George Atkinson (climber)
Encyclopedia
George Atkinson is a British
climber
from Surbiton
. At the age of sixteen he became the youngest ever person to complete the Seven Summits Challenge
by climbing to the summit of the highest mountain on each of seven continent
s. He completed the challenge at 08:15 local time on 26 May 2011 when he reached the summit of Mount Everest
. Atkinson was 16 years and 362 days old when he completed the challenge which beat previous record holder Johnny Collinson who completed the challenge at 17 years and 296 days old.
Atkinson embarked on a world record attempt to be the youngest person to climb the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents when he was 11 years old. He completed it nearly six years later just a few days before his 17th birthday. He climbed the Mount Kilimanjaro
, tallest mountain in Africa
first. This was followed by Europe
's Mount Elbrus
at age 13. Shortly before his 14th birthday Atkinson reached the summit of Australasia
's Puncak Jaya
and returned safely from the summit despite the arrest of his guides and ultimately his own arrest. Peak four was Aconcagua
in South America
. At age 16 Atkinson climbed Mount Denali in North America
, reaching the summit on 12 July 2010, followed by Mount Vinson the highest mountain in Antarctica. The final peak was the world's highest mountain Mount Everest
in Asia
. Atkinson completed the record attempt when he reached the summit on 26 May 2011 simultaneously becoming both the youngest person to complete the Seven Summits as well as the youngest to reach the summit of Everest.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
climber
Climber
Climber may refer to:*Climber, a participant in the activity of climbing*Climber, general name for a vine*Climber , a robot that goes upward or downward on a track*Climber , by Nintendo...
from Surbiton
Surbiton
Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
. At the age of sixteen he became the youngest ever person to complete the Seven Summits Challenge
Seven Summits
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven continents. Summiting all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first postulated as such and achieved on April 30, 1985 by Richard Bass .-Definition:...
by climbing to the summit of the highest mountain on each of seven continent
Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
s. He completed the challenge at 08:15 local time on 26 May 2011 when he reached the summit of Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
. Atkinson was 16 years and 362 days old when he completed the challenge which beat previous record holder Johnny Collinson who completed the challenge at 17 years and 296 days old.
Seven Summits
Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at above sea level .-Geology:...
, tallest mountain in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
first. This was followed by Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's Mount Elbrus
Mount Elbrus
Mount Elbrus is an inactive volcano located in the western Caucasus mountain range, in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia, near the border of Georgia. Mt. Elbrus's peak is the highest in the Caucasus, in Russia...
at age 13. Shortly before his 14th birthday Atkinson reached the summit of Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
's Puncak Jaya
Puncak Jaya
Puncak Jaya or Carstensz Pyramid is the highest summit of Mount Carstensz in the Sudirman Range of the western central highlands of Papua province, Indonesia . Other summits are East Carstensz Peak and Ngga Pulu...
and returned safely from the summit despite the arrest of his guides and ultimately his own arrest. Peak four was Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas at . It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the Argentine province of Mendoza and it lies west by north of its capital, the city of Mendoza. The summit is also located about 5 kilometres from San Juan Province and 15 kilometres from the...
in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. At age 16 Atkinson climbed Mount Denali in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, reaching the summit on 12 July 2010, followed by Mount Vinson the highest mountain in Antarctica. The final peak was the world's highest mountain Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Atkinson completed the record attempt when he reached the summit on 26 May 2011 simultaneously becoming both the youngest person to complete the Seven Summits as well as the youngest to reach the summit of Everest.
World records
Atkinson has held world records for:- Youngest person to climb the Seven Summits
- Youngest British person to reach the summit of Mount Everest (the youngest person is Jordan RomeroJordan RomeroJordan David Romero is an American mountain climber who, on May 22, 2010, became the youngest person to climb Mount Everest. He was 13 years 10 months 10 days old when he reached the summit. Romero was accompanied by his father Paul Romero, his father's girlfriend Karen Lundgren, and three...
)