Jordan Romero Uses GIS to Share Everest Experience

10 May 2010, 7:31pm

Redlands, California — May 10, 2010 — Thirteen-year-old Jordan Romero partnered with ESRI to share his Mount Everest climb with the world via geographic information system (GIS) technology. The Jordan Romero Web site features an ESRI GIS mapping application that integrates Web services to track Romero's journey. The application lets the public see Team Romero's location in near real time, explore daily tracks, view distance and elevation statistics, and browse weather and route information. The application also gives geographic context to social media—for example, Flickr photos and Twitter posts from the team throughout the trip.

ESRI is mapping the expedition with a lightweight, user-friendly Web application that uses the ArcGIS API for Microsoft Silverlight/WPF and data from ArcGIS Online. The API is used to deliver live information from other Web services. This includes the latest GPS messages from SPOT (updated as frequently as every 10 minutes), current elevation and distances from ArcGIS Server, daily weather forecasts from meteoexploration, and social media streams. ArcGIS Online provides the map layers and imagery of the 29,035-foot mountain and surrounding area.

"I know technology is saving lives every day, and in this case, it does make our team safer and in contact with rescue and even friends and family," says Romero. "I also appreciate that now my generation is going to experience better technology. To think my peers are watching my every step; I am so grateful. And perhaps through this technology, I'm actually going to inspire some kids to get out and set some big goals and dreams."

Team Romero and ESRI have created a single and comprehensive solution to track, map, and show up-to-date information about the climb, so the rest of the world can see Romero's progress at the top of the world. Educators are using the tool in the classroom, leveraging the application to make it easy and fun to learn about the feat and experience it right along with Romero.

Romero has already climbed six of the "Seven Summits," the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents. He is striving to become the youngest person ever to summit Everest, beating the current record by three years. Team Romero left for Everest on April 5 and is planning to summit sometime this month. Romero is joined by his father, Paul Romero, and stepmom Karen Lundgren. The three have achieved all six summits together. There are several interpretations of the "Seven Summits," so Romero is also intending to tackle Antarctica's Vinson Massif in December 2010.

Click Live on Everest at the link below to see where the climbers are now.

More information about Romero

Geo: International