Famous actress Ingrid Bergman, of “Casablanca” fame, once said, “Getting old is like climbing a mountain; you get a little out of breath, but the view is much better!”

So when one man needed a new adventure to try for his 93rd year on this Earth, he knew just what he wanted to do.

He would reach the summit of Half Dome mountain in Yosemite National Park. The 16 mile round trip hike is 9,000 feet above sea level and labeled as a ‘great challenge to many hikers’ on Yosemite’s website.

Everett Kalin is a retired professor from Oakland, Calif., and is no stranger to adventurous feats. For his 91st birthday, he jumped out of a plane.

“I went up to the airport in Novato, got in the plane, the guy got on my back and up we went, down we went and I Iiked that a lot,” Everett said.

His newest crazy plan just “came to him,” he said. Luckily, his son Jon Kalin, an experienced backpacker, could come along for the ride. And maybe a helping hand if Everett needed it.

Everett Kalin reaches the top of Half Dome Mountain with the help of his son, Jon.

With his wife, Clara, signing off on his mountain-climbing plans, Everett began training using what he had available – the 17 floors of his senior living community. 

Climbing up and down the stairs paid off, he said, 

“I guess I was pleasantly surprised that when I got up there, I did not feel like I was huffing and puffing so much. As we went up, it felt pretty good,” Everett said.

@sidneykalinJuly 18th, Everett Kalin became the oldest known person to climb Yosemite’s Half Dome at 93 years old. Words cannot describe how proud I am. Opa, it was an honor to take on this trip with you. I hope this stands as a lesson to everyone that you are never too young or old to achieve your dreams.♬ M83 Outro Versaille Intro – yaten82

His son said that watching his dad make his way up Half Dome was amazing.

(He) kept going stretch by stretch, further and further, and just incredible to see him assembling those (climbing) cables,” Jon said.

With the blessing of his wife, Clara, Everett began training for the climb by scaling the stairs of his 17-floor senior living community.

Everett Kalin , center, sits at the top of Half Dome Mountain with the his son, Jon and granddaughter, Sidney.

Everett, Jon and granddaughter, Sidney, took a few days to make the 13-hour trek to the summit together.

“It was spectacular for the three generations of us to be together enjoying it all at once,” Jon said.

“Yeah, that was great!” Everett added.

The 93-year-old said the climb wasn’t without a few hiccups.

“I didn’t fully realize how tricky it would be, especially at my age,” Everett said. The climb starts out with a rough ascent without any cables. His son and granddaughter helped support him through this part of the climb.

“He’s stubborn as a mule. When he sets his mind to something, he’s going to do it,” Jon said. “He kept proving me wrong every step of the way.”

With a laugh, Everett added, “When you hit your 90s, you think, ‘What would be some things I’d like to do?’ I guess Half Dome was the thing that most popped into my mind.”

When the family reached the top, they weren’t alone. Others were there, climbing the Half Dome as well, and they all joined in to cheer on Everett and applaud him.

‘There were tears in everyone’s eyes,’ Jon said. ‘It was like paparazzi, everyone taking videos and photos. It was unreal. I’m choking up just talking about it now. The power of seeing him was so much joy and inspiration.’ 

Everett said this climb was something he’d never forget. And he’s already planning his next adventure.

Watch below for a look at Everett’s ascent to the top of Half Dome.

Sources: ABC13 | Daily Mail | People