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No Summit out of Sight: The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits
Jordan Romero climbed Mount Everest at age thirteen—and he didn’t stop there. In this inspiring young adult memoir that includes color photos, he tells how he achieved such great heights.On May 22, 2010, at the age of thirteen, American teenager Jordan Romero became the youngest person to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. At fifteen, he became the youngest person to reach the summits of the tallest mountains on each of the seven continents. In this energizing memoir for young adults, Jordan, recounts his experience, which started as a spark of an idea at the age of nine and, many years of training and hard work later, turned into a dream come true.“The emotional pitch of the story remains high as Romero contends with extreme weather, frustration, exhaustion, and homesickness to reach, with almost palpable exhilaration, each peak” (Publishers Weekly).
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 6, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 532 reviews
July 23, 2015
Exciting and inspiring--marred mostly by being suffused with hints of the all-too-common Climbers' Superiority Complex: harping on how hard and fast Jordan and his adventurer parents climb compared to all the other dumb schmucks on the mountain who take shortcuts or carry too much gear or rest too frequently or "give up" and turn around. What Jordan has done is incredible: the competitive, judgemental streak he seems to have inherited is not. ("That's what happens when you don't eat right and don't train as hard as we do," his step mom Karen is quoted as saying about exhausted-looking mountaineers THE FAMILY DOESN'T KNOW FROM ADAM. )
Off my soapbox. Three stars for great climbing stories.
Off my soapbox. Three stars for great climbing stories.
February 7, 2017
I thought this book was really good and inspiring. For each mountain Jordan climbed he became stronger and ready to climb the next one. He accomplished his dream by 15, and I recommend this book to anyone who likes goals coming true or/and adventure.
April 1, 2025
An enjoyable mountaineering memoir.
✏️ Review ✏️
Filled with many intriguing aspects about mountain climbing, No Summit out of Sight provides for an interesting and enjoyable read. The writing style is simplistic and accessible — nothing too over done — and the true life mountain adventures were really fun to read about.
I liked how the author draws parallels from his own climbing journey about the reader reaching his/her own goals. It's not all about summiting Mount Everest; but what about our own goals — mini Mount Everests? How will you achieve them? Plan, prepare, and do it. Take that first step. The summit is only further away at the bottom. The view from the top is always worth the difficult climb.
So, overall I enjoyed reading No Summit out of Sight. It's entertaining, a true story, and also slightly motivational. (It was worth the $0.99 I paid for it. :-)
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📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The chronological progression of this true story.
• The writing style — nothing too fancy but still enjoyable.
• The parallels the author includes about reaching our own Everest summit.
• The interior photo spread on the book's center.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The crude humor.
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❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Yes*
— To whom? To those who enjoy entertaining and slightly motivational memoirs focused on mountain climbing.
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
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📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 3/5)
~Fundamentals {Nonfiction Version}: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📑 Didactics: 2/5
— 📝 Writing: 3/5
— 👀 Engagement: 3.5/5
— 🧩 Clarity: 3.5/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 1/5
• Some uses of God's name in vain, a few uses "d*mn," one use of "cr*p," and one use of "h*ck."
• There is a section of somewhat crude humor that would not be appropriate for mixed audiences (on the top of page 241 of the 2016 softcover Scholastic edition; or for other editions, near the end of Chapter 22).
• A few other instances of mildly crude humor.
— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
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📣 Random Comments 📣
• Some climbers are described as building a "snow statue" to the gods.
• The author explains how he "carried little things [i.e., good luck objects] for support... to ensure success" when climbing Everest. There is also an explanation about how a friend gives Romero a sungdi (or special scarf) to "scare off demons and ghosts."
• The author writes about his experience partaking in a puja ceremony (how one asks for permission from the gods to summit Everest). The author and his parents offer food to these gods upon an altar and have their climbing gear blessed by monks. A prayer ritual is also described.
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💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• "Celebrate small victories. Keep working on your plan. It's just as important to step backward sometimes as it is to step forward. But never let up." (p. 353)
✏️ Review ✏️
Filled with many intriguing aspects about mountain climbing, No Summit out of Sight provides for an interesting and enjoyable read. The writing style is simplistic and accessible — nothing too over done — and the true life mountain adventures were really fun to read about.
I liked how the author draws parallels from his own climbing journey about the reader reaching his/her own goals. It's not all about summiting Mount Everest; but what about our own goals — mini Mount Everests? How will you achieve them? Plan, prepare, and do it. Take that first step. The summit is only further away at the bottom. The view from the top is always worth the difficult climb.
So, overall I enjoyed reading No Summit out of Sight. It's entertaining, a true story, and also slightly motivational. (It was worth the $0.99 I paid for it. :-)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The chronological progression of this true story.
• The writing style — nothing too fancy but still enjoyable.
• The parallels the author includes about reaching our own Everest summit.
• The interior photo spread on the book's center.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The crude humor.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Yes*
— To whom? To those who enjoy entertaining and slightly motivational memoirs focused on mountain climbing.
