No Summit out of Sight: The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits

by Jordan Romero, Linda LeBlanc Narrated by Kyle Tait

Overview

Jordan Romero climbed Mount Everest at age thirteen-and he didn't stop there. In this inspiring young adult memoir, he tells how he achieved such great heights.



On May 22, 2010, at the age of thirteen, American teenager Jordan Romero became the youngest person to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. At fifteen, he became the youngest person to reach the summits of the tallest mountains on each of the seven continents. In this energizing memoir for young adults, Jordan, recounts his experience, which started as a spark of an idea at the age of nine and, many years of training and hard work later, turned into a dream come true.



“The emotional pitch of the story remains high as Romero contends with extreme weather, frustration, exhaustion, and homesickness to reach, with almost palpable exhilaration, each peak” (Publishers Weekly).

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

05/19/2014
Inspired by a mural in his California school depicting the highest mountain on each continent, nine-year-old Romero vowed that he would reach those "Seven Summits." Smoothly piloted by LeBlanc, this chronicle reveals how Romero, now 18, achieved this goal at a record-setting age, scaling each mountain under the guidance of his father and stepmother, professional athletes who compete in extreme adventure races. Romero sets the scene for each climb—from Mount Kilimanjaro in 2006 to Antarctica's Mount Vinson in 2011—with notes on each region's culture, people, topography, climate, vegetation, wildlife, altitude, and atmospheric changes. While informative, segments detailing trip preparation and training are (expectedly) less gripping than accounts of perilous climbing expeditions; in the most dramatic one, Romero describes being slammed by an avalanche on Mount Everest. The emotional pitch of the story remains high as Romero contends with extreme weather, frustration, exhaustion, and homesickness to reach, with almost palpable exhilaration, each peak. Photos document steps Romero's odyssey throughout the book and in a color insert. Ages 12–up. (May)

Booklist

Jordan continually reflects on the dangers and emphasizes the extensive preparation involved, and his excitement over each new mountain adventure is contagious.

Booklist

Jordan continually reflects on the dangers and emphasizes the extensive preparation involved, and his excitement over each new mountain adventure is contagious.

School Library Journal

06/01/2014
Gr 6 Up—At the age of 15, Romero became the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits, the tallest mountain on each continent. He set this goal for himself at age nine, when he saw a mural on the wall of his elementary school and wondered what it would be like to stand on each of those peaks. Other parents might postpone such lofty aspirations, but Jordan's father and stepmother, extreme adventure racers who compete all over the world, encouraged him. Neighbors, friends, and corporations helped with sponsorships and fund-raisers, while Romero's parents trained and accompanied him. From their first climb, Mount Kilimanjaro, where he set the record as a 10-year-old, to Everest at a record-setting 13, each peak presented unique and more difficult challenges. LeBlanc has written about mountaineering and of Everest, but Romero's voice comes through, as he excitedly describes, in first-person narrative, his emotions, hardships, occasional doubts, and reactions to foreign countries and cultures. It takes a certain amount of self-confidence to attempt and to persevere in the face of such an overwhelming task, and it is obvious that Romero has the bravado to do what many critics told him he couldn't. He continues to inspire young people to lead healthier lives and to follow their dreams with his 50-state "Find Your Everest tour," speaking about the importance of spending time outdoors, as well as climbing the highest peak in each state. Although the length of the book may be intimidating, it is an easy read and will appeal to adventure seekers.—MaryAnn Karre, West Middle School, Binghamton, NY

Kirkus Reviews

2014-04-09
The true story of a 10-year-old who climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and subsequently summited the tallest mountains on the other six continents by the age of 15.Inspired by a school mural, 9-year-old Jordan Romero announced to his father his goal to climb each of the Seven Summits, the tallest mountains on each continent. He reached his first, Kilimanjaro, when he was 10 and conquered Everest at 13. At 15, Romero completed his final climb in Antarctica, becoming the youngest person to reach all Seven Summits, plus Mount Carstensz in New Guinea, and setting several world records. Romero's father and stepmother, both professional athletes, were unwaveringly supportive in helping him achieve his goal. Funding the expeditions was accomplished through corporate sponsorship, T-shirt sales, a lemonade stand and support from small businesses in Jordan's hometown. Now 17 (and with the assistance of LeBlanc), Jordan vividly chronicles his preparation for the climbs, his impressions of the countries he visited, the dangers and thrills of the ascents, and the physical and emotional endurance required to achieve his goals. A sheaf of color photographs documenting Romero's climbs is bound into the middle of the book.Romero's incredible, inspiring story may not inspire all readers to become record-setting mountaineers, but it will motivate them to set sights on goals of their own to achieve. (Nonfiction. 12-16)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172399428
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	01/21/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

