Everest Calling

This post comes long overdue. It is no secret that for quite some time I have envisioned myself attempting the world's highest peak. Dabbling with mountains and becoming frustrated with the solitude, cost, and time away from home, I have gone away and come back to mountaineering as many times as can be counted on both hands. Other personal endeavors like running and purchasing a home have divided my time and resources. But that flame still was smoldering deep inside and I was not yet ready to give up the dream.

Falling short of midlife crisis, I was looking for a change. Not happy with my lot in life in terms of work, something needed to happen in order to keep me in the status quo. I decided that in order to stay in my job I would need a carrot to dangle. With something to focus on daily and in the long run, I could tolerate a less-than-satisfying professional role, temporarily. I had always said that I wanted to climb Everest before the age of 45, not because climbing it over that age was impossible, but because I vowed to go there in the greatest physical shape possible, and that would be more difficult with increasing age. Crafting a proposal, I submitted this to my supervisors. While one was encouraging, the higher-ups were less so. I'll spare the details but I became more resolute in doing this even if it meant taking a year off work in order to focus on my goal. However, in the end, my leave from work was approved, and my training and planning had begun. In 2025, I would attempt Mount Everest.

Having scoured the internet for the better part of the last decade and a half looking at operators, I had a fair list of possibilities in going to the mountain. Cost was a major factor and that eliminated many of the high priced operators out there. After consulting with several experienced climbers I settled on Rolwaling, an operator out of Nepal. Another consideration was the route. The dangers of the Khumbu Icefall coupled with overcrowding, long lines, and a reputation of garbage, left little to be desired for the south side. I would go from the north, the Tibet side, along the original route taken by Mallory. Advantages would include being able to drive in to base camp as well as have yak support for gear up to Advanced Base Camp. Colder and more technically difficult higher up, the mountain had its challenges but with less people it could theoretically be safer. I made my deposit of 50% of the cost (in exchange for a small discount) and was on my way.

On November 12th, 2023, I was facing 511 days in front of me before my departure to Tibet. While a great amount of endurance was needed, I would have to balance out my greatest strength with areas that also needed improvement. In addition to running, I began cycling. Several days per week I would also hike. Most of the time this was on a treadmill with the incline taken to the maximum. Other times, about once a week, I would go outside with a pack weighing approximately 23 lb and hike in the woods. Other exercises supplemented the training as well, including hitting the StairMaster machine and doing high intensity interval training (HIIT). To prepare for carrying heavier loads and to supplement the inevitable weight loss at high altitude, I also adopted a lifting regimen. Mostly focused on legs and back, I tried to gain strength for what was to come, although with all of my endurance work, putting on weight was quite difficult. I rarely took a day off and averaged more than an hour of work per day. At my busiest and most exhausted, I might only get in 30 or 40 minutes of workout. However, it was not uncommon to do 3 hours of work midweek, and extending to four or more on the weekends helped. Typically I worked out between 1.5-2.5 hours per day during the school week. Like any training program it was difficult at first but became easier with routine and consistency. And like any running program, it also became challenging to face the same workouts day in and day out. I had highs and lows, but remained focused on the greater goal of not only doing my best on the mountain, but coming back safely.

In addition to physical training, I needed to get back to the mountains for some experience. My summer will be spent in South America, where I will climb the highest mountains in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. After a warm up climb to 4700m, I'll ascend a peak of 5700m, and then another volcano at 6300m, the highest peaks in Ecuador. In Peru, I'll "warm up" on a 6000m climb before tackling the country's highest mountain at 6800m. Then it will be off to Bolivia to 6500m. At Christmas time I will go back to South America to climb Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas and also the highest mountain outside of the Himalaya. Meanwhile, I am sleeping in an altitude tent to help expedite acclimatization.