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 3/5)
~Fundamentals {Nonfiction Version}: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📑 Didactics: 2/5
— 📝 Writing: 3/5
— 👀 Engagement: 3.5/5
— 🧩 Clarity: 3.5/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 1/5
• Some uses of God's name in vain, a few uses "d*mn," one use of "cr*p," and one use of "h*ck."
• There is a section of somewhat crude humor that would not be appropriate for mixed audiences (on the top of page 241 of the 2016 softcover Scholastic edition; or for other editions, near the end of Chapter 22).
• A few other instances of mildly crude humor.
— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• Some climbers are described as building a "snow statue" to the gods.
• The author explains how he "carried little things [i.e., good luck objects] for support... to ensure success" when climbing Everest. There is also an explanation about how a friend gives Romero a sungdi (or special scarf) to "scare off demons and ghosts."
• The author writes about his experience partaking in a puja ceremony (how one asks for permission from the gods to summit Everest). The author and his parents offer food to these gods upon an altar and have their climbing gear blessed by monks. A prayer ritual is also described.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• "Celebrate small victories. Keep working on your plan. It's just as important to step backward sometimes as it is to step forward. But never let up." (p. 353)
August 28, 2023
Incredibly repetitive and ultimately a boring read. The message was said over and over to the point of exhaustion, and each mountain had the same set of things happen each time. After the third mountain, you become able to correctly predict what will happen during all of the ones to follow. I lost interest easily and only finished it because it was required for school.
September 23, 2016
Imagine yourself on the peak of mount Everest, high enough to observe the curvature of our planet, and looking out at the amazing view from the top of the earth. Well, Jordan Romero, the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits, knows what that feels like; and he wrote a book about his adventures. The book No Summit out of Sight is a first person, nonfiction book about Jordan Romero’s adventure climbing the Seven Summits. The Seven Summits are the tallest mountains on each of the seven continents, including Mt. Vinson in Antarctica. Interestingly, there are actually eight summits included in the Seven Summits because people argue over which mountain, Kosciuszko or Carstensz Pyramid, is the highest peak on the Australian continent. Jordan’s way of describing things really makes the reader feel like he is right there with him. Jordan is currently touring around the United States climbing the tallest peak in all fifty states. He is also talking to children in many different schools about following their dreams. Jordan’s book is filled with adventure and Jordan leaves nothing out of the story, not even all the dead bodies lying on mount Everest. I thoroughly enjoyed his book and it truly inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and to do something great.
No Summit out of Sight is a very inspirational and moving book, considering that Jordan climbed Mt. Everest at age thirteen. Jordan is uniquely qualified to write this book because he is the youngest person to summit Mt. Everest. Jordan wrote this book to tell his story, to inspire readers to follow their dreams, and to live a healthy lifestyle. Jordan writes from the standpoint of an average boy, but tells a very unique story. The beginning is a bit slow, but, he introduces things well. Jordan describes his life, his parents, and how he decided he wanted to be climb the Seven Summits. He also talks about how his parents and his community helped raise money for him to achieve his goal. Jordan does achieve his goal of encouraging his readers to follow their dreams because he demonstrated how he and his family were “normal” and yet he achieved such a difficult goal.
The tone of the book is very relatable, even though Jordan has done something that can be difficult to relate to. Jordan speaks like an average teenager. He doesn’t use formal, academic language. Jordan is very relatable because he also describes how difficult his journey could be at times, and how he wanted to quit. That is something most people can relate to.
Every section of the book starts out with a section that lists the name of the mountain, the average number of climbers per year, the date in which Jordan summited, how old he was, and whether it was a world record for youngest climber. There are pictures in the center of the book of Jordan usually with his step mom and dad. Each picture contains a small caption explaining where they were climbing when the photo was taken. The pictures are very interesting and make the whole book seem more real. The photos bring to life each mountain and each climb. I am still amazed at how much love and support Jordan receives. A whole parade of people from his community support Jordan and cheer him on. He also receives so much support from climbers from all around world that he meets on mountains. He even received support from the judge that he had to get a permit from in South America to climb Mt. Aconcagua. The only people he doesn’t get support from are the people on social media and the internet. Of course, it is so easy to criticize someone anonymously.
I couldn’t pick just one part of this book to be my favorite, I love almost all of it. But, I really like the moments when Jordan is really descriptive, especially on top of Everest. I also love the funny moments, like when he randomly starts playing ping pong with a russian who doesn’t speak english on Mt. Everest. I enjoyed how Jordan describes the size of the peak of Everest as no bigger than your average dinner table. He also describes how you can see the curvature of the Earth from that high up. Jordan informs the reader about a temple in Everest and the ritual of good luck that the monks practiced, which I thought was very interesting. I also love how Jordan leaves nothing out of the story, especially not the bad. He talks about the different bodies that were lying around the trails of Mt. Everest. Jordan also talks about how at times he was crying from how exhausted he was, and also how, at times, he wanted to quit and give up on his dream. If I had to have a least favorite part, I would probably choose the beginning because it’s a bit slow and boring compared to the rest of the book, and that’s probably the only thing I’d change about it too. I really enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it to anyone.
