I have a dream to climb Mt Everest. I'd like to do it within 15 years, possibly, since being around 35 should be the peak of my physical capabilities. What books would you recommend I read to prepare mentally, to get a genuine account of people's experience with this task ?
Climbing Everest isn't hard. Literally anyone with enough money to buy a spot can wait in the line and make it to the top. Also don't wait 15 years, another decade of litter from tourists and climate change are just going to make it worse.
What are some substitutes, that are non infected with too many tourists.
K2 is actually challenging. Mt. McKinley/Denali as well
What about the ones in North Europe. Switzerland looks very comfy tbh.
Switzerland is in South Europe if anything.
Lmao tryna kill anon?
K2 is fricking deadly
>K2 is fricking deadly
That's the idea.
Fair enough
Go for K2 instead anon. Only kills 1/4 people who attempt it. Don't be a pussy.
I'm reading up on K2, it looks promising. Mostly I'm loving climbing and I'm deathly afraid of heights, so I want to conquer something tremendously hard or die trying, as in really die. Maybe free soloing a hard route would be a better choice, but there's just something fascinating about frozen peaks that draws me to them. Thanks for the replies guys, appreciate it
Have kids and try and raise them to not be shits, its the hardest fricking thing a human can do, trust me
K2
K2 east face is the coolest one.
K2, 1 out of 4 people who try it end up dying though
Watch 14 Peaks on Netflix. These sherpas fricking knock out a mountain on a hangover that would have killed us white boys. Pretty badass.
The take I got from being an armchair alpinist a few years ago was more along the lines of it kind of being a coin toss once you actually try to summit. You can be fit as frick, but your body will just refuse and you'll find yourself passed by 50 year old Japanese ladies.
It's not worth it. Its become big money commercialized. All the majesty of climbing the mountain is replaced with this
Imagine how embarrassed you must feel being a part of this
that'll be $50,000+tip
theyre not in the slightest, these people have no shame. they will tell EVERYONE who will pretend to listen about their life and death struggle to conquer the peak (theres frozen dead bodies up there, you know), and show them the twonpics of them at the top of the mountain that dont show the 800 other morons and the disneyland souvenir stand in the background
upper middle class people are the worst
I hate traffic. I hate waiting in line. I would rather risk death on K2 than wait in that line. If I already paid $50,000 or whatever it costs to climb Everest and I came to that line on the mountain, I'd turn around and go back, after taking a picture of the line (instead of the summit). Just looking at that picture is making me frustrated and giving me flashbacks of that backpacking trip in Boy Scouts.
i've seen a skinny fat Black climb mount Everest on a whim, just make sure you get a good guide
Everest just depends on if you get good weather or not
Dude the reason people die is not because it is hard to climb. Just follow your guide's instructions, it's really not that hard. It's the lack of shelter, or hospitals that kill people, when they fall sick. Just make sure your health is top notch.
Alpinist here. If you live in Europe climb Matterhorn, Grossglockner, Mt Blanc, Eiger. Americans should tackle Denali.
By that point you should be technically more than capable of holding your own on Everest. If you still have your doubts, climb Cho Oyu first to get a taste of really high altitudes.
Get a book Training for the new alpinism by Steve House. The focus is much more on more modern technical mountaineering than simple expedition style climbing, but it's better to be over than underprepared
A big thing is make sure you can be altitude adapted.
Some people are just shit at altitude adapting.
You might have the physical fitness to climb a mountain, but due to altitude sickness you will be fricked.
I flew to Machu Picchu a couple years ago, and even though I was in my 20's the altitude sickness completely fricked me, so I flew back down after one night. A lot of people take a bus so they have more time to adjust.
The air gets thin at night because it gets cold and then the air sinks, but when the sun is out the air heats up again, and it becomes easier to breath.
Just saying - altitude sickness can frick with some people unexpectedly, and it could be you, even if you think your pretty healthy in other areas of fitness.
>altitude adapted
practice the wimhof breathing technique
Beyond the physical requirements, Everest expeditions cost like +$50k.
wtf? am I getting my dick sucked at the top? why is it so expensive?
Everest climbing permit from Nepal is $10,000+. Plus you have to hire an expedition team - technically you can climb without one but it would be impossible to do alone as an inexperienced Everest climber. Then you have to pay and tip the Sherpa who carry the bulk of your shit up the mountain. Doesn’t even include travel costs, gear costs, food costs, city hotel costs, etc. Some people pay 100k+ to get pretty much everything carried up the mountain + extra oxygen tanks waiting for you at each camp + premium tents and food at base camp + best expedition guides.
>35 should be the peak of my physical capabilities
I'm 34 and let me tell you kiddo. Your physical peak is your early 20s, the rest is cope by "late bloomer" losers.
I reccomend something that's not a book, a manga named "kokou no hito" about a climber and his autistic struggles, I don't know if it's accurate, but it sure as hell makes you feel the struggle of climbing actually hard places.
Also the guy's dream is to climb k2, figured it would be relevant.
I second this, I actually think this manga should be a classic, was specially relatable to me because I was also a loner with no direction in life, Buntarou is 10 times the man I am though.
You should ask on IST, chances are someone over there already climbed it and can give you advice.
Wear green boots.
Cripples and women can climb everest, read the white spider
>What books would you recommend I read to prepare
Rich Dad Poor Dad by that self-help scam artist, because climbing Everest is now a feat of wealth, more than anything. I promise you the hardest part of climbing Everest is saving up enough money to afford it. In 15 years, there will probably be an escalator.
>No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs
>Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
There are plenty of good books about alpine mountaineering in general that will give you a solid idea of what it’s like but those are two of my favorites.