Skip navigation
Site powered by
Latest news:
msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines: Singing superstar Whitney Houston dies at 48

17-year-old is youngest to scale top 7 peaks

High school senior summits tallest peaks on world's seven continents

LOS ANGELES - A 17-year-old California resident reached the summit of Mount Everest as part of his trek to become the youngest person to scale the tallest peaks on each of the world’s seven continents.

Johnny Strange, a senior in high school who resides in Malibu, Calif., reached the top of the 29,035-foot mountain on May 20. His Everest mountain climb was his sixth. He completed his final summit climb on June 8 when he scaled Australia’s 7,310-foot Mount Kosciuszko.

Strange broke the record of Samantha Larson of Long Beach, Calif., who was 18 when she finished the seven summits challenge in 2007.

Strange has been climbing mountains since he was 12. He tagged along with his dad, Brian — an attorney in Los Angeles — to Antarctica where the duo checked Mount Vinson Massif off the list in 2004.

Strange scaled the original seven summits, which included Everest, Vinson Massif, Kosciuszko, McKinley (20,320) in Alaska, Aconcagua (22,841) in South America, Kilimanjaro (19,340) in Africa and Elbrus (18,510) in Europe. Some consider the 16,024-foot Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia as an alternative.

Strange was traveling with his father from Australia on Tuesday and is expected to be back in Southern California by Wednesday.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement
More news
Image: Pekingese Palacegarden Malachy trots in ring at the 135th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York
Reuters
Pekingese favored to be top dog

Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.

NY cable dispute blacks out Knicks, 4 NHL teams

NEW YORK (AP) - As the glow fades from the Giants' Super Bowl triumph, some New York sports fans are tuning in to basketball and hockey, with the Rangers in first place and the Knicks' overnight sensation, Jeremy Lin, sparking "Lin-sanity.''

Image:
AP
Six new breeds will join show at Westminster

Robins: This year, six new breeds will be making their debut on the green carpet for the Westminster Dog Show, which begins Monday.

Slide show
Image: Snee, 8, son of New York Giants player Chris Snee and head coach Coughlin's grandson plays in the confetti after the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis
  The Week in Sports Pictures
The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more.

more photos

Slideshow
Boston Celtics v Indiana Pacers
  Who's hot on Twitter?
Check out which of your favorite athletes have the best pages and most followers!

NBCSports.com

Special feature
"American Woman: Fashioning A National Identity" Met Gala - Arrivals
When athletes and celebs get together
A look at the many links between sports and Hollywood stars.

NBCSports.com

Slideshow
Image: To match Special Report CAMPAIGN/ROMNEY-OLYMPICS
  Presidential candidates and sports
How do President Obama and his Republican rivals stack up when it comes to their sports backgrounds?
Slideshow
Image: Snee, 8, son of New York Giants player Chris Snee and head coach Coughlin's grandson plays in the confetti after the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis
  The Week in Sports Pictures
The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more.

more photos