This book is about the adventure of Jordan Romero achieving his goal, which was to climb the Seven Summits. The Seven Summits include Kilimanjaro, Kosciuszko, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Denali, Carstensz Pyramid, Everest, and Vinson. Not only did Jordan achieve his goal, but he was the youngest person to ever do it, climbing Everest at age thirteen and finishing his journey at age fifteen on Mt. Vinson in Antarctica. The book No Summit out of Sight is the story of his adventure climbing these mountains. This book is very good and Jordan doesn’t use big words, so anyone can read it. After reading this book, the reader can really imagine himself standing with Jordan on all of these mountains. This book is filled with descriptive details, funny moments, sad moments, scary moments, and inspiration. And the best part is, it’s all true.
No Summit out of Sight is a very inspirational and moving book, considering that Jordan climbed Mt. Everest at age thirteen. Jordan is uniquely qualified to write this book because he is the youngest person to summit Mt. Everest. Jordan wrote this book to tell his story, to inspire readers to follow their dreams, and to live a healthy lifestyle. Jordan writes from the standpoint of an average boy, but tells a very unique story. The beginning is a bit slow, but, he introduces things well. Jordan describes his life, his parents, and how he decided he wanted to be climb the Seven Summits. He also talks about how his parents and his community helped raise money for him to achieve his goal. Jordan does achieve his goal of encouraging his readers to follow their dreams because he demonstrated how he and his family were “normal” and yet he achieved such a difficult goal.
The tone of the book is very relatable, even though Jordan has done something that can be difficult to relate to. Jordan speaks like an average teenager. He doesn’t use formal, academic language. Jordan is very relatable because he also describes how difficult his journey could be at times, and how he wanted to quit. That is something most people can relate to.
Every section of the book starts out with a section that lists the name of the mountain, the average number of climbers per year, the date in which Jordan summited, how old he was, and whether it was a world record for youngest climber. There are pictures in the center of the book of Jordan usually with his step mom and dad. Each picture contains a small caption explaining where they were climbing when the photo was taken. The pictures are very interesting and make the whole book seem more real. The photos bring to life each mountain and each climb. I am still amazed at how much love and support Jordan receives. A whole parade of people from his community support Jordan and cheer him on. He also receives so much support from climbers from all around world that he meets on mountains. He even received support from the judge that he had to get a permit from in South America to climb Mt. Aconcagua. The only people he doesn’t get support from are the people on social media and the internet. Of course, it is so easy to criticize someone anonymously.
I couldn’t pick just one part of this book to be my favorite, I love almost all of it. But, I really like the moments when Jordan is really descriptive, especially on top of Everest. I also love the funny moments, like when he randomly starts playing ping pong with a russian who doesn’t speak english on Mt. Everest. I enjoyed how Jordan describes the size of the peak of Everest as no bigger than your average dinner table. He also describes how you can see the curvature of the Earth from that high up. Jordan informs the reader about a temple in Everest and the ritual of good luck that the monks practiced, which I thought was very interesting. I also love how Jordan leaves nothing out of the story, especially not the bad. He talks about the different bodies that were lying around the trails of Mt. Everest. Jordan also talks about how at times he was crying from how exhausted he was, and also how, at times, he wanted to quit and give up on his dream. If I had to have a least favorite part, I would probably choose the beginning because it’s a bit slow and boring compared to the rest of the book, and that’s probably the only thing I’d change about it too. I really enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it to anyone.
This book is about the adventure of Jordan Romero achieving his goal, which was to climb the Seven Summits. The Seven Summits include Kilimanjaro, Kosciuszko, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Denali, Carstensz Pyramid, Everest, and Vinson. Not only did Jordan achieve his goal, but he was the youngest person to ever do it, climbing Everest at age thirteen and finishing his journey at age fifteen on Mt. Vinson in Antarctica. The book No Summit out of Sight is the story of his adventure climbing these mountains. This book is very good and Jordan doesn’t use big words, so anyone can read it. After reading this book, the reader can really imagine himself standing with Jordan on all of these mountains. This book is filled with descriptive details, funny moments, sad moments, scary moments, and inspiration. And the best part is, it’s all true.
Read
February 7, 2025We enjoyed reading this out loud to the kids. We all learned a lot about the seven summits and mountain climbing in general. However, fair warning, we did omit a few sections and change words here and there.
April 13, 2020
Ill do it later
May 13, 2026
Absolutely fantastic retelling of a child going to extremes to achieve his dream! It’s extremely motivating and beautifully written- a very easy, effortless read that makes you want to dream bigger!
May 22, 2022
I read this book in one sitting and loved it! What a great story of hard work, accomplishment, and overcoming literally giant obstacles. While I will never climb Everest, Jordan’s story truly does encourage me to take the first step and find my own Everest.
February 21, 2017
Wow, wow, wow! A fifteen year old kid climbing the seven summits. Is that awesome or what?!
