No Summit Out Of Sight

No Summit out of Sight: The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits by Jordan Romero
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What do you do when your 9 year old tells you his goal is to climb the Seven Summits? Most of us would probably say - “The what?”. After the explanation that the Seven Summits are the seven highest peaks on the each of the seven continents, most of us would answer - “That’s a nice goal…when you’re an adult.” Jordan Romero’s Dad isn’t like most of us though. Being an endurance athlete himself, Jordan’s dad, Paul, and his step-mom, Karen, said they thought they could make that goal come true. Not without a lot of hard work first though. Jordan immediately began his training to build his strength, learn about mountain climbing and conditioning his body to withstand the altitudes that he would be exposed to. Each new mountain presented Jordan with new challenges that he had to master before hitting the next goal from learning how to use crampons and ice axes to repelling with ropes. Jordan took the challenge seriously and put his total effort into the goal. By the age of 10, he had climbed three mountains in which two were world records. At 13, he became the youngest to scale Asia’s Mt. Everest and at 15 he became the youngest person to climb all seven summits plus one (it hasn’t quite been determined which of Australia’s peaks are the tallest - Mt. Kosciuszko or the Carstensz Pyramid). Joran’s story spread faster than his climbs and oftentimes other climbers had heard his name before he even stepped foot on the mountain. Through hard work, diligence and parental support, Jordan was able to reach the goal he set for himself in fourth grade when he first noticed a mural depicting the Seven Summits. He became the poster boy for encouraging other kids to “find their own Everest” and to reach their goals no matter what they may be. After his climbs, Jordan began traveling to talk to kids about living a healthy lifestyle and to pursue their own dreams.

No Summit Out Of Sight by Jordan Romero with Linda LeBlanc is an amazing story that I encourage both kids and adults to read. At first I shrugged my nose at having to read this book. I had no knowledge of nor interest in mountain climbing. But, being a book club book, I began to read and was immediately drawn into the world of height and hostile environments. Not many kids can do what Jordan has done and with as much grace, respect and determination. I was impressed at how thankful he was for everyone who had helped him and, being a mom myself, loved the relationship he had with his mom. I admire her strength for stepping back and letting her son reach his dreams. By the end of the book I was looking for my own Everest because Jordan’s message isn’t just for kids, but I think adults can benefit by it as well.

I highly recommend No Summit Out Of Sight by Jordan Romero with Linda LeBlanc to everyone, but especially to boys. It’s hard to find a good book for boys, but this one has made it to the top of my list. It is a quick and easy read and each page is filled with adventure. Enjoy!

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