Joe Evermore is defending his family’s approach to adventure after critics reported him to child welfare authorities over his young son’s record-setting climb.
The Colorado Springs father, whose 7-year-old son Joey Danger Evermore became the youngest person on record to scale Yosemite National Park’s 3,000-foot El Capitan in May, said that online backlash escalated into real-world consequences. Multiple social media users contacted Child Protective Services about the family’s climbing expeditions.
“They just don’t understand what’s dangerous and what’s not dangerous,” Evermore said. “It’s kind of like someone who says, ‘How can you go on a plane? What if the wings fall off?’ It’s like, no, you’re not even thinking about the actual dangers of the sport.”
The family received formal notification from CPS that the agency had reviewed the complaints and chosen not to pursue them. The letter marked the culmination of what Evermore described as sustained online harassment targeting his family’s unconventional parenting choices.
“There’s a lot of bullying that goes on online,” he told the magazine.
Evermore and his wife Ann have built a reputation around taking their young sons on ambitious climbing trips. Their children have been training regularly for what the father characterized as “epic missions,” a lifestyle that has drawn both admiration and intense scrutiny.
“There’s people that think, ‘Hey, your kids would be better put in a foster system’ or put in front of a television, rather than training daily for an epic mission,” Evermore said.
The experienced climber emphasized that his son’s safety relied on extensive preparation rather than luck. Joey remained bolted to the wall throughout the ascent, and his father expressed more concern about falling objects at lower elevations than about the height itself.
“Somebody just sees it, and they’re terrified and comment, ‘This is obviously too dangerous,'” Evermore continued.
Joey’s six-day push on the 7,573-foot landmark began when he was still six years old and concluded after his seventh birthday. The expedition included his older brothers Sam and Sylvan, his parents, and a documentary crew. The group contended with wind storms, elemental exposure, and the physical toll of rationing food and water while managing exhaustion.
Much of the route required Joey to handle ropes and technical climbing techniques himself as he made his gradual ascent. The father noted that his concern about objects falling on his son increased closer to the base of the cliff.
“I admit that there are risks, but I think the benefits far outweigh the risks,” Evermore said. “As a dad, I’m mitigating those risks with a team, with good preparation and with our own skill and our own training.”
Despite the CPS complaints and ongoing criticism, Evermore maintained confidence in his family’s track record. “So far, we’ve executed it perfectly,” he added.
The El Capitan climb places Joey in rare company regardless of age. The granite monolith has challenged elite climbers for generations, with its sheer faces and technical demands requiring advanced skills and significant endurance. The youngest-ever designation drew particular attention to a family already accustomed to sharing their adventures publicly.
