A Cumbrian boy has climbed the highest mountain in Costa Rica.
Frankie McMillan, age 10, of Gosforth, has summitted Cerro Chirripó, which stands at 3,820 metres tall – which is nearly four times the height of Scafell Pike – with his mum Basia.
It saw him take on four days of trekking in changing temperatures and humid conditions through jungle and exposed rocky highlands.
But it’s all in a days work for Frankie, who has already tackled over 900 mountains including Everest and Mount Olympus, all in the name of raising money for charity.
The youngster is currently on a mission to host multiple heart screening days in West Cumbria and raise £50,000 for Cardiac Risk in the Young.
It’s a charity that Frankie has a special connection to, after he found out his close friend was living with a critical heart condition.
Frankie’s latest trek has formed part of his CRY fundraising push, but it has also been a warm up for his main plan to climb 10 highest mountains in the Balkans this summer in just five weeks.
Climbing Cerro Chirripó also marked Frankie’s first time trekking in jungle conditions – and along the way they did encounter tarantulas, snakes and mosquitos – but Basia said Frankie took it all in his stride.
She added that while the climb itself wasn’t as technical as others they have done, the real challenge was exposure to the elements.
Basia said: “We’ve done much more technically demanding climbs, but it just felt quite hard.
“I think it was down to facing different temperatures, at first it was hot and then it was freezing, and then it’s high altitude and every step you’re pretty much dragging your feet.
“We were joking that Costa Rican kilometres are not normal and when we measured the distance in the refuge it was actually 22km, but we just kept plodding along.
“At night we were wearing big puffer jackets near the top, which was very different to the 36 degree weather at the bottom!”
Basia added that their mountain guide also said it was rare to see children taking on the mountain.
Basia said: “When we got to the mountain refuge at 3,300 metres, we opened the door and people were sat in a dining area and they stood up looking at Frankie cheering and clapping.
“It was such a great welcome because there’s no children there and everyone was so amazed. He was just this little boy coming in with this huge rucksack.
“They do have children go sometimes but they said it was very rare. People are mostly going to Costa Rica to see the jungle, so it’s rare for people to come from other countries to climb a mountain there, let alone a 10 year old boy.”
The pair were part of a small group who were allowed entry to the national park where the mountain is based, due to Costa Rica’s strict conservation rules.
They also volunteered for local conservation projects before their climb of Cerro Chirripó – where they tracked crocodiles, monitored monkeys, collected butterfly eggs to help increase their population numbers and watched over turtle hatcheries.
Basia said: “It’s all very formal, you have to book six months in advance, because only 42 people are allowed in Chirripó National Park at the same time for conservation.
“You even have to pick your meals in advance because the mountain refuges have limited resources too. So to climb you have to spend the day before making sure you are fully registered.
“But Frankie got to learn so much when we were volunteering, he was actually crying when we left because it was very intense work, but just the best experience.”
While Frankie and Basia have summitted over 900 mountains together, the pair said reaching the summit is an experience that never gets old.
She added: “Every mountain we climb and place we go is very different, we are doing the same thing, but nothing is the same because it’s all different climates, animals and views.
“It’s always exciting reaching the summit, because all the hard work pays off, in the videos you can just hear me breathing and Frankie is there full of life with that burst of energy you get to get to the summit!”
Frankie has now climbed the highest mountains of 11 countries worldwide and the duo are already planning more climbs.
The Easter holidays will bring another warm up for summer, as the pair are planning to take on the highest peak in Finland, where they will need to use snow mobiles for transport and face temperatures of – 35°C.
Frankie’s summer plans will also form part of his wider goal to climb the Crown of Europe, which if he were to complete, would see him set a world record as the youngest person to do so.
You can support Frankie’s fundraising efforts by donating here.
Anyone able to offer support, sponsorship, advice, grants or funding to help Frankie take on his challenge can get in touch via his Facebook page, Frankie Moves The Mountains.
