An eight-year-old has revealed how he climbed the equivalent of eight Mount Everests.
Charlie Batham from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, spends his weekends in the UK with his father Paul.
The father and son duo tackled Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Snowdonia and also visited the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District.
Paul, 54, told the BBC: “We booked a holiday to Anglesey for his fifth birthday and asked him if there was anything he would like to do while he was there.
“He said he wanted to climb a mountain and that’s where it all came from… I couldn’t be prouder. What he did at the age he did is unbelievable.”
Charlie Batham from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, spends his weekends climbing with his father Paul in the UK (together on the summit of Helvellyn, Lake District).
“I can’t believe I’ve achieved so much,” added Charlie, who said his ultimate goal was to climb Mount Everest, the highest mountain above sea level.
Charlie climbed more than 232,260ft (70,792m) after climbing more than 200 different peaks in the UK in just under four years.
He said: “I love exploring and marking the peaks and I love seeing the different animals and wildlife that we wouldn’t get at home.”
Charlie embarked on the adventure when he turned five and asked his parents if he could celebrate his big day.
He has since scaled the highest peaks in Britain, including Scafell Pike (3,210ft) in the Lake District, Yr Wyddfa (formerly Snowdown, 3,560ft) in North Wales and Ben Nevis (4,413ft) in the Grampians of Scotland .
Charlie climbed his eighth Everest on Chrome Hill in the Peak District with his father Paul, who holds the record for the heights climbed.
But the proud dad believes he’s actually covered a lot more ground than he’s letting on, having given up mountains he’s climbed more than once.
Paul said, “If there’s anything to climb, he’ll climb it, whether it’s 200 feet or 2,000 feet—he’s like a mountain goat.”
The father and son duo tackled Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Snowdonia and also visited the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District.
Charlie (pictured with his parents at the summit of Snowdon) climbed more than 232,260ft (70,792m) after climbing more than 200 different peaks in the UK in just under four years
“When he was five we couldn’t stop him and he is the same now. Sometimes when we go somewhere he leads me and now I have to follow him on the paths.
“We go to the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales almost every weekend and it’s on and on, so I don’t even put them down anymore.
“In reality he may have climbed up to 100,000 meters. He has climbed at least eight Everests so far, but in reality maybe nine or ten.”
The primary school pupil, who lives with his father and mother Donna, 53, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, has now traveled hundreds of kilometers in search of new mountains.
Nanny Paul said that Charlie never asked to go home and that the couple had only been forced to cut their trips short three times due to bad weather.
But he said his biggest challenge was reaching the summit of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, at 1,345 meters above sea level on the west coast of Scotland.
He said: “It was probably the hardest thing for him in terms of determination and perseverance. It’s ten miles, but it’s five miles up and five miles down. It was a very difficult climb.’
“Scafell Pike also struggled as the weather was absolutely terrible. We were halfway there and a lot of people turned around. But we said, “Let’s try”.
Charlie (pictured with parents Paul and Donna on Helvellyn) got into adventure when he turned five and asked his parents if he could celebrate his big day
Charlie (pictured with his parents on Ben Nevis) has since climbed Britain’s highest peaks including Scafell Pike (1000m) in the Lake District, Yr Wyddfa (formerly Snowdown, 1100m) in North Wales and Ben Nevis (4413m) . ft) in the Scottish Grampians
“There was a very strong current. I had to throw Charlie over my shoulder and carry him. It was between my knees and my waist. Then came the bad weather, the fog and the rain.
“There were a few tears, but he didn’t give up and we made it to the top with him.”
Paul said he spoke to Guinness World Records when Charlie climbed his first Everest, but they told him he could not be identified because he was too young.
He said: “I put him in the Guinness World Records – the youngest person to climb higher than Mount Everest.
“They said, ‘We can see you’ve done everything, but we can only classify it as an athletic endurance award. We can’t forgive it until he’s 16.’ But Charlie has done it seven more times since then.”
The Guinness World Records guidelines state: “People under the age of 16 may not attempt or hold records that are considered inappropriate for minors.
“Anyone between the ages of 16 and 18 must have parent/guardian permission to access this data.”
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
