I'm 17 years old, and want to climb Mount Everest when I'm older, how do I go about this?

Question

I have never been rock climbing. Until last week, I though it would be just like climbing up a very steep hill, but apparantly its more like cliff faces (vertical drops). What do I need to do to be ready, and what else do I have to do?

How cold is it at the peak?

Answer 1

Great goal Matt, make a plan - go for it - succeed.

Step one - google your local mountaineering club or society and join them (if you go school, there may already be one).

Step two - get some experience in the UK. Scottish winter mountaineering tests even the best of us - and it's right on our doorstep. You'll soon know whether or not this is 'for you'.

Step three - just keep going, it will all fall into place for you. The people you meet along the way will all help you. It's a great community.

All the best. We have one life - live it.

Answer 2

If Mount Everest was chopped at the base so that it was only 10,000' high instead of 29,000', it would be an easy mountain to climb, and no rock climbing skills would be required. By far the greatest challenges Mount Everest presents are 1) high altitude (no oxygen), 2) ice and cold weather, and 3) overcrowding and long times in getting permits and reaching the base with necessary equipment.

Rock climbing is an entirely different sport, and while there are few very high peaks in the world that require rock climbing skills to reach the top (such as Trango Towers, or FItz Roy Peaks), most rock climbing is done at far lower altitudes, such as in Yosemite Valley.

You should be aware that almost anybody now who's fit and with about $60,000 or so can pay to be taken to the top of Mount Everest, but very few people can climb the Trango Towers or even the big walls of Yosemite. So, what is it that you want to do, again?

Addendum: How cold can it get at the top of Mount Everest? It can sometimes zoom down to 100° below zero, like what you'd find in the middle of winter in the middle of Anctarctica. Bring warm clothes!

Answer 3

Okay here is the checklist of skills needed:

Plenty of training, most people train by climbing any and every mountain every year for like 20 years.

You need to be an expert in mountaineerin, rock climbing, high altitude hiking.

It takes at least 3 months to do everest and you will need to hook on with a hiking expedition team, which will cost you a lot of money, but that is why you save for many years.

Lastly, you need to be a certain type of person. even with supplemental oxygen, some people just can't physically do it. but if you are up to the challenge, i say go for it, it is the most challenging and rewarding thing you could ever do.

Lastly, the temperature most of the difficult high altitude hike is far below 0. to the point where your body shuts down blood flow to the hands and feet and parts of the face to keep it closer to your warmer core temperature. if you wanna learn more on how it is to hike everest, you should check out the Discovery Channel series, Everest: Beyond the Limits. you can get the DVDs here:

http://shopping.discovery.com/product-64820.html

Good luck with you challenge. it'll be a lifetime of great adventures...

Answer 4

hi, glad to hear someone wants to get into mountaineering.
The normal routes on Everest does not require high technical skills but one must be comfortable in a high altitude environment and be able to move over moderate terrain unaided. This comes from many years of alpine experience.
No comapny that guides on Everest would take anybody without this.
Why not book yourself on an introductory mountaineering course with a firm such as Jagged Globe or Plas-Y-Brenin. Both have websites. You can find out if it is for you or not then and would know how to progress should you enjoy it.
I climb with guides from both companies and I know the itinaries are good and you would have agreat time.
Trust me if you have never been climbing before to straddle across Crib Goch in Snowdonia or your first Grade 1 snow climb in Scotland - it will feel like Everest to you (if you know what I mean)

P.S - only down to about -60C or so!!

Answer 5

At this point in your life I think that the single most important thing that you can do to make that dream a reality is move to the mountains.
If you're going to college pick a place like Seattle ,Eugene ,or Boulder.If you need to stay on the east coast ,pick as school that is as close to Mt Washington NH as you can get .Although Mt Washington is only 6288 , under winter conditions it's nasty enough that expeditions heading for Denali and other high places use it for training,
The name of the game is to hike and climb every chance you get and to do that you need to be in the mountains.

Answer 6

To climb Everest you will need mountaineering skills more than rock climbing skills. Try starting to climb lower, glaciated peaks in the States or Canada. The Cascade mountains in the Pacific Northwest of the US offer a lot of different peaks to climb. Try Mt. Rainier - the Rainier guides will teach you the skills you will need. After this, consider climbing a high Mexican volcano - Pico de Orizaba is the highest peak in Mexico and you could see how you do at altitude. Then put it all together to climb Denali. Then you might be ready to climb Everest.

Answer 7

Do more of Rock climbing. You will understand as the mountains are like that. Although you will have to be able 2 find it a lot different if you actually do climb. As there is non of those rocks (the coloured ones) that stick out. You should try to climb smaller mountains, then do bigger ones (I think you should climb the 7 tallest mountains then head to Mt. Everst as it will be very difficult) You must be very fit if you want to climb mountains as you will have to bring a lot of things such as oxygen tanks.

Answer 8

It takes a large sum of money and the ability to take off for a few months.
Other than that most able people can climb mountains.

Answer 9

Please be careful, Its very very dangerous!
You need to be at the peak of physical fitness.
You need to build alot of upper arm muscle & finger muscle for those tricky parts.
You need alot of money, for equipment & supplies, a suitable partner to help, as it is more dangerous on your own.
If you get home sick don't do it!
Go climbing more, that way you can get fit in those needed places.
If you don't prepare correct, you have a high chance of death , alot of people have died doing it , Please dont be one of them!
Be careful
All the best & Goodluck
The Pmiester :)
xx

Answer 10

You not only need to 'do' you need instruction and to study the subject like any other. Obviously smoking, heavy drinking and bad diet will make the whole ambition a waste of time.Good luck! you can do it.