A 9-year-old boy has conquered the summit of South America's highest peak, where more than 100 climbers have lost their lives.
A 9-year-old boy from the United States recently reached the top of Aconcagua in Argentina, becoming the youngest person on record to scale the continent's highest mountain.
The summit of Aconcagua, at 6,962 meters above sea level, is not only the highest peak in South America but also the highest point in the Southern and Western Hemispheres. On January 14, 1897, humans left their first footprint on the summit, and since then, many have taken on the challenge. However, due to factors such as steep terrain and thick cloud cover, more than 100 climbers have died there to date.
According to the Associated Press on the 28th, the 9-year-old boy, Tyler, from Yorba Linda in Southern California, reached the summit of Aconcagua on Christmas Eve under the guidance of his father, Kevin Armstrong, and a Sherpa who has scaled Mount Everest multiple times.
Three climbers descended on the 27th in good condition.
"From the summit, you can see the world — all the clouds are below you, and it's extremely cold," Tyler said. "It looks nothing like the mountains kids draw. The top is about the size of a house, then there are steep cliffs."
Nicolas Garcia, who provides logistical support for climbers at the base camp, said around 7,000 people attempt to summit Aconcagua each year, but only about 30% succeed. Generally, children under 14 are not allowed to obtain climbing permits, but Tyler's family had previously persuaded an Argentine judge that he was fully capable of the climb. As a result, they were allowed to take a slightly less steep route, and were required to rope themselves together on dangerous sections.
"Actually, all kids can do it if they try and are determined enough," Tyler said.
"Many people think our parents forced Tyler to do this, but it's the exact opposite. I wouldn’t have climbed this mountain if I didn’t have to — my wife made me do it so she could watch Tyler," Tyler’s father said. "I wasn’t a professional climber before. Tyler made me do all this because he wanted to, and I wanted to experience it with him."