Are You Ready to Climb Everest?

By virtue of being the highest mountain on the planet, Everest has always been viewed by many climbers as the pinnacle of mountaineering. Over the past 20 years, commercialization of the mountain has made it more accessible than ever before, to the point that hundreds make the attempt each year from both the North and South. But not all of those climbers are truly prepared for what they'll face once they get to Nepal or Tibet.
So how do you know if you're ready for Everest? That's the exact question posed by an article by Bill Allen at mountaintrip.com. Mountain Trip is one of those companies that leads teams to Everest each year, and Allen has himself summited the mountain on three separate occasions. In the blog post, he not only takes a look at the requirements a perspective climber should have to take on the world's tallest peak, but blows some holes in the myths that surround such an expedition too.
In terms of experience, Allen says that they expect their clients to have climbed both Aconcagua and Denali at the bare minimum. In other words, 8000-meter experience isn't necessarily a necessity, but it is helpful. He also talks about the level of fitness requires for the climb, as well as whether or not an expedition to Everest is even right for certain individual people. As he notes, it is a long climb that lasts nearly two months. That's a long time to be away from home and not everyone adapts to that situation well.
Apparently this article is the first of several that will be written to help prepare those considering an attempt on Everest. At the end of the post Bill indicates that his next story will help climbers decide which route they should take. He'll also look at the dynamic of different sized teams, whether or not to climb with western guides or Nepali guides, and more.
You can read his current article here and we'll keep an eye out for others down the line.