Can almost all physically fit people who have no mountaineering or extreme altitude experience summit Everest?

Yeah, altitude sickness affects different people differently. It has nothing to do with how fit you are physically. It's just how your individual body is wired.

I recently hiked up to 11,000 feet for the first time in my life. The altitude was unbelievably difficult for me to handle. I literally struggled to walk the last few hundred meters, but I ran a significant portion of the descent. I don't know how well I would adjust to the altitude on Everest if I stayed there for a long time, but I definitely would not be able to hike to 27,000 feet without oxygen in my current condition and I don't know if I'd ever be able to.

Totally true.

I have a ton of endurance and have done plenty of trails and multi-day extreme hikes. I can also climb and have done a good number of technical routes on ice. Yet, even with days of adaptation, my body just begins to shut down as I get past 14K. Last time we summited a 15K, my 5-hour marathoner, slightly overweight friend did not give a damn about altitude, while I got in a really bad place. Seems unfair, but getting a good draw at the gene lottery is probably the most important factor determining your ability to climb Everest or not.

jadsfaweg wrote:

I recently hiked up to 11,000 feet for the first time in my life. The altitude was unbelievably difficult for me to handle. I literally struggled to walk the last few hundred meters, but I ran a significant portion of the descent. I don't know how well I would adjust to the altitude on Everest if I stayed there for a long time, but I definitely would not be able to hike to 27,000 feet without oxygen in my current condition and I don't know if I'd ever be able to.

The highest altitude I’ve hiked to is 14,440 ft (Mt. Elbert summit). I felt great all the way up, but there were a lot of other people on the trail who looked like they were having a hard time. One guy was even throwing up. Everyone responds to the altitude differently.

I would think a lot of extremely fit runners would struggle with the cold due to lack of body mass / thermal mass.

It's not as easy as it seems:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Green_Boots.jpg

Attribution: By Maxwelljo40 [CC BY-SA 3.0 (

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0

)], from Wikimedia Commons

skinny runners wrote:

I would think a lot of extremely fit runners would struggle with the cold due to lack of body mass / thermal mass.

That might be a consideration if they had to hike naked.

Fatty runners wrote:

skinny runners wrote:

I would think a lot of extremely fit runners would struggle with the cold due to lack of body mass / thermal mass.

That might be a consideration if they had to hike naked.

Eww! Nobody wants to see that.

Fatty runners wrote:

skinny runners wrote:

I would think a lot of extremely fit runners would struggle with the cold due to lack of body mass / thermal mass.

That might be a consideration if they had to hike naked.

Pics?

Of course ...

It'll be fun, they said, anybody can do it!

http://stillunfold.com/public/upload/post_thumb/Most_Notable_Dead_bodies_Left_On_Mount_Everest.jpg

Someone from sea level would need to spend time at the base camp to get used to the altitude, but other than that anyone can do it if they have the money.

Read "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer.

No one has talked weather or avalanches yet. Weather can kill your summit bid, or kill you if you try during bad weather. Random avalanches have killed some of the best guides and climbers in the business.

Don't neglect to consider the "death zone" part of the climb up Everest.

LoneStarXC wrote:

Fatty runners wrote:

That might be a consideration if they had to hike naked.

Eww! Nobody wants to see that.

And imagine what the shrinkage might be like.

It's hard enough for a physically fit person to hike to base camp forget getting up (and more important, back down) Everest. There's a reason why the mountain passes are littered with frozen corpses. The smart ones who know their own limitations stop at base camp to support their friends in their mountaineering endeavor.

... just not quite from the summit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_k8LsJDGlM

Obviously being in good physical shape is a requirement. You need to be in your best shape ever. Running is a big help and so is cycling. Nothing beats hiking and also climbing. Remember you will have some long days of climbing especially on summit day. The ability to keep moving for 12-14 hours is huge and is quite a physical task at that elevation. That's why running alone isn't the answer. Very few people go out for a 4-5 hour run three times a week.

Then there is the technical side. Do you know how to use an ice ax, set up a belay, crevasse rescue, use an ascender, tie a figure 8? These are just a few of things that you will need to know so you are an asset and not a liability. Once you past the Hillary Step (snow slope?) you are pretty much on your own. Just because you are on some O's doesn't make it seem like you're at sea level.

Your ability or inability to adapt to altitude will be huge. That really is the deal maker or breaker. Also just because one time you did ok doesn't mean the second time you'll be fine. Each time is a new chapter but experience helps you to adapt.

Oh, and besides John Krakauer's book "Into Thin Air" there are many others written about that whole May 1996 fiasco with differing viewpoints. I know this is an American website and JK is an American but do broaden your horizons some.

Try K2! I just read a book on the 2008 disaster there. It takes real mountaineering skills to summit and over 50% of those who try die. Sounds like a bad idea to me; I'd rather play Russian Roulette.

K2 wrote:

Try K2! I just read a book on the 2008 disaster there. It takes real mountaineering skills to summit and over 50% of those who try die. Sounds like a bad idea to me; I'd rather play Russian Roulette.

K2 is a much more difficult mountain to climb compared to Everert. It is a true step up. Very few people try it.