And another thing to wow over...I am reviewing a non fiction book! That is almost a first. I think I have reviewed a non fiction book before.
As for the title, yes, No Summit Out of Sight is not the full title. No Summit Out of Sight: The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits is the correct and proper title. I just didn't want that to be my post's title; it is quite a mouthful.
The book is super good. I really enjoyed reading it, and couldn't wait to read about him climbing to the summit of each mountain.
The cover is wonderful. He is above clouds. I mean, I have climbed Copper Peak in Michigan and thought that I was high up (which I really was). But, I can't imagine being (literally) on top of the world. Four stars!
This is truly an inspiring story. I would like to give this book five stars. For it being a non fiction book, I enjoyed it a lot.
Title: No Summit Out of Sight: The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits
Author: Jordan Romero
Author's Website: N/A
This review is written in my own opinions and words.
And another thing to wow over...I am reviewing a non fiction book! That is almost a first. I think I have reviewed a non fiction book before.
As for the title, yes, No Summit Out of Sight is not the full title. No Summit Out of Sight: The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits is the correct and proper title. I just didn't want that to be my post's title; it is quite a mouthful.
The book is super good. I really enjoyed reading it, and couldn't wait to read about him climbing to the summit of each mountain.
The cover is wonderful. He is above clouds. I mean, I have climbed Copper Peak in Michigan and thought that I was high up (which I really was). But, I can't imagine being (literally) on top of the world. Four stars!
This is truly an inspiring story. I would like to give this book five stars. For it being a non fiction book, I enjoyed it a lot.
Title: No Summit Out of Sight: The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits
Author: Jordan Romero
Author's Website: N/A
This review is written in my own opinions and words.
November 17, 2020
Good inspirational story, but unrealistic. Jordan Romero's whole message is "set a goal, and go achieve it" (like he did). But there's one problem with that: we don't all have 2 super extreme sports parents that will just say "yes" because I feel like climbing Everest. That's pretty much what happened to Jordan. He saw a mural at school, went home and told his parents he was going to climb the 7 Summits. And of course, it's just totally normal for the parents to say, "oh of course sweetie, I just booked flights." Newsflash: not every parent is willing to purchase plane tickets, permits, climbing gear, and take time off of work and school just because their 11 year old wants to climb Mount Everest. (Apparently that's what you get when both mom and dad jump out of airplanes and do other extreme stuff for a living.)
February 15, 2015
A feel-good and encouraging story about setting goals and accomplishing dreams. Not everyone can climb the seven summits (plus one), but Jordan Romero makes it clear in his memoir that learning, support, and drive are essential to setting life goals, no matter how small.
November 16, 2018
No Summit Out of Sight
By: Silas Montana
Author: Jordan Romero
If you have not read the book No Summit Out of Sight, what are you doing? Jordan Ramirez (the author) wrote this book with so much passion and detail! This book is amazing. Jordan Romero started to become interested in mountains when he was just 8 years old. He tells his parents all about how he wants to climb the seven summits. His dad and stepmother are fortunately very well trained athletes that are able to do stuff like climb mountains. They tell Jordan all about what you need to do to climb the seven summits. I believe the main theme of this story is all about perseverance. Jordan Ramirez is the definition of this word. He always works hard and fights when he struggles. At a point he was broken and felt like he had failed. Jordan toughened up and completed what he thought he couldn’t do. Now that is perseverance.
When I found out I had to read books over the summer, I thought it was a bummer. After I read the book, I instantly knew it was not going to be bad. When I read the first chapter of the book, I knew how much Jordan Romero was fighter and a hard worker. I love how much he grows and matures throughout the book. My favourite character in the book is Jordan. Like I said, he is just a hard hard worker. Jordan felt like someone who would be a great friend of mine. This is because I like hopeful and hardworking people. An example of Jordan being hopeful is when he feels defeated, but he puts his head up and puts on a smile. That is being hopeful. My favourite part of the book is when him and his family almost go to jail. It was really scary when this happened. I don’t want my favourite character to be in jail.
One thing that I did not like about this book is that some parts in the story got really slow. An example would be when Jordan had to train to climb the big mountain. It just got kind of boring. Although there were some boring parts of this book, I really like it overall.The end of this book is not really a cliff hanger, but it is really awesome and powerful. I mean, it's so cool and inspiring. It makes me think that one day maybe I could do something as cool as Jordan. It would be amazing for me to be able to achieve such a huge goal.
Overall, I love this book so much. Although it is long, it is worth it to read. There are so many moments in this book that are just so inspiring. I honestly can’t compare this book to any other book I’ve ever read. It is so unique, and it’s amazing. I love this book so much. I just can’t say it enough. This book certainly deserves to be read. I recommend this book to people that love adventurous and daring things. It’s incredible.!!
