8-year-old to climb Mount Kilimanjaro

Tyler Armstrong of Yorba Linda, California will attempt Mount Kilimanjaro to increase awareness to the 300k boys worldwide suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. DMD is considered an “orphan” disease as pharmaceutical companies don’t find it profitable to do research for a cure. A somewhat “accomplished” climber

[as a 7 year old, he] summited Mount Whitney [14,505 feet (4,421 m)] in Sierra Nevada, California with his father Kevin Armstrong. He may have unofficially broken the record for the youngest person to ever summit Mount Whitney. Tyler reached the summit in 7 hours and 50 minutes.
7-year-old summits Mount Whitney the highest peak in the continental US – Examiner

Source: examiner.com via Charles on Pinterest


If Armstrong summits Kilimanjaro, he will become the second youngest to summit one of the highest mountains of the world at age eight. This eight-day challenge and adventure will begin on June 23, 2012.
“I am doing this climb to help Suhail and other boys my age that have Duchenne because most of them have a hard time even walking,” stated Tyler Armstrong.
8-year-old to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for Duchenne muscular dystrophy awareness – Examiner

I’ve had the great adventure in the past to have taken several youth up several mountains. I’ve taken a handful of 10 year olds up Colorado Fourteeners [Quandary With Dallin], and a 5 and 8 year old up an 8000′ peak [Squaw Peak With The Kids].

I have a pretty good idea what it takes to motivate and encourage a child up a peak under a variety of conditions. For one-day hikes. I’m about to try a two or three day this summer with a ten and maybe an eight year old. I know from experience that a week on a muddy rocky wet trek to the Roof of Africa is a much bigger endeavor. I myself wish the Armstrongs the best of luck.

So how does everyone else feel about this? Do I need to ask the typical questions about Everest at age 10 after Vinson and Elbrus at 9, etc? Or do you have your own views on this one?

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