An outdoor enthusiast from Colorado recently reached the top of Yosemite’s El Capitan with his eight-year-old son, and he did the same with his oldest son two years earlier. This time, he brought a documentary film crew, and some worry he’s endangering his kids’ lives for recognition.

As the Chronicle reports, eight-year-old Sylvan Lightyear Evermore made it to the top of El Capitan at Yosemite National Park with his father Joe Evermore late Friday night. The ascent took place over a weeklong trip — via rope ascent using special hand clamps as opposed to traditional rock climbing. This likely makes Sylvan one of only a handful of kids under the age of 12 to accomplish such a feat, along with his older brother Sam two years prior.

In 2023, Sam also successfully finished the same ascent, with Evermore (who changed his name from Baker, and clearly likes colorful names) touting him as a “world-class climber” in interviews with news outlets such as CNN, ABC, and NBC, per the Chronicle. This led CNN to title its article, “8-year-old boy becomes youngest person to climb California’s El Capitan,” but as the Chronicle notes, there is no official record-keeping of this sort.

Critics said this claim was misleading because no real climbing takes place with a rope ascent, which entails fixed ropes and ascender clamps, or “jugs,” which are laid out by actual climbers and anchored in place beforehand in order to safely guide the person along and keep them secure, per the Chronicle.

Regardless of the nomenclature, many in the community also worry about the wellbeing of Evermore’s children, as he also has two younger sons. Tom Evans, who documents climbers’ progress on the mountain three months out of the year, called the 2023 ascent “a publicity hoax” and even confronted Evermore prior to the trip.

“He said, ‘What’s the problem?’ And I said, ‘The whole media presentation needs to stop. I know there’s no way your son suggested getting this record. This is about you,’” Evans told the Chronicle at the time. “He said, ‘It’s not about the record, it’s about spending time with my son.’ I said, ‘Why all the publicity then?’”

Regarding Evermore’s recent trip with Sylvan, Evans reportedly said on Facebook, “This scam is just for publicity and making $$$ for the family.”

Ken Yager, founder and president of the nonprofit Yosemite Climbing Association, found the scenario potentially dangerous. “I can say personally that this obsession with records is kind of dangerous. That’s the wrong reason to climb,” he told the Chronicle. “Also, it takes away from the integrity of the sport, in a way. When it becomes a big media thing, I’m not a fan of it.”

Tommy Caldwell, a free climber, told the paper he found it “cringeworthy.” “Theoretically I could have put (my son) in a haul bag when he was 1 year old and gotten him up there.”

The second time around, per the Chronicle, Evermore strictly referred to the expedition as a rope ascent rather than a “climb.” He also brought along a documentary film crew with the aim of promoting his parenting philosophy, which focuses on how to help boys “develop into men through hardship and affliction.” Per the Chronicle, Evermore has raised over $450,000 online to finance the feature-length documentary film.

“In our culture, our system, we have dads who sit back on the couch and watch football and aren’t really engaged,” Evermore told the Chronicle. “I want to wake those guys up and get them doing something rad with their kids.””

Contrary to what the rest of the climbing community thinks of Evermore, Hans Florine, who tracks speed-climbing records on El Capitan, thinks Evermore’s stunts are harmless. “It’s a natural progression for our sport. You can’t get upset about this stuff,” he told the Chronicle.

“I’ve jugged the whole thing many times — it’s crazy-hard for an adult,” he continued. “If they are being honest about what they’re doing, I think it’s great.”

Nevertheless, the senior Evermore's steadfast pursuit of recognition brings to mind the tragic story of Jessica Dubroff, the 7-year-old child pilot from Pescadero who died in a 1996 plane crash, along with her father and flight instructor. Dubroff was attempting to become the youngest person to fly across the United States — a journey heavily promoted by her parents and the media, as reported by SFGate.

Image: Little Mountain 5/Wikimedia