Anyone ever climb Everest?

Yes, disposable income will only get you the OPPORTUNITY to climb Everest. The rest is up to you and the weather. You're still going to have to walk up and walk down. If you can't walk because of fatigue or illness you will be left to die as it is too high for helicopter rescue and too dangerous for others to carry you down.

TheNavidsonRecord wrote:

Try something like K2. Or even some of the Denali ascents in the winter are suppossed to be pretty tough(and no sherpas there to help you)

This is more or less like saying "try something like proximity flying in a squirrel suit. Or even pulling a locomotive with your dick is supposed to be pretty tough." There are routes on Denali by people like Steve House that make normal people die of fear just by looking at them.

All I know is, I hear about them midgets and amputees and retards and old dried up women waltzing up Everest like it ain't nothin. I tell u what, imma gonna march right up that there hill and take a hot dump right at the summit. And those third world shurpas can suck it if they don't like it.

Aaaaaand, in typical letsrun fashion not a single one of you fulfills the simple qualification of "have you climbed Everest". It was an easy question; yet, hundreds of words were written as armchair quarterbacks, spouting worthless and anecdotal baloney. Yes, I have been up Everest. The must haves and warnings are cute. Truth is, anyone with a 3 year plan, and some coin can accomplish it. I started small with The Grand Teton. I laid out a 3 year schedule that included year round training. Training included weight lifting on superset fashion, hiking at least 8 hours every Sunday with a pack gradually loaded each month. I ended up lugging 75# by the end of the program. To reiterate, this can be done by anyone in reasonably good shape with a longterm plan. I trained twice a day, mon through Friday. Typically, morning was an hour run. Evening was either hiking for 2 hours, running repeats of stairs in a 40 story building, 90 minutes on a stair climber, or 3 hour rides on my bike. Try to get out in the worst weather possible. If it's raining, get outside. If it's cold, get outside. If it's snowing, get outside. You get the picture. Occasionally set your alarm for 2am on a Saturday morning, and do your workout with a headlamp. I slept in an altitude tent as much as possible the last 8 months of the program, set at 21,000 ft. You'll find that the hardest part of the climb is just plain mental toughness. You will hurt. You will have adverse conditions. People will possibly die. You will smell on the mountain. You will become a creature of habit. If you do it correctly in your preparations, people will think you're nuts. The reward is standing on the tallest mountain in the world, and the feeling of accomplishment of that goal is other worldly. Start small, as I said. The Grand is easy. Take bivouac/avalanche training at least once. Jackson Hole Mountain Guides with Brian Warren has a spectacular one. The next step was Pico in Peru, then a long slog in Chile, then a push up Aconcagua. That's important to see how your body functions above 20k. Get into your local gym. Learn to climb properly, if you haven't already. Every beginning/middle of the road climbing nerd in the gym will want to help you. Though there is very little technical need on Everest, it is still needed, nonetheless. I finished off with another climb in Chile, then McKinley. Assuming the weather cooperates on the mountain, you'll be fine. Punish yourself in training, plan ahead, and you'll make it to the top of the world. Don't scrimp on gear, either. Your guide service will send you a list of what you need. It can all be purchased at your local rei, or even in Kathmandu. Make sure you train in your boots model during the entire program, and find a type that fits you well. Obviously, this is a disjointed post, but just wrote as it came. Stick with the same service that you use on your other expeditions as that on Everest. You'll make some great friends, and the guides will already know your abilities.

Guided trips don't count. That's like saying "I built my house" when you hired a carpenter to build it for you.You were escorted up, by people who carried your stuff, and provided you the good judgment necessary to get to the top, as well as placed ropes, ladders, tents, and oxygen in the places you needed. Those guides you hired are not your "friends." They may seem to be to you, but you are a customer, a mark, a paying client.

False. It may not be AS impressive as going solo with no oxygen, but it is still very impressive. 29,000 feet is no joke, Sherpa or no sherpa.

Your attitude is that of a huge hardo tool. I would love to hear what you have accomplished that is greater than summiting Everest

It looks like most of us on this board know very little about climbing Mt Everest.

It appears that that climb is a lot different and a great deal more difficult than any running challenge. People die on that mountain every year for more reasons than just heart attacks. I recommend that you look into attempting to climb Mt Kilimanjaro first.

I had a marathon runner friend who had climbed all of the highest mountains in the world before he tried Everest. He got to 23,000 feet before he fell into a crevasse and broke his arm. They had to take him off the mountain.

A second marathon running friend climbed some of the higher mountains and was training for Everest but they would not allow him on the mountain.

In addition to experience climbing the highest mountain can cost a great deal of time and money.

