Tyler Armstrong

Tyler Armstrong (born January 22, 2004) is an American mountain climber who became the youngest person to climb Mount Aconcagua in Argentina at the age of 9.[1]

Tyler Armstrong
Born
Tyler Robert Armstrong

(2004-01-22) January 22, 2004
Yorba Linda, California, United States
OccupationMountain climber
Years active2011–present
Known forYoungest at Mount Whitney
2nd Youngest at Mount Kilimanjaro
Youngest at Mount Aconcagua
Websitetopwithtyler.com

Mountaineering career

Beginning

Armstrong started his career as mountain climber at the age of 6 after watching a documentary about hiking.[2] After finding out that the youngest person that ever climbed Mount Whitney was 9 years, Armstrong started to train every day and soon started to climb his first mountains.

Armstrong has hiked in ice, snow, rain, and heat. He has dealt with altitude sickness and hiking in the dark. Armstrong carries most of his own gear including poles, water, food, and clothing. His workout consists of running 4.5 miles on hills and walking an hour a day on a treadmill.[3] He also hikes every month with his father.[4]

Expeditions

Mount Whitney (July 26, 2011) – 14,495 feet
Mount Whitney is the highest in the lower 48

After months of training, Armstrong climbed Mount Whitney in a single day on July 26, 2011.[5] At 7 years old, he might be the youngest boy to climb the mountain, with a 6-year old girl, Eva Luna Harper-Zahn, summiting in 2018. [6] [7] Starting at the base camp, his 11-mile hike to the top, with an elevation gain of more than 6000 feet, took him 7 hours and 50 minutes.[2]

Mount Kilimanjaro (July 1, 2012) – 19,341 feet

Although Mount Kilimanjaro had a minimum age limit of 10 years old, Tyler obtained a special permit to climb to the top.[8] He took the Lemosho Route, which took him eight days of climbing round trip. In those eight days, he hiked 48.5 miles and gained 10,644 feet of elevation. On July 1, 2012, Tyler was the second youngest person to reach the top at the age of 8.

Mount Aconcagua (December 24, 2013) – 22,837 feet

After reaching the top of Kilimanjaro, Armstrong started to look for a new challenge, which he found in Argentina.[9] Mount Aconcagua was his new target, and being the youngest person to climb it was his goal. As a training exercise, he climbed Mount Baldy on August 17, 2013, as part of the fifth annual Climb to Cure Duchenne.[10] After months of preparation, Armstrong was ready for his journey to Argentina. On December 7, he left the United States.[11] He spent his first couple of days trying to get a special permit because the minimum age for climbing Mount Aconcagua is 14. After obtaining a special permit, Armstrong started his climb on December 15, taking the Polish Glacier Traverse Route. On December 24, 2013, Armstrong reached the top and broke the record for being the youngest person to climb Mount Aconcagua, at the age of 9, making headlines all over the world.[12][13][14][15]

Denali (June 2016) — 20,310 ft (6190 m)
Denali with Wonder Lake in the foreground

At the age of 12, Tyler was denied a permit to climb Everest in the spring of 2016. Instead, he planned to climb Denali.[16] In June 2016, he went to Denali and reached the summit with his dad.[17] The youngest to summit Denali (then known as Mount McKinley) was 11-year-old Galen Johnston in 2001.[18] During 2016, about 1000 people tried to summit Denali during its climbing season,[18] including a Romanian girl who reached the summit in May 2016 while working on her Seven Summits quest.[18] Denali was previously climbed and summited by a 12-year-old girl in 1995.[18] Even though they're young, the climbers had mountaineering backgrounds, and it's common for young teens to be on U.S. mountains, especially for skiing.[18] One ski instructor who works with young teens did not think it was unreasonable in terms of safety for people of this age to be on Denali, despite its size.[18]

Mountains climbed

Armstrong has climbed the following mountains:[19]

Records

Tyler has set the following records:

  • July 26, 2011 – Youngest person to climb Mount Whitney in a single day, at the age of 7.
  • July 1, 2012 – Second youngest person to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, at the age of 8.
  • December 24, 2013 – Youngest person to climb Mount Aconcagua, at the age of 9.

