EnterTheVoid Posted January 18, 2017 Posted January 18, 2017 (edited) I have recently returned from summiting to the base of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Going to Everest Base Camp means going from 100% Oxygen at sea level to 50% Oxygen at an altitude of approximately 5.5 kilometres above sea level. 50% Oxygen, believe me, you will feel it. I did it in peak Himalayan winter months of December and January. Everest Base Camp is hard, however, December and January are the hardest months to do it in. --- Pushing on. Edited July 19, 2020 by EnterTheVoid Laaloo, diga, MechEng and 6 others 9
EnterTheVoid Posted January 18, 2017 Author Posted January 18, 2017 (edited) The day before summiting Base Camp. Pushing on. Struggling on. Edited July 19, 2020 by EnterTheVoid diga, velu and MechEng 3
Muloghonto Posted January 18, 2017 Posted January 18, 2017 10 hours ago, EnterTheVoid said: I have recently returned from summiting to the base of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Going to Everest Base Camp means going from 100% Oxygen at sea level to 50% Oxygen at an altitude of approximately 5.5 kilometres above sea level. 50% Oxygen, believe me, you will feel it. I did it in peak Himalayan winter months of December and January. Everest Base Camp is hard, however, December and January are the hardest months to do it in. --- Pushing on. Great job. Congrats. Don't be disheartened by jealous ones. For 99% humanity, climbing to 17.5 thousand foot is awe-inspiring. Out of curiosity, how fit are you ? Ie, how far can you run in what time-frame ? i am just trying to understand the level of fitness required to go to Everest base camp- its always been on my bucket list and i am getting into my mid 40s, so i dunno if i can do it.
punjabi_khota Posted January 18, 2017 Posted January 18, 2017 The natural next step is to sign up for that one-way trip to Mars. Laaloo, velu and Yoda-esque 3
Laaloo Posted January 19, 2017 Posted January 19, 2017 1 hour ago, punjabi_khota said: The natural next step is to sign up for that one-way trip to Mars. along with Muloghonto velu and Yoda-esque 2
Texy Posted January 19, 2017 Posted January 19, 2017 HATSOFF to Sree. So UNIndian like. Proud of u man! Greatest desi adventurer since.... Yoda-esque, EnterTheVoid and Muloghonto 3
EnterTheVoid Posted January 19, 2017 Author Posted January 19, 2017 12 hours ago, Muloghonto said: Great job. Congrats. Don't be disheartened by jealous ones. For 99% humanity, climbing to 17.5 thousand foot is awe-inspiring. Out of curiosity, how fit are you ? Ie, how far can you run in what time-frame ? i am just trying to understand the level of fitness required to go to Everest base camp- its always been on my bucket list and i am getting into my mid 40s, so i dunno if i can do it. The trek is physically relentless. It is said that you lose an average of 5 kilos on the trek. There is nothing technical about the trek itself - You won't be abseiling, using fixed rope, harnesses or the like. After Base camp, you will be. Until Base Camp, it is a strenuous hike that is exhausting. I was getting up at 5:30 AM every day, hiking for an average of 6 hours across mountainous terrain each day, sleeping in a sleeping bag that was rated to -30 degrees and drinking 4 - 5 litres of water every day. These activities really take their toll on the body. It takes 8 days to ascend to Base Camp from Kathmandu. It takes 2 days to descend. The descend is just as difficult as the ascent as you are covering the distance of 8 days in 2 days. Base Camp is some 5.3 kilometers above sea level. At around 3 kilometers above sea level, the lack of Oxygen starts to get to you. You lose your desire to sleep, eat or remain still. You will get breathless far more easily. Some had to turn away with Base Camp just a few hundred meters from them, others had to abandon the trek altogether. For some, altitude sickness progressed to the more serious cerebral/pulmonary edema and had to get rescued by helicopter. --- In terms of fitness, I was doing 70 kilometre round trips on my pushbike in 4 hours prior to the trek. At Dingboche, a village that is some 4.5 kilometers above sea level (some 800 meters below base camp) and where the Oxygen level is around 55%, I was able to do 25 pushups. Strict pushups with the chest all the way down. Muloghonto 1
EnterTheVoid Posted January 19, 2017 Author Posted January 19, 2017 (edited) Everest is the triangle shaped one of the left with the cloud cover. Edited July 19, 2020 by EnterTheVoid Yoda-esque and Muloghonto 2
EnterTheVoid Posted January 19, 2017 Author Posted January 19, 2017 53 minutes ago, Texy said: HATSOFF to Sree. So UNIndian like. Proud of u man! Greatest desi adventurer since.... Thanks mate.
EnterTheVoid Posted January 19, 2017 Author Posted January 19, 2017 (edited) Everest during the day: Everest during sunset: Edited July 19, 2020 by EnterTheVoid zen and Muloghonto 2
EnterTheVoid Posted January 19, 2017 Author Posted January 19, 2017 There is no coming back from this. Once you get a taste of adrenaline, you keep wanting more. I am going back to Nepal to summit some peaks, finally making the transition from trekking to mountaineering. Muloghonto 1
Muloghonto Posted January 19, 2017 Posted January 19, 2017 Is suffering from cerebral/pulmonary edema at altitude a matter of genetics/luck or is it due to lack of required fitness ?
EnterTheVoid Posted January 19, 2017 Author Posted January 19, 2017 11 minutes ago, Muloghonto said: Is suffering from cerebral/pulmonary edema at altitude a matter of genetics/luck or is it due to lack of required fitness ? Mainly a result of not acclimatising adequately. Fitness does play its part. Muloghonto 1
Muloghonto Posted January 19, 2017 Posted January 19, 2017 5 minutes ago, EnterTheVoid said: Mainly a result of not acclimatising adequately. Fitness does play its part. If you are trekking to base camp, can you properly acclimatize in 1 trip ? i.e., can you show up with adequate time and get used to the altitude ? Or do you have to plan ahead and go to hilly areas for the past few months/years and then do the above mentioned ?
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