That said, it is one of the toughest exercises on earth. The weather is unpredictable, the altitude reaches into the jet stream and the winds are correspondingly fierce, there is a constant threat of avalanches, hypoxia, and killing frostbite, as well as pulmonary and cerebral edema.
It is not for the faint of heart.
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If you want a good idea of what it’s like to climb Everest, a great book (and also a pretty good movie) is “Into Thin Air”. If one had a vague romantic notion of what it’s like to climb Everest, this book will dispel it.
I do know several folks who have made the trek to the South base camp, and they say that in itself is a workout.
If you're interested in the truth behind the scenes, read the tale of Beck Weathers or Lincoln Hall. Or David Sharp. That mountain is merciless.
Only 6,288 feet but said to have the worst weather on earth. Not sure how true that it but it is pretty nasty up there - even in June. A typical summer day is 45-50 degrees and gale force winds. In winter, there's pretty much no way up or down the mountain except by Bobcat. Sort of like the movie "The Shining".
It's a fairly easy technical climb (depending on what trail you use) so you don't necessarily have to be in great physical shape to do it. However, many people making the climb have absolutely no business up there. Fortunately so many people are on the trails that if you get in trouble, you can get help pretty quickly.
Anyway, climbing Mount Washington that one time cured me of any notions of serious mountain climbing. These days, I just stick to flat trails with some hills. Spent a few hours this morning at Lover's Leap Park in New Milford, CT - that's enough hills for me!