American teen makes history as youngest woman to complete Seven Summits with Everest climb
Emma Schwerin, 17, and her father, Samuel, have become the first father-daughter duo to complete the Seven Summits challenge and conquer the world's highest peaks together, guided by veteran climber Tendi Sherpa
PC: Emma's Instagram
A 17-year-old student and licensed pilot from the United States has become the youngest American female to summit Mount Everest and complete the Seven Summits challenge, her expedition operators said.
Emma Schwerin, who began her quest in January 2024, reached the top of the world’s highest peak on May 15 alongside her father, Samuel Lawrence Schwerin. The pair was guided by Tendi Sherpa, an accomplished high-altitude guide who marked his 18th Everest summit during the climb.
The father-daughter duo also became the first to complete the Seven Summits — the highest mountains on each of the seven continents — together.
Emma launched her mountaineering push with Mount Kilimanjaro and continued her streak by summiting peaks including Antarctica’s Mount Vinson, where she became the youngest woman to reach the top at age 16.
The Schwerins are now descending from Everest and are expected to attempt a rapid follow-up climb of Mount Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain. If successful, Emma could become one of the youngest climbers to complete the Everest–Lhotse double within a single week.
Their summit comes amid a busy spring season on Everest, with Nepal’s Department of Tourism issuing permits to nearly 456 fee paying climbers.