By: Silas Montana
Author: Jordan Romero
If you have not read the book No Summit Out of Sight, what are you doing? Jordan Ramirez (the author) wrote this book with so much passion and detail! This book is amazing. Jordan Romero started to become interested in mountains when he was just 8 years old. He tells his parents all about how he wants to climb the seven summits. His dad and stepmother are fortunately very well trained athletes that are able to do stuff like climb mountains. They tell Jordan all about what you need to do to climb the seven summits. I believe the main theme of this story is all about perseverance. Jordan Ramirez is the definition of this word. He always works hard and fights when he struggles. At a point he was broken and felt like he had failed. Jordan toughened up and completed what he thought he couldn’t do. Now that is perseverance.
When I found out I had to read books over the summer, I thought it was a bummer. After I read the book, I instantly knew it was not going to be bad. When I read the first chapter of the book, I knew how much Jordan Romero was fighter and a hard worker. I love how much he grows and matures throughout the book. My favourite character in the book is Jordan. Like I said, he is just a hard hard worker. Jordan felt like someone who would be a great friend of mine. This is because I like hopeful and hardworking people. An example of Jordan being hopeful is when he feels defeated, but he puts his head up and puts on a smile. That is being hopeful. My favourite part of the book is when him and his family almost go to jail. It was really scary when this happened. I don’t want my favourite character to be in jail.
One thing that I did not like about this book is that some parts in the story got really slow. An example would be when Jordan had to train to climb the big mountain. It just got kind of boring. Although there were some boring parts of this book, I really like it overall.The end of this book is not really a cliff hanger, but it is really awesome and powerful. I mean, it's so cool and inspiring. It makes me think that one day maybe I could do something as cool as Jordan. It would be amazing for me to be able to achieve such a huge goal.
Overall, I love this book so much. Although it is long, it is worth it to read. There are so many moments in this book that are just so inspiring. I honestly can’t compare this book to any other book I’ve ever read. It is so unique, and it’s amazing. I love this book so much. I just can’t say it enough. This book certainly deserves to be read. I recommend this book to people that love adventurous and daring things. It’s incredible.!!
August 2, 2023
I hate to say so when it comes to memoirs or autobiographies, but I'm not liking this story or the people in it at all.
Harsh take so far: I'm about an hour into this audio book and while this is obviously setting up to tell the story of the incredibly impressive feat this young man accomplished, there is soooo much eyeroll worthy stuff in here already that I'm not sure I even care about his story because so far it's so utterly ridiculous that this even happened. And good grief I know the kid was 10-15 during and 17 when this was written, and it's targeted as a book for kids, but it's truly written like it came straight out of an overly pretentious/precocious/arrogant 9 year olds diary.
The gist so far: 9 year old Jordan sees the seven summits in a mural at school, announces to his adventure racer dad that he wants to climb them. Like, Now. Dad: Okie dokie! But lets go on a hike first.
They go on like, one hike in California and decide he's ready for Kilimanjaro. LOL, ok.
They start planning their trip to Africa and step mom reveals they can't go until Jordan is 10 because that's the age minimum for entrance onto the park lands.
They start talking about the hike of Kili and Jordan is all "I picked the hardest route, because like, the other ways would have been boring" and brags about how he got to the first camp faster than anyone expected and was all "yeah! lets keep going!" But the adults said no.
Like, I hardly can even at this point. I have a feeling this is going to be painful to get through. This kid obviously did something incredible but in the book so far it's definitely coming across like he thinks he's hot shit from day one and it's a little off putting that all the adults in his life supported this in the way that they did. We'll see how it goes, I guess.
Two hours in and the superiority continues:
I can sleep anywhere, I'm so good at sleeping on rocks!
Cmon Jordan, I know your tired but lets just summit and then we can go to the Australian Zoo, like it's no big deal.
Our plane looked like a death trap, but I wasn't scared!
Next mountain: Dad sinuses are killing him, his teeth are hurting, but says "I'll live" and carries on again like it's nbd. But seems to be (perhaps irresponsibly) pushing on for his son because he like, "never usually complains"
Mocks the people turning back while they are resting and eating cookies: "they're not strong like us because they don't eat well and train as hard as us" when in reality you know literally NOTHING about those people. I know the parents are like pro racing athletes or whatever but Jordan is 10 and hiked two mountains (I mean impressive, of course yes, but does this mean Jordan trained harder than those other people, I highly doubt it) "They Don't eat as good as us" while you sit and eat cookies as part of your snack- fuck all the way off with your superiority complexes my dudes. This whole family is coming across as insufferable and it is gonna get worse, I'm sure.
I would quit reading/listening to this but I like mountain books so I still kinda want to hear the rest.
Final update: At least it got a little better in terms of detailing the training before the more difficult Denali and the rest of the mountains after that. But there are still plenty of cringeworthy moments. Jordan being all, I don't just care about the summit, I care about the culture- meanwhile a couple paragraphs ago he says the Sherpas name was too hard to say so they nicknamed him Kevin. Yeahh, showing some serious cultural respect there are we.
Also, this ghostwriter is not great. Nobody, let alone an 11 year old, talks in the way some of this is written. Telling another hiker on a mountain "I wish you luck" and talking about the "aroma" of the food, are just a couple examples.
