Climbing
Mount Shasta, the infamous, 14,179-foot volcanic mountain located in Northern California, can be found on the bucket list of numerous mountaineers around the globe. To summit this majestic, towering peak, most experienced climbers dedicate weeks of training and acquire the necessary resources in order to successfully reach the top. From the fastest ascent to the number of times climbed, various records have been broken on Mount Shasta. However, on September 5th, two 5-year-old twins recently broke the record for the youngest people to hike to the summit.
Matthew and Arabella Adams, otherwise known as the “super hiking twins” on social media, are passionate, outdoor enthusiasts who, at the young age of 5, have already summited four 14ers. In just a little over a year, the twins have accomplished hiking Mt. Whitney (14,508′), White Mountain (14,252′), Mt. Langley (14,032′), and Mt. Shasta (14,180′). Born in February of 2015, it didn’t take long for their parents to realize their love for hiking and the outdoors. Once acknowledged, the family began going on hikes every weekend, letting the twins choose which hike to go on next.
To hike Mt. Shasta, the family took two full days to complete the journey. On the first day, they hiked up to 11,000 feet where they camped for the first night. By 8:30 pm the second day, they finished the descent, tallying up 22 hours over the two days to complete it. Taking a slow and safe approach, the twins tackled the steep, rocky inclines and can now add it to their list.
Prior to bagging Mt. Shasta, the twins successfully completed the Six Pack of Peaks Challenge, which involved a total of 18 peaks, 197 miles, and 55,000 feet of elevation gain. Rain, snow, or shine, these two ambitious kids will hike in anything. Carrying their own pack and gear, Matthew and Arabella complete every hike on their own without assistance. Every trip, they are passed by fellow hikers who are astounded by their age and ability to hike independently.
While there is no official record for the youngest person to climb Mt. Shasta, the most recent record was 7-year-old Mason Gurney who summited in 2019. As of September, the new recipients for breaking the record are two proud 5-year-old twins. If that doesn’t inspire you to go get after it, I don’t know what will!
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