Too Young to Push the Limits?

hiking | dlacord | Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 8:33 am

Fifty hikes. Fifty states. Fifty days. That’s the plan for a dad and son from Honolulu, Hawaii. Mike Lindley and his son Jackson started their challenge this week with a trail on Maui. After that, they’ll fly to Anchorage, Ala., and begin their quest around the country. (They’ll tackle their Colorado trail – Mount Cutler in Cheyenne Canyon – in August.)

Jackson Lindley is 11, and his family says he is an experienced hiker. Still, his involvement might stir up the same criticism as two other teenagers did recently.

In late June, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland was rescued at sea while she was trying to circumnavigate the globe alone in her sailboat. She traveled more than 12,000 nautical miles, but in the southern Indian Ocean, her boat was rolled by high waves and winds.

On May 23, Jordan Romero, a 13-year-0ld from California, became the youngest climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest. In each case, the teens’ parents were criticized for allowing – even encouraging – their children to take risks. These young adventurers are all experienced and well-equipped.

But are they too young to set out on journeys like this? The government of China has announced it will set new age limits on mountaineers climbing in Tibet. Do you think a rating system is necessary? Can a climber or sailor or thru-hiker be allowed to push the limits in the outdoors even they can’t get into an R-rated movie back home?

– Deb Acord

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