I think looking into climbing Mt Kilimanjaro is a place to start.

I am proudly a hardo tool, whatever the f*ck that means, The hardo tool tasks I've accomplished, I'VE accomplished. I did not pay someone to hold the door open, or steady the ladder, or track the Wapiti, so that I could shoot it.Guided stuff DOES NOT COUNT! Do you respect someone who booked a stateroom on the QE2 equally as someone who sailed a 40 footer across the Atlantic? They both crossed the ocean on a boat-but the two adventures are completely different-and attract a completely different type of person.When Hillary climbed Everest, he used Oxygen and Sherpas-but he also carried loads up himself. He set rope lines. He built camps. He was part of a team. Denver Douchebag or whatever he called himself dropped 6 figures and carried a sleeping bag.A guy who changes his own oil rather than going to Jiffy Lube is far more worthy of respect than someone who pays 100K plus to climb Everest.

Dial it up wrote:

False. It may not be AS impressive as going solo with no oxygen, but it is still very impressive. 29,000 feet is no joke, Sherpa or no sherpa.

Your attitude is that of a huge hardo tool. I would love to hear what you have accomplished that is greater than summiting Everest

Guided stuff sure does count when faced with a challenge. Roger Bannister had help using a coach and other runners. Occasionally an exceptional person who needs little help does come along. Ron Clarke was one of those.

In other words, you haven't done shit. That's what I thought.

yep, sounds like just another blowhard making comments that he has no idea on. not a real shocker for letsrun. honestly, why comment if you haven't a clue? based on comments, the poster has no concept of what it is like. as for making friends, you can bet you'll make exceptional friends during your trips. everyone does. when you spend 2 nights in a tent at 10 degrees with howling winds around you, you get to be pretty close. when you are gasping for breath and encouraging each other at 25,000 ft, you gain respect for each other. as far as just carrying a "sleeping bag", well, to that you can add gps, sat phone, 2 days food, stove, spare gloves, spare hat, wool socks, spare glacier glasses, down jacket, knife, headlamp, 2 x 1 liter water, trek pole, climbing harness, extra carabiners, and a short length of rope to that. all in all, the pack from camp to camp varies as far as weight goes. it might be as heavy as 70#, or as little as 15#. depending on your route, guide service, and time of year, you might be placing some of your own ropes. the trip with permit, guide service, gear, and travel cost exactly $41,327. though, if you wanted, you could certainly spend "six figures". again, do yourself a favor and stop commenting with all of your fantastical statements. it makes you sound like you have overly romanticized things, and further exposes your lack of understanding and respect for the task at hand.

Read this comical thread and thought I would add to it. I was a sub 2:30 marathon, 19 hour Ultra 100, and 10:54 Ironman guy and got bored, Thought I would shoot for a greater challenge so I shot for Everest. I read all the books, bought all the gear, climbed everything there was to climb in North America and felt ready so I cut some corners and signed on with a outfit to get me to the top. Spent a boatload $$$....made the very long trip and thought next stop would be a selfie at 29,035......wrong. I made it to 21,325 and Everest kicked my ass, hours in that cold in a tent seems like days and back down to 17,388 and the days felt like weeks. The boredom, headaches and nausea were unbelievable. That is a helluva long trip home after that failure and the wasted $$$. I would not go again and would discourage most from going. Too many other attainable big mountains with less risk and more reward.

Gotta say the sherpas are freakin studs...the loads and weight they carry is insane...at any altitude

I'm climbing Everest right now as I type this on my smartphone.

Rexing carried me up on his back in a whiteout without Sherpas or oxygen, in his trainers.

"Everest now is where running a marathon was in the '70's. Still something of a wow factor but amongst active types - no big deal."

With all due respect, that's idiotic. People die on Everest.

If you go to Colorado Rockies Fantasy Baseball Camp, you can spend thousands and play catch with Dante Bichette and Yorvit Torrealba. But that don't make you a major leaguer.

Cincy Runner wrote:

My best running days are behind me and I am looking for greater challenges. I have never done any climbing, but consider myself a pretty good endurance athlete. I have run 2:33, 1:11, 31:12, and 15:09. I also finished a half iron man. I want to climb Everest, but don't even know how to start. Has anyone ever climbed it or considered it that can give me some advice?

2:33 is a pretty slow 800m, and 1:11 is a pretty slow 400m. 31:12 and 15:09 are really slow for 5000m and 3000m. Also, how come you've listed your times in such a weird order?

On a more serious note, I think the ability to climb Everest is more about how you do at altitude than it is about your aerobic talents. While these are certainly related, it's not direct.