Sydney teen Chris Harris can`t wait to become the youngest person to scale Mount Everest.
Chris, still eight months shy of his 16th birthday, will begin the difficult and dangerous climb next month. "Reaching the top, just hanging off ice cliffs, turning your head and looking at the view will be amazing," the Emu Plains teenager said. "I`m a little bit scared but I`m 100 per cent ready."
Chris expects to reach Everest`s peak in May, when at 15 years and six months, he will be three months inside the record set by female Sherpa Ming Kipa in 2003. Ming eclipsed the previous record of Temba Chhiri, who at 16 lost several fingers to frostbite after reaching the summit in 2001.
Chris says fear won`t stop him fulfilling his life goal of reaching the 8,848-metre summit.
He began rock climbing at the age of five, and by eight had walked to the top of Mount Kosciuszko.
Since then, he has tackled Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Elbrus in Europe, and the second-highest peak outside the Himalayas, South America`s Mount Aconcagua. Chris`s father, mountaineer Richard Harris, will be among a team of Australian adventurers accompanying Chris on the climb.
Mr Harris said he is confident about the climb, but is not prepared to take any big risks.
"There`s always worries ... but I don`t think we can do any more other than turn back if we have any concerns," he said.
In 2001, Nepal banned any children under the age of 16 climbing the mountain, but the team will scale the mountain from the north side, which is the Tibetan route. Since Everest was first conquered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953, about 2,250 people have reached its summit.
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Sydney Morning Herald
On Monday nights, 15-year-old Christopher Harris goes to an indoor climbing centre with his mates, but he wants to go about 8800 metres higher.
Christopher, dubbed a future "Tiger Woods of mountaineering", plans to be the youngest person to conquer the world`s highest peak, Mt Everest, in May.
The highest mountain on Earth has claimed more than 180 lives, at a rate of one in 20 of those who attempt it.
But the Emu Plains teenager can`t wait to have the world at his feet after his $200,000 expedition in May.
"I`m a bit nervous - but I`m really excited and looking forward to it, I can`t wait," he said in Sydney today.
Christopher has already climbed four of the seven highest peaks on the world`s continents, starting at age eight with Australia`s Mt Kosciuszko.
He went on to climb Africa`s Mt Kilimanjaro aged 12, Mt Elbrus in Europe at 13 and Mt Aconcagua in South America in January this year.
"I`ve loved mountaineering ever since I first climbed Mt Kosciuszko ... I was eight years old when I did it ... and it was great fun," he said.
Christopher said his assault on Everest is all about "the challenge" and he`s been training hard for one of the most challenging of ascents.
"I won`t exactly know [how hard] until I get there - I think it`s always going to be hard, but I`m really working hard and I`ve prepared myself," he said.
"We`ve got an English-speaking guide, a high-altitude Sherpa each and extra oxygen to make it as safe as we possibly can".
Christopher had planned to climb Everest last May at 14, but a funding shortfall scuppered the trip.
"We couldn`t get the funds for it - it`s probably a good thing doing it now, I`m more prepared and really looking forward to the trip," he said.
This year`s expedition is principally underwritten by Bradley Trevor Greive, author of the best-selling The Blue Day Book.
Joining the young climber will be his father, Richard, top Australian mountaineer Lincoln Hall, and renowned cinematographer Michael Dillon.
Mr Hall, described as an "Everest veteran", said nothing tops reaching the roof of the world.
"I still remember my first steps up Everest - there`s nothing like Everest, it`s larger than life,
it`s just a huge thing to undertake," he said.
"We`re not going to the south side of the mountain, we`re going around the Tibetan side - it`s far better, you can see the whole magnificent mass.
"Christopher certainly has a big challenge ahead of him, we`ll all have a big challenge, but we`re all physically and psychologically prepared to deal with it.
"We`re taking, you can`t say it`s the `easy route`, but it`s certainly the safest way to go."
Christopher wasn`t sure what he would do after the ultimate anti-climax of descending Everest.
"I`m still thinking about that - I`ll finish the two summits I`ve got to go and I want to finish Year 12 and keep setting goals," he said.
The youngest person to climb Everest is female sherpa Ming Kipa in May 2003, but at 15 years six months old Christopher would be three months her junior.
He said he counts his role models as Sir Edmund Hillary and his father.
"We have a good relationship together and we`re a good team," he said
