Kid Climber Scales World's Highest Mountains

On day four of the climb up McKinley, Jordan woke up and reached outside his sleeping bag for his radio to hear the forecast. His foot had been bothering him. The forecast brought good news: clear skies.

Jordan Romero, shown here on Mt. McKinley in Alaska, also known as Denali, has completed five out of seven summits so far.

(Courtesy of the Romero family)

Along for every trip is Karen Lundgren, Romero's girlfriend, who films the treks. They are keenly aware of the risks of Jordan's goal.

"I've been a paramedic for 10 years," Romero said. "There's a whole lot of people that go out to get a gallon of milk, down the highway, and never come home."

Yet, mountain climbing comes with its own set of perils not found on a trip to the grocery store, including deep crevices that could easily swallow a boy.

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"I've had some tough moments, man. I've had some sleepless nights," he said. "I've had some very big tough decisions to make. Myself and my partner Karen, who's the most amazing adventure woman and motherly figure for Jordan I could ever imagine or want. We know we don't have a completely impenetrable bubble around him."

But as Jordan readily admits, that's part of the allure.

He said he wanted to do something that risked life, "because that's what every single person in their life has to do: take risks, take chances, go fast, take chances. And that for me is what mountain climbing is all about. Taking risks and taking chances."

The danger of the preteen's chosen hobby is what fascinates most people in his hometown of Big Bear Lake, Calif. He's become somewhat of a celebrity there. He is frequently asked to speak at schools where adoring students riddle him with questions about the climbs and refuse to leave without an autograph.