Jake Meyer
Encyclopedia
Jake Meyer is a British climber. He achieved fame by becoming the youngest Briton to climb Mount Everest
in 2005, aged 21 years 4 months. The record is now held by Rob Gauntlett
who was 19 at the time. In doing so, Meyer also became the youngest Briton to complete the Seven Summits
challenge.
in Gloucestershire, England, Meyer was educated at Beaudesert Park School
, Cheam School
and Marlborough College
, then embarked on the study of Environmental Geoscience at Bristol University, where he was also a member of Bristol University Officer Training Corps. He has since been commissioned into the Royal Wessex Yeomanry as an Armoured Troop Leader.
Meyer began climbing at 13. Aged 15, he saw in the new millennium with his father from the crater rim of his first summit, Kilimanjaro
. At 18, he climbed Mount Elbrus
in Southern Russia, Europe's highest peak. In 2002, he was awarded with a Winston Churchill
Memorial Trust travelling fellowship to climb Denali (aged 19), Aconcagua
(aged 18) and Kosciuszko (aged 19), the highest peaks in North and South America and Australia. He then climbed Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica, before attempting Everest.
-North East Ridge route. The climb started on April 2, 2005, reaching the summit on June 4, 2005.
He was accompanied by Diahanne Gilbert, the Scottish team leader, and two Sherpas
, Mingma Nuru and Anil Bhattarai.
Meyer's climb was in aid of the Children's Wish Foundation.
Meyer was 'pipped at the post' to the title of youngest person in the world to climb the Seven Summits by 20-year-old American Danielle Fisher, who summitted three days earlier, taking the South Col
route.
On 1 August 2006, Meyer's team also broke the existing world record for climbing the 48 highest peaks of the Continental USA in the shortest time.
The Freestyle Challenge was completed in 23 days 19 hours 31 minutes as Meyer reached the summit of Mount Katahdin
in Maine. The British team shaved nearly six days off the existing record of 29 days, previously held by American Ben Jones.
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 2005, aged 21 years 4 months. The record is now held by Rob Gauntlett
Rob Gauntlett
Rob Gauntlett was an English adventurer, explorer and motivational speaker. In 2006 he became the youngest British climber to summit Everest.-Early life:...
who was 19 at the time. In doing so, Meyer also became the youngest Briton to complete the Seven Summits
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:...
challenge.
Early life
From TetburyTetbury
Tetbury is a town and civil parish within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded, probably by Ine of Wessex, in 681. The population of the parish was 5,250 in the 2001 census.In the Middle Ages,...
in Gloucestershire, England, Meyer was educated at Beaudesert Park School
Beaudesert Park School
Beaudesert Park School is a prep school in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire for 4-13 year olds. There are about 400 pupils in the prep school and the pre-prep combined...
, Cheam School
Cheam School
Cheam School is a preparatory school in Headley in the civil parish of Ashford Hill with Headley in the English county of Hampshire. It was founded in 1645 by the Reverend George Aldrich in Cheam, Surrey and has been in operation ever since....
and Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
, then embarked on the study of Environmental Geoscience at Bristol University, where he was also a member of Bristol University Officer Training Corps. He has since been commissioned into the Royal Wessex Yeomanry as an Armoured Troop Leader.
Meyer began climbing at 13. Aged 15, he saw in the new millennium with his father from the crater rim of his first summit, Kilimanjaro
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:...
. At 18, he climbed 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...
in Southern Russia, Europe's highest peak. In 2002, he was awarded with a Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
Memorial Trust travelling fellowship to climb Denali (aged 19), 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...
(aged 18) and Kosciuszko (aged 19), the highest peaks in North and South America and Australia. He then climbed Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica, before attempting Everest.
Everest
Meyer ascended from the Tibetan side, via the North ColNorth Col
The North Col refers to a sharp-edged pass or col carved by glaciers connecting Mount Everest and Changtse in Tibet. It forms the head of the East Rongbuk Glacier....
-North East Ridge route. The climb started on April 2, 2005, reaching the summit on June 4, 2005.
He was accompanied by Diahanne Gilbert, the Scottish team leader, and two Sherpas
Sherpa people
The Sherpa are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. Sherpas migrated from the Kham region in eastern Tibet to Nepal within the last 300–400 years.The initial mountainous migration from Tibet was a search for beyul...
, Mingma Nuru and Anil Bhattarai.
Meyer's climb was in aid of the Children's Wish Foundation.
Records
Meyer holds several records:- Youngest ascent of Mount Vinson (highest mountain in the Antarctic)
- Youngest solo ascent of Mount Aconcagua (highest mountain outside the Himalayas)
- Fastest British ascent of Mount McKinleyMount McKinleyMount McKinley or Denali in Alaska, United States is the highest mountain peak in North America and the United States, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.- Geology and features :Mount McKinley is a granitic pluton...
/Denali in 2003 (highest mountain in North America)
Meyer was 'pipped at the post' to the title of youngest person in the world to climb the Seven Summits by 20-year-old American Danielle Fisher, who summitted three days earlier, taking the South Col
South Col
The South Col usually refers to the southern col between Mount Everest and Lhotse, the first and fourth highest mountains in the world. When climbers attempt to climb Everest from the southeast ridge in Nepal, their final camp is situated on the South Col...
route.
On 1 August 2006, Meyer's team also broke the existing world record for climbing the 48 highest peaks of the Continental USA in the shortest time.
The Freestyle Challenge was completed in 23 days 19 hours 31 minutes as Meyer reached the summit of Mount Katahdin
Mount Katahdin
Mount Katahdin is the highest mountain in Maine at . Named Katahdin by the Penobscot Indians, the term means "The Greatest Mountain". Katahdin is the centerpiece of Baxter State Park: a steep, tall mountain formed from underground magma. The flora and fauna on the mountain are typical of those...
in Maine. The British team shaved nearly six days off the existing record of 29 days, previously held by American Ben Jones.