chillin Photo Via: JohnnyCollins.com
If pop culture has taught us anything, it’s that high school seniors are worried about two things: where they’re going to go to college and whether or not they will still be a virgin by the time they get there. But seventeen-year-old Johnny Collinson has spent his high school years focused on other, more dangerous activities. In June 2009 he summitted Everest. And yesterday, after reaching the top of Antarctica’s Vinson Massif (16,067 ft.), he became the youngest person in the world to complete the Seven Summits, a mountaineering challenge that involves climbing the highest mountains on each of the seven continents.
The Vinson Massif summit team, led by Seattle-based adventure company Mountain Madness, included Collinson, Suzanne Al Houby (who hopes to be the first Palestinian Arab woman to complete the Seven Summits), and nine-time Everest guide Willie Benegas.
Born in Snowbird, Utah, Collinson began his mountaineering career with a summit of Mt. Rainier at age four. His quest for the Seven Summits began in January 2009 with a summit of Argentina’s Aconcagua, followed by Everest, Denali, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, and Carstenz.
Besides the physical demands of climbing the world’s highest mountains, Collinson’s journey isn’t even an option for most high school seniors. The estimated trip cost of climbing Antarctica’s Vinson Massif alone is $31,300.00 – about the cost of a year’s tuition at many state colleges.
The (above) video showcases Johnny Collinson’s now-finished quest to conquer the Seven Summits.
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