U.S. teen youngest to climb all 7 summits

BIG BEAR, California - A U.S. teenager became the youngest person to successfully climb to the summit of the seven tallest mountains on earth’s seven continents, according to his mother and his Web site.

Jordan Romero, 15, called his mother, Leigh Ann Drake, on Saturday to confirm that he’d achieved his goal of reaching the top of Mount Vinson Massif in Antarctica.

The California native beat the record previously held by British climber George Atkinson, who completed the ascents at age 16 in May.

Romero’s team began the climb Wednesday. Romero’s Facebook page, “Find Your Everest,’’ marked reaching the summit, but the climb is hardly over.

“Descent still to come then we celebrate,’’ a post to the Facebook page read.

Romero completes the climbs with his father and stepmother.

At age 10, Romero climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, and at 13 he climbed the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, in Asia.

Drake declined further comment.

AP