Greetings from 14,410 feet above sea level. Owen Burnett proudly poses for a summit photo after successfully leading a two-man team on Mount Rainer in Washington earlier this summer. (COURTESY PHOTO / Owen Burnett)

KEMMERER — Have you ever dreamed of doing something so incredible or difficult that it could possibly change your life? Many of us wait a lifetime before we get the courage to attempt the impossible or take that leap into the unknown.

Well, one local boy is living life on the edge, one mountain peak at a time. Earlier this spring, 12-year-old Owen Burnett led a two-man team to the summit of Mount Rainier in Washington’s Mount Rainer National Park.

Mount Rainer is the forth tallest peak in the lower 48 states, reaching 14,411 feet. Due to its spectacular crevassed snowfields and 26 glaciers, the active volcanic peak is a perfect training ground for mountaineers hoping to eventually climb any of the difficult Himalayan mountains like Mount Everest and K2.

Check out my gear! After returning from the mountains, Burnett organizes his mountaineering equipment. (GAZETTE PHOTO / Michelle Tibbetts)

Over 1,000 people climb Mt. Rainer each year, and according to the park registry, Burnett may be the youngest to ever lead a rope team and summit the peak.

Burnett learned to love climbing at the early age of nine, when he summited his first mountain peak in Colorado with his father, Jim Burnett and uncle, Darwin Burnett. Reaching the summit at just over 10,000 feet was incredibly exciting, Owen explained.

“I was pretty amazed,” Owen said. “Since then, I just wanted to go higher and push myself.”

Climbing Mt. Rainer was more about survival than sport, Owen explained.

“The mountain tells you what to do,” Owen said. “You can’t tell a mountain what to do.”

The climb gains 9,000 feet in elevation over eight miles, making the four-day expedition a vigorous one.

Climbers need to rope together for safety while crossing the fragile snowfields filled with hidden, bottomless crevasses. One must know how to use every piece of equipment in case of life-threatening situations on the climb.

Ascenders, or prussiks, can be used to pull oneself out of a crevasse in the event of a fall. Crampons, which are metal spikes attached to the bottoms of mountaineer boots, help secure footing and ascend vertical ice. 

Then of course, a mountain climber needs the infamous self-arrest tool — the ice axe. If you or someone else in the climbing party loses his or her footing, you will need to know how to quickly anchor the axe into the snow to keep you from sliding off the face of the mountain. There are many places on the mountain that would surely mean death to any climber who falters.

Owen claims he gets lots of his motivation from his dad, who climbed Mt. Everest in 1985, and the two have become quite the team.

Shortly after Owen’s first climbing experience, he also climbed the 12,726-foot peak of Mount Peale and the 11,752-foot Mount Timpanogos in Utah.

After these summits, Owen kept reaching higher and setting more goals.

“The journey is the reward,” Owen said. “The summit is just a bonus.”

“The Wind River Mountain Range is my favorite,” Owen said.

His eyes have been on this jagged Rocky Mountain range for some time now.  His first attempts at summiting Fremont Peak and Gannett Peak last year were unsuccessful due to snow and ice conditions and undesirable weather patterns.

Owen got another chance this summer as he teamed up with a couple of other local climbers, Justin and Nicholas Vineyard, and set out to bag Gannett Peak.

Gannett is the highest mountain peak in the state of Wyoming at 13,809 feet above sea level, and is considered by most mountaineers to be one of the most difficult high peaks outside of Alaska’s Mount Denali.

The team’s expedition was going very well until a thunderstorm moved in just before they reached the summit.

The team made the right choice and safely retreated down Gannett Peak to leave summiting for another day.

When you spend time talking with Owen, you instantly feel that this young man is wise beyond his years.

His communication skills are direct, and he connects with others in a way that is very clear and precise. He is calm and careful in the words he chooses, and he is attentive to others.

It’s clear why Owen is a good climber; he displays many characteristics of a successful adult, but he’s only 12.

When asked what he has learned from his experiences, Owen replied, “Climbing teaches me decisive critical decision-making skills. If you mess up in the mountains it can cost you your life.”

This lesson teaches more than the small consequences of a bad grade or missing a homework assignment, Owen explains.

It is obvious that Owen loves climbing — he comes alive when he talks about his experiences. 

As a fellow climber who has also summited Mt. Rainer, I have a high level of respect for Owen.

I know first-hand the complexities and hardships one must overcome in order to climb in the high-mountain environment, and it’s amazing that this 12-year-old has accomplished so much so early in his lifetime.

“Mountaineering is my thing,” Owen said. “The thing that I am good at. I would love to be a sponsored climber someday. But at the same time, I hope to have (another) profession as well.” 

Owen is interested in the fields of biology and wildlife management.

Owen also aspires to be the youngest climber to summit all 14 peaks over 8000 meters. This task is not easily accomplished, but something tells me nothing is going to stop him from trying.

Facing his fears and reaching for new heights is the fuel that will bring Owen far beyond mountain peaks and well on his way to successful adulthood.

“Climbing makes me happy,” Owen said. He repeats, “Happy.”

He makes it seems so simple. Isn’t that what we all want, to be happy? Owen hopes that people will be inspired by his story and get out there to try something new. Find what makes you happy and go do it! Climb on!