He has made some effort to summit Mount Everest, however he could not obtain a permit in 2016 and 2017.[21][22]

Recognition

Tyler has been recognized for his climbs by:

  • 2011 – Named one of the “Best National Climbing Stories of 2011” by Examiner.com.
  • July 17, 2012 – Certificate of Recognition by the Yorba Linda City Council for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
  • January 14, 2014 – Certificate of Congressional Recognition for climbing Mount Aconcagua.
  • February 4, 2014 – Certificate of Recognition by the Yorba Linda City Council for climbing Mount Aconcagua.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy awareness

When Armstrong was climbing Mount Whitney with his parents, he met a boy crippled by Duchenne muscular dystrophy.[20] Armstrong made it his goal to help find a cure for the disease and partnered with the CureDuchenne Foundation.[23] By climbing mountains, he hopes to raise money and awareness for this disease.[5] By the summer of 2016 he had raised 25,000 for this disease out of a goal of one million dollars (USD).[20] Several hundred thousand people, mostly boys are afflicted by DMD, which is a fatal genetic disorder that typically cripples the afflicted by their teens and it is rare for them to make it to 30.[20]

In addition to climbing he also hosted a special fund-raising movie presentation of Everest, with proceeds going to CureDuchenne foundation.[20]

Book

Armstrong is featured in a book called Stand Up! This anthology features stories by 75 of the world’s most dynamic young activists who share their amazing experiences. Armstrong's story is called “Kilimanjaro for a Cause!” and it is in the Adventures Seekers chapter of the book.

Personal life

Armstrong lives in Yorba Linda, California, with his father Kevin, mother Priscilla, and brother Dylan. He likes playing his guitar, soccer, flag football, video games, swimming, laser tag and is a member of the Boy Scouts.[24]

gollark: Exciting!
gollark: Or, as <@332271551481118732> sort of suggested, blast chunks off it for mining.
gollark: I guess with a lot of heatproofing you could use geothermal power.
gollark: Well, 2.2 earth masses and high temperature... not good for manufacturing.
gollark: Use-impaired.

References
  1. "California boy, 9, becomes youngest person to scale Argentina's Aconcagua mountain". NY Daily News. December 27, 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  2. "7-year-old O.C. boy climbs Mount Whitney". Orange County Register. July 26, 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  3. "Training Details". Official Website. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  4. "8-year-old to hike Mount Kilimanjaro". Orange County Register. May 22, 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  5. "Nine-year-old Tyler Armstrong Inspires by Climbing for a Cure". Actionhub. August 13, 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  8. "Mount Kilimanjaro". Official Website. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  9. "Future Climbs". Official Website. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  10. "Join 9-year-old Tyler Armstrong on Training Climb to Mt. Baldy on August 17 as He Prepares to Climb Mt. Aconcagua to Benefit CureDuchenne". Cure Duchenne. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  11. "Yorba Linda boy taking it to another level". Orange County Register. December 6, 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  12. "US BOY, 9, IS YOUNGEST TO REACH ACONCAGUA SUMMIT". AP. December 27, 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  13. "Histórico: un nene de nueve años escaló el Aconcagua". Diario Registrado. December 28, 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  14. "Neunjähriger besteigt den höchsten Berg Amerikas". Joiz. December 29, 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  15. "9-jarige jongen beklimt hoogste berg van Amerika". Algemeen Dagblad. December 27, 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  16. Alaska's Denali is next goal for young Yorba Linda climber May 6, 2016
  19. "Accomplishments". Official Website. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  21. "Yorba Linda's Tyler Armstong, 13, denied permit to climb Mount Everest – won't set record as youngest – Orange County Register". Retrieved 2017-05-31.
  22. "California 12-year-old readies for Mount Everest climb". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
  24. "Boys' Life Magazine". Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
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