Everest has seen a succession of records tumble this week. Photo: Sotti CC-BY-SA-3.0

An American teenager today became the youngest person to summit the world’s highest mountain.

Jordan Romero, 13, of Big Bear, California, reached the top of Everest early this morning. In a week that has seen a succession of records tumble, 50-year-old Apa Sherpa took his tally of ascents to 20, extending his own record.

Jordan climbed the mountain from the Tibetan side, accompanied by his father Paul and a team of Sherpas. The Nepalese authorities on the southern side of the 8,848m (29,029ft) peak do not allow summit attempts by anyone under the age of 16.

On Monday, 22-year-old Bonita Morris became the youngest British woman to the top of Everest, and her guide Kenton Cool notched up his eighth ascent – a record for a Briton.

The 13-year-old Californian called his mother from the summit. He now aims to become the youngest to ascend the highest peaks on seven continents, having already bagged six of them.

The previous youngest Everest summiteer was 16-year-old Temba Tsheri Sherpa.

Apa Sherpa, who is based in the USA, carried a banner to the summit to raise awareness of the problems faced by the Himalaya because of climate change.