I'm not swayed in the slightest in the defense to criticism the dad used about other "bad" parents feeding their kids fast food, like that's the fast track to killing them. Ya boy literally just got LUCKY he didn't get swept off that cliff in that avalanche, like the man in the yellow suit. Those parents put Jordan in danger way more significantly and immediately than someone feeding their child a not so perfect diet. By the time he was a 15 year old, at 6 ft tall and clearly in athletic shape, sure he could OBVIOUSLY handle some tough mountaineering, but based on the background they provided, taking a 10,12,13 year old etc on mountains they did, especially ones like Denali , is obviously irresponsible despite the fact that they "live the mountain lifestyle" in Big Bear California. There is a reason why there are age limits to so many other things in our society, like driving, voting, drinking alcohol, etc. Just because someone is physically capable of doing something, doesn't mean that automatically means it's a good decision when a person is that young. Aside from the avalanche episode (which they seem to brush off because no one in their own group got hurt) the whole lost ice axe story is another perfect example of how this whole situation is dangerously problematic. Jordan gets yelled at and his dad is saying his gear is his responsibility and that this is life and death on the mountain so it's really important....like sir, you've got an 11 year old child on an extremely tough and dangerous mountaineering expedition and if it's life or death why aren't you double checking his gear? You're really putting that on him at that point? I'd have respected the parents a lot more if they made any effort at all to *seriously* acknowledge the danger of doing this 7 summit expedition, but deciding it was worth doing anyway, rather than try to go off on a tangent about other people killing their kids with fast food in that interview in an effort to make it look like what they were doing was no big deal. It just gives the impression he doesn't care AT ALL about how dangerous it is (making him look even more irresponsible), when I can hardly believe that is actually the case in real life. They obviously trained hard. The parents scouted Everest even before Jordan went. They clearly had to have taken the expeditions seriously in real life. But it doesn't come across that way at all, and the whole thing just comes across badly.
I'd like to give Jordan and his parents the benefit of the doubt that they were done dirty with the writing of this book, (and well, Jordan WAS just a kid after all) because this story of his accomplishment of hiking the seven summits could have been told so much better and in a much more inspiring way than it was. For me, this book had the complete opposite of it's intended effect, because Jordan and his family they came off incredibly privileged entitled and unlikeable with their superior attitude.
Harsh take so far: I'm about an hour into this audio book and while this is obviously setting up to tell the story of the incredibly impressive feat this young man accomplished, there is soooo much eyeroll worthy stuff in here already that I'm not sure I even care about his story because so far it's so utterly ridiculous that this even happened. And good grief I know the kid was 10-15 during and 17 when this was written, and it's targeted as a book for kids, but it's truly written like it came straight out of an overly pretentious/precocious/arrogant 9 year olds diary.
The gist so far: 9 year old Jordan sees the seven summits in a mural at school, announces to his adventure racer dad that he wants to climb them. Like, Now. Dad: Okie dokie! But lets go on a hike first.
They go on like, one hike in California and decide he's ready for Kilimanjaro. LOL, ok.
They start planning their trip to Africa and step mom reveals they can't go until Jordan is 10 because that's the age minimum for entrance onto the park lands.
They start talking about the hike of Kili and Jordan is all "I picked the hardest route, because like, the other ways would have been boring" and brags about how he got to the first camp faster than anyone expected and was all "yeah! lets keep going!" But the adults said no.
Like, I hardly can even at this point. I have a feeling this is going to be painful to get through. This kid obviously did something incredible but in the book so far it's definitely coming across like he thinks he's hot shit from day one and it's a little off putting that all the adults in his life supported this in the way that they did. We'll see how it goes, I guess.
Two hours in and the superiority continues:
I can sleep anywhere, I'm so good at sleeping on rocks!
Cmon Jordan, I know your tired but lets just summit and then we can go to the Australian Zoo, like it's no big deal.
Our plane looked like a death trap, but I wasn't scared!
Next mountain: Dad sinuses are killing him, his teeth are hurting, but says "I'll live" and carries on again like it's nbd. But seems to be (perhaps irresponsibly) pushing on for his son because he like, "never usually complains"
Mocks the people turning back while they are resting and eating cookies: "they're not strong like us because they don't eat well and train as hard as us" when in reality you know literally NOTHING about those people. I know the parents are like pro racing athletes or whatever but Jordan is 10 and hiked two mountains (I mean impressive, of course yes, but does this mean Jordan trained harder than those other people, I highly doubt it) "They Don't eat as good as us" while you sit and eat cookies as part of your snack- fuck all the way off with your superiority complexes my dudes. This whole family is coming across as insufferable and it is gonna get worse, I'm sure.
I would quit reading/listening to this but I like mountain books so I still kinda want to hear the rest.
Final update: At least it got a little better in terms of detailing the training before the more difficult Denali and the rest of the mountains after that. But there are still plenty of cringeworthy moments. Jordan being all, I don't just care about the summit, I care about the culture- meanwhile a couple paragraphs ago he says the Sherpas name was too hard to say so they nicknamed him Kevin. Yeahh, showing some serious cultural respect there are we.
