A BRITISH 4-year-old boy has become the youngest person ever to reach the summit of an 11,000-foot (3,350-meter) mountain, scaling steep precipices and surviving extreme weather conditions to get there. Jackson Houlding, and his sister Freya, 8, spent two weeks camping in the wilderness of Wyoming’s Rocky Mountains, led by their father Leo, 41, an expert rock climber and former British Junior Indoor Climbing Champion, and mother Jessica, 42, a GP and outdoors enthusiast. During the trip, Jackson became the youngest person to climb the Pingora Peak — at a staggering 11,889 feet — unaided, while Freya became the youngest to scale nearby Wolf’s Head, at 12,165 feet. It comes a year after the children became the youngest to summit a 10,000-foot mountain — Piz Badile on the border of Switzerland and Italy. “Climbing comes with big risks, even with all right equipment and loads of experience,” said the father. “Loose rocks and uneven terrain can be a big challenge, and in some instances, one foot wrong could land you in a lot of trouble.” The Wind River Range where they spent two weeks summiting peaks can be treacherous. During their travels, they encountered extreme weather and dangerous wildlife — including hailstones the size of marbles and a bear who strolled into their camp looking for food — testing the family’s survival skills. The long treks also proved tricky for the children, but Harry Potter audio books kept them going, their parents said. “Each climb we’ve done with our kids is a cherished memory, and we can’t wait to go on more climbing adventures in the future,” the father added. The Houldings are planning to go climbing and sea kayaking in Norway’s remote Lofoten Islands next summer.(SD-Agencies) | 