Samantha Larson.

Please don't forget that Everest can run upwards of $50,000, depending on many variables. That's a helluva lot of money for me, a sophomore engineering student.

I'm 19 and I'd love to climb Denali or the likes but I just don't have the money or the time for it.

She is lucky to be in the financial situation she is in, but everything else is 100% her. I give her all the credit in the world climbing wise, just not organizational wise.

The comments about a pushy dad are totally ignorant. You don't know her dad or Sam for that matter. I've climbed with both of them and I can assure you that, allthough her father got her started, Sam is physically and mentally strong enough to climb any of the seven summits on her own. I think it is fantastic that they have accomplished this with the two of them. Anyone who has climbed any of the seven summits (especially Everest) will know how hard this is.

I know many 12 to 18 year olds who know that they want just that kind of thing, particularly in the climbing comunity for some reason. Lets not fault the girl for the father or the money, I have no doubt that if she had thrown a fit because she didn't want the adventure he would rather have not had her there.

A great feat...but I think her accomplishment is due to her having a pushy and ambitious (not to mention RICH) parent. Which 12 year old kid knows that he/she wants to climb Kilimanjaro? Let alone a North American kid....if she'd organized them all by herself, or with the help of her parents, then I'd say great! But her dad accompanied her on all climbs...
It costs a ton of money to climb denali, and I'm sure there are some experienced climbers out there who must be seething to hear of some 18-yr kid doing it just because she has the financial means...