Congrats on a successful summit and safe return.
Perhaps we can agree that this is one of those individual parenting decisions.
I read over and over on these boards the implication that "because[i] I[/i] did it safely, it must be safe." Yes, our brains are wired to emphasize the positive. But of course, the fact that someone (or even many someones) do something that carries risk, but is (are) not injured, does not mean that the activity is without risk. It just means that the risk in this/these specific situations remained just that -- risk, i.e, the potential for injury, rather than actual injury.
And is there risk climbing Whitney to both adults and children -- risk above and beyond simply doing the activities of normal life? Of course there is, and we all know them well (e.g.,falls, HAPE, HACE, AMS, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, hypothermia, sun burn, to name just a few of the more obvious). I remember a report a few years back about a boy scout who got HAPE and died at a relatively low altitude (10,000?) Can these risks be reduced through good practices (or increased through bad practices)? Sure. Can they be eliminated? No.
Me, I would not take a child under the age of 10 to the summit of Whitney. A child over 10, well, for me, that would be an individual determination based on their characteristics and prior experiences. If someone else evaluates risk differently, well that's what parenting is all about.