Also, this ghostwriter is not great. Nobody, let alone an 11 year old, talks in the way some of this is written. Telling another hiker on a mountain "I wish you luck" and talking about the "aroma" of the food, are just a couple examples.
I'm not swayed in the slightest in the defense to criticism the dad used about other "bad" parents feeding their kids fast food, like that's the fast track to killing them. Ya boy literally just got LUCKY he didn't get swept off that cliff in that avalanche, like the man in the yellow suit. Those parents put Jordan in danger way more significantly and immediately than someone feeding their child a not so perfect diet. By the time he was a 15 year old, at 6 ft tall and clearly in athletic shape, sure he could OBVIOUSLY handle some tough mountaineering, but based on the background they provided, taking a 10,12,13 year old etc on mountains they did, especially ones like Denali , is obviously irresponsible despite the fact that they "live the mountain lifestyle" in Big Bear California. There is a reason why there are age limits to so many other things in our society, like driving, voting, drinking alcohol, etc. Just because someone is physically capable of doing something, doesn't mean that automatically means it's a good decision when a person is that young. Aside from the avalanche episode (which they seem to brush off because no one in their own group got hurt) the whole lost ice axe story is another perfect example of how this whole situation is dangerously problematic. Jordan gets yelled at and his dad is saying his gear is his responsibility and that this is life and death on the mountain so it's really important....like sir, you've got an 11 year old child on an extremely tough and dangerous mountaineering expedition and if it's life or death why aren't you double checking his gear? You're really putting that on him at that point? I'd have respected the parents a lot more if they made any effort at all to *seriously* acknowledge the danger of doing this 7 summit expedition, but deciding it was worth doing anyway, rather than try to go off on a tangent about other people killing their kids with fast food in that interview in an effort to make it look like what they were doing was no big deal. It just gives the impression he doesn't care AT ALL about how dangerous it is (making him look even more irresponsible), when I can hardly believe that is actually the case in real life. They obviously trained hard. The parents scouted Everest even before Jordan went. They clearly had to have taken the expeditions seriously in real life. But it doesn't come across that way at all, and the whole thing just comes across badly.
I'd like to give Jordan and his parents the benefit of the doubt that they were done dirty with the writing of this book, (and well, Jordan WAS just a kid after all) because this story of his accomplishment of hiking the seven summits could have been told so much better and in a much more inspiring way than it was. For me, this book had the complete opposite of it's intended effect, because Jordan and his family they came off incredibly privileged entitled and unlikeable with their superior attitude.
August 26, 2025
So little story about me:
When I was in elementary school in ~2016 ish, I found and convinced my parents to buy me this book at a scholastic book fair. I wasn’t a big reader, but I did follow through on reading this one, and wanted to do what he did and climb the seven summits.
It’s now just about 10 years later and I’ve made negative progress in that goal, I forgot about it for years before rediscovering that goal within me. I figured it would be the perfect time to reread and boy was it.
While I feel that this book gets a little too “motivational speaker” at times (because that’s essentially what it is), I feel the writing is accessible to all ages, and provides an inspiring, moving recounting of his experiences (and with a keen eye, good insight into gear and training that can be utilized)
All in all a very solid read I’ll in all likelihood come back to down the road, hopefully when I’m on my way to completing the 8.
When I was in elementary school in ~2016 ish, I found and convinced my parents to buy me this book at a scholastic book fair. I wasn’t a big reader, but I did follow through on reading this one, and wanted to do what he did and climb the seven summits.
It’s now just about 10 years later and I’ve made negative progress in that goal, I forgot about it for years before rediscovering that goal within me. I figured it would be the perfect time to reread and boy was it.
While I feel that this book gets a little too “motivational speaker” at times (because that’s essentially what it is), I feel the writing is accessible to all ages, and provides an inspiring, moving recounting of his experiences (and with a keen eye, good insight into gear and training that can be utilized)
All in all a very solid read I’ll in all likelihood come back to down the road, hopefully when I’m on my way to completing the 8.
Read
April 20, 2023No Summit Out of Sight was a fairly good book. The story is about how a young kid breaks world records for climbing mountains.What surprised me was how many people from different countries he met. It also surprised me how he stood so strong on those mountains with the face of adversity from nature. These are some of the multitude of reasons why I liked this book.
No Summit Out of Sight was an amazing book but there were some things in it I didn’t like. Like how it spent so long talking about how they got the money for the trips. I understand why they put it in there but it could have been shorter. This is the only real problem I have with the book.
No Summit Out of Sight was an awesome book. Overall I would rate this four stars. This is probably the best adventure book I have read lately. I would recommend this book to people who like adventure or just incredible feats of endurance. No Summit Out of Sight was a great book and I would definitely recommend this book to anybody.
