He has a turtle, three snakes, three bearded dragons and three cockroaches. Yes, cockroaches, Madagascar hissing cockroaches to be exact. “They’re totally easy to take care of,” Jordan says.

“And I’m a car freak,” he says with the enthusiasm of any 11-year-old. “I want eight and a motorcycle.”
Jordan understands the risks involved in climbing the eight summits, especially Mt. Aconcagua with the weather element. Paul says the climb is steep and hard, but he and Lundgren will never allow Jordan to get into trouble or put himself at extreme risk. “The bottom line is, we can always go back down (if the climb becomes too dangerous),” Paul says.

Jordan has the skills and the training, Paul says, but if the quest to climb ever becomes too much, if Jordan is scared or “starts chasing girls and wants to play basketball,” then that’s what will happen.

“Not the girls,” Lundgren pipes in.

To which Jordan answers, “She’s just our girl.”

The girl, the guy and the kid are on their way to Mt. Aconcagua. For updates on the climb, visit www.jordanromero.com or log on to The Grizzly’s Web site at www.bigbeargrizzly.com.