No Summit out of Sight
It was the first day of fourth grade when I told my dad I had decided to climb the highest peak on each of the seven continents: the Seven Summits.

I was nine, and all summer long I’d been thinking about a mural on the wall of my elementary school, which laid out each of the Seven Summits and their elevations. I’d passed it every day on my way to and from recess, all through third grade. Other kids hardly seemed to notice it in their rush to play soccer or basketball, but I often stopped and stared, mesmerized by those mountains. What would it be like to stand on their summits and gaze across entire continents? I wanted to find out.

One thing you should know about me: When I get interested in something, I become a fanatic and learn everything I can about it. When I was younger and got interested in reptiles, I learned everything there was to know about every species. Now my interest turned to mountains.

I’ve always jumped into new interests with both feet, especially if they have to do with the outdoors. I’ve never been into playing video games or watching TV. Practically from the moment I could walk, I was outdoors—chasing lizards, riding my bike, skateboarding, and skiing. Especially skiing. That was my passion.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about those mountains. Over the summer between third and fourth grades, I did Internet searches to read about the summits. I made lists of their locations, their elevations, and the best routes to the top of each. Along the way I discovered that there were people who had made it a goal to climb all seven.

I decided I could do that.

I was the ultimate goal setter, so at that age I already understood that things didn’t always happen instantly.

But that was okay. I was also extremely patient.

And frankly, I didn’t think the idea would shock my dad that much. My dad and my stepmom, Karen, are professional athletes. They compete in extreme adventure races all over the world. It’s a crazy sport. They race nonstop on foot, on bicycles, in kayaks and canoes, and even on horses and camels. And they do it all in some of the most wild and remote places in the world. Our home has always been open to a never-ending stream of competitive athletes who are driven to enter the most brutal contests on the planet.

Dad and Karen thought outside the box, set huge goals, and grabbed life with both hands. So why couldn’t I?

Seeing that mural again on the first day of fourth grade help sharpen my resolve. My dad picked me up from school that day, and I sprang it on him.

He was going on and on about this killer endurance event he and Karen were training for. They’d been preparing nonstop for weeks. They were always going, going, going. They believed you should live your life, not watch it. Their motto hung on the front of the house: GO FAST. TAKE CHANCES.

And I intended to.

“Hey, Dad, you ever heard of the Seven Summits?”

He glanced at me. “Sort of, Little J,” he said, using his nickname for me.

I paused, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. “I want to climb them.”

His jaw dropped, and he stared at me openmouthed for a minute.

“Oookaaay,” he said. My dad has this way of stretching an “okay” out for a mile. This one went for two miles.

I could tell he thought this was a someday kind of goal. But I wanted to do it sooner. “Not when I’m older, but, like, right now.”

That really surprised him.

“What made you decide that?”

I told him about the mural, and about how I had been looking at it for years and thinking about what it would be like to stand on top of each of those mountains and look at the world.

“You really know about all this?” he asked.

That was it, bang. I told him about all the stuff I’d learned—where and how high each summit was, what countries they were in, the best routes to the top of each summit.

My dad has a huge smile, one that can light up a whole room. And nothing makes him happier than the idea of an athletic challenge. I watched his face closely, waiting for that smile. I guess I half expected him to say, Okay. Let’s buy tickets for every corner of the world and leave tomorrow.

He didn’t.

“Mountaineering is long, hard, and dirty,” he said. “It’s not all fun. You’d need weeks and even months of training before you could even think of climbing even the smallest ones.”

“I don’t care. I can do it,” I answered.

Dad thought about it for a minute. He didn’t say yes, but he didn’t exactly say no, either.

“Let’s get Super K,” he said, using his nickname for Karen, “and go for a hike.”

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