YORBA LINDA – Tyler Armstrong’s dream to be the youngest person to climb Mount Everest has been put on hold.

Tyler, who recently turned 12, has been denied a permit to climb the world’s tallest mountain this spring by the Chinese government, which recently set age restrictions barring people younger than 18 and older than 75 in an attempt to improve safety.

“We asked for an exception based on his experience and abilities, but Tyler’s age raised a lot of questions because he is so young,” Tyler’s father, Kevin, said.

While the climb is dangerous even for adults, Kevin Armstrong said Tyler has the physical and mental abilities to make the 29,000-foot climb. He said high-altitude doctors have told the parents Tyler would not be at any greater risk than an adult.

“I was really bummed out because I did so much training and I felt I was really prepared,” Tyler said. He last week completed a climb on Mount Broken Top in the Oregon Cascades and in December climbed Mount Cayambe in Ecuador, as well as training twice a day, five days a week at home.

If Tyler can get a permit next spring, he could still squeak in as the youngest by a few months.

“We are hoping that they’ll see Tyler is continuing his efforts and not giving up on it,” Kevin Armstrong said. “I hope they recognize it wasn’t just a whim and Tyler is continuing what he wants to do.”

Instead of attempting Mount Everest this spring, Tyler will now prepare to climb Australia’s Mount Kosciuszko in August.

Tyler, a sixth-grader, has also set the goal of being the youngest person to trek the Seven Summits – the tallest mountain on each continent. At 7,310 feet, Mount Kosciuszko is the shortest of the peaks.

Tyler is trying to raise $1 million toward finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness, primarily affecting boys.

Tyler has summited three of the seven peaks. At 8, he was the second youngest person to make it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. At age 9, he was the youngest to summit Mount Aconcagua in Argentina. In August, he conquered the more than 18,500 feet of Mount Elbrus in Russia.

At 7, Tyler was the youngest person to climb Mount Whitney in a day.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7868 or desalazar@ocregister.com