A few weeks ago, a seven-year-old boy reached the top of El Capitan in Yosemite. For many, this was an extraordinary achievement: Joey Danger Evermore became the youngest person in history to ascend El Cap. But did he really climb it? Within the climbing community, some argue that the Evermore family’s style of ascent means the answer is no. Neither Joey, his brother, nor his father led or even cleaned any of the pitches. Instead, they relied on guides whose role may have crossed legal and ethical lines. According to reports, the boys were pushed to keep climbing through tears at their father’s urging. So where do we draw the line? When do we celebrate a climb, and when do we acknowledge that it should never have happened in the first place?
From there, Joe launched his son into a press tour, including appearances on Good Morning America, CNN, and various local news stations. “This ascent gained international attention,” Joe wrote on the Instagram account named for Sam in the caption for a year-old video of Sam flaking a rope at the base of the mountain. “Over 1,600 news outlets picked it up.” The preteen appeared on international broadcasts and in several short documentaries. The family began selling merch emblazoned with “Adventure is My Middle Name.” They formed brand sponsorships over Instagram, posting constant throwbacks to the ascent. At one point, they informed the public that Sam was available for speaking gigs, and some voices in the climbing community began to criticize the ascent. “How could you possibly believe that your child, at that age, is the one who’s motivating this and not you?” said Chris Kalous on The Runout podcast. “It just all adds up to ick.”
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