No Summit Out of Sight was an amazing book but there were some things in it I didn’t like. Like how it spent so long talking about how they got the money for the trips. I understand why they put it in there but it could have been shorter. This is the only real problem I have with the book.
No Summit Out of Sight was an awesome book. Overall I would rate this four stars. This is probably the best adventure book I have read lately. I would recommend this book to people who like adventure or just incredible feats of endurance. No Summit Out of Sight was a great book and I would definitely recommend this book to anybody.
December 27, 2024
The parts about the actual climbing of the mountains are super interesting and definitely the best parts of the book. They really made me want to read Into Thin Air again, although this story is much more about success than the tragic consequences of climbing a mountain unprepared as discussed in Into Thin Air. However, Jordan does come across as very preachy and many of his opinions sound under researched. For example, he expresses confusion for why anyone would eat unhealthily at one point in the book, however he fails to recognize the other side such as people’s location and monetary means severely limiting what kinds of foods they can purchase.
July 17, 2023
This book was recommended when I asked for a middle grade nonfiction narrative. Though it is thick, it is written at a middle grade level. It is broken up into chunks using each mountain as the divider. This is definitely a great read for a kid who likes to set goals and achieve dreams. I think the kids who say, “I like Hatchet.” will enjoy this book as well.
Content notes: no sex, no profanity. There is one intense moment where a mountaineer dies, but it is not graphic or dwelled upon. I would consider this an all ages read.
Content notes: no sex, no profanity. There is one intense moment where a mountaineer dies, but it is not graphic or dwelled upon. I would consider this an all ages read.
September 11, 2023
This book talks about the adventure of a little boy called Jordan Romero, who pursues his dream of climbing the World's Seven Summits. He initially gets the idea at the age of nine, and at only ten years old, he takes on his first mountain, climbing Tanzania's Kilimanjaro. The climax of his adventure happens at the age of thirteen, when he climbs the world's tallest mountain, Nepal's Mount Everest, standing at 8848 meters. This book is inspiring, incredible to believe and overall well written and easily readable. I would recommend it to anyone passionate about Mountains, or just anyone who wants to read an unbelievable story.
July 11, 2017
This book was a slam dunk for me. Reading it in the weeks leading up to probably the most difficult mountain climb of my life must have been an inspired decision. Jordan Romero tells how, from ages 10 to 16, he reached the top of every continent. For someone who doesn't know a lot about mountain climbing, this book is a look at an entirely different subculture. The reader is immersed in both "climbers world" and young Jordan's head. You can't help but root for him, and the ending is uplifting--though it might not have been if it weren't for good planning, persistence in following a dream, and a whole lot of luck.
June 29, 2025
This is the true story of Jordan Romero, who climbed Mount Everest at 13 and completed the Seven Summits by 15. Told in his own words, it’s a journey of big dreams, family support, and sheer determination.
I listened to the audiobook and loved how personal and honest it felt. He shared the challenges, the wins, and everything in between.
It’s a powerful reminder that you’re never too young—or too ordinary—to go after something extraordinary. 💫
I listened to the audiobook and loved how personal and honest it felt. He shared the challenges, the wins, and everything in between.
It’s a powerful reminder that you’re never too young—or too ordinary—to go after something extraordinary. 💫
December 20, 2025
I’d probably give this 3.5 stars. I recognize that it is intended to be a young reader’s book and so the writing style is a bit more simplistic than what I would typically read. I found it fascinating to read about Jordan’s determination and the training he did to scale these peaks. I also liked how he acknowledged how fortunate he was in terms of the opportunity to travel and do this as well as conditions in several situations being lucky.
June 17, 2017
It was a great book that I couldn't stop reading. On each mountain he faced challenges that were similar and different at the same time. This book shows that a person can do anything he wants with hard work and good support.
May 28, 2018
This book was a great read aloud for my students. The kids enjoyed it immensely. Great life lessons and classroom discussion topics. There were parts that felt over done or too "extra" as the kids would say. However, it was a good choice.
November 2, 2022
I always love an inspiring mountaineering book, so this was a really exciting read. Giving 3 stars because it was pretty basic overview of the climbs and I love getting into the wild and shocking details of the mountains. But it is a teen book, so it makes sense that it was a quick/easy read!
Read
March 7, 2018Loved the book. Even though it was non fiction it was good because it was told in first person.
February 3, 2019
Excelente
Historia veridica
Admirable lo que hace un chico de 12 años para cumplir un sueño
Recomendable a jovenes
Parece simple, pero que bueno es tener un sueño y poder cumplirlo
Historia veridica
Admirable lo que hace un chico de 12 años para cumplir un sueño
Recomendable a jovenes
Parece simple, pero que bueno es tener un sueño y poder cumplirlo
January 16, 2022
This was really good and so inspiring! I really enjoy people’s stories and in particular conquering something great. A joy to read and encouraged to dream big and “find your Everest.”
October 6, 2023
This is totally in my top 5 books I’ve ever read! It’s about following dreams and finding your own Everest. 10/10 recommend.
February 10, 2024
A good story about an incredible accomplishment
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