Things You'll Need:
- Double plastic climbing boots
- Down pants and parka to fit over insulation layers, with good hood on parka
- Gore-Tex shell pants and jacket, bib recommended, with full zip-on jacket and pants
- Sleeping bag, expedition weight rated to -300 degrees Fahrenheit
- 2 sleeping pads
- Backpack expandable to 6,000 cubic inches and a large duffel bag to ship your backpack
- 2 pairs of synthetic gloves
- 2 pairs of pile mitts or Gore-Tex over-mitts
- Sunhat
- Wool or pile ski hat that covers the ears
- 2 balaclavas, one lightweight and one heavyweight
- 2 pairs of glacier glasses with full UV protection and side covers and 1 pair of ski goggles
- Ice axe with leash, sized to fit your body
- Crampons with step-in bindings
- Polar guard booties, optional
- 4 pairs of wool or pile socks, heavyweight
- 4 pairs of liner socks to be worn under wool
- 1 pair expedition weight underwear, wool or Capilene
- 2 to 3 pairs lightweight underwear, Capilene recommended, no cotton
- Pile pants and jacket, heavyweight Polartec 300, with full zip-on both jacket and pants
-
Step 1
Begin your training regimen at least a year in advance. Ensure that your strength training starts early enough in the year to gradually build muscle.
-
Step 2
Engage in aerobic (biking, running, stair climbing, swimming), anaerobic (tennis, sprinting, weight training) and strength training exercises (sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, rowing).
-
Step 3
Increase the duration of your aerobic workout throughout the course of the year. Start with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise everyday, and increase this time length at regular intervals until you are doing aerobic exercise for an hour or more daily by year's end.
-
Step 4
Climb steep hills or small mountains with a pack carrying water for added weight. A good goal is to ascend for 2 to 3 hours carrying 55 to 60 pounds. Water weight can be dumped out for the descent for less stress on the knees.
-
Step 5
Perform any aerobic exercise on hilly terrain. Renowned mountaineer Ed Viesturs recommends running an hour on hills everyday for four days, then taking a break for one day.
-
Step 6
Gain weight. The physical demands of Everest as well as simply existing at higher altitudes will cause you to lose up to 20 percent of your body weight.
-
Step 7
Plan and execute a preparatory climb on another large mountain (i.e., Mount Kilimanjaro or Mont Blanc) where the altitude is extremely high.
-
Step 1
Enroll in a mountaineering course to learn snow and ice techniques. Ice climbing and hiking on snow and ice require specialized knowledge.
-
Step 2
Travel to Tibet or Nepal prior to your Everest climb. You can acclimate in either region, but Tibet is higher in altitude and has a number of other climbs that you can do in the Lhasa area before proceeding to Everest.
-
Step 3
Ready yourself mentally. Peruse accounts of Everest expeditions and become as knowledgeable as you can about what conditions are like. On the mountain, you will experience a lot of down time acclimatizing, and should become used to feeling mentally unaware from low oxygen.
-
Step 4
Organize your schedule and finances. Climbing Everest is a massive undertaking and a huge expense. Your physical training period will also be demanding of your time and resources.
-
Step 5
Know what you are expected to bring. If you are going with Sherpas, they may bring some equipment, so determine well in advance what equipment you need or don't need for the climb.
