1 min readPreparationTraining
The twelve months before Everest
An Everest expedition is decided long before base camp. This is how I prepare the year before it, with every client.
In this note · 3
Most people imagine the hard part of Everest is the climb. In my experience, the expedition is mostly decided in the year before it.
Months 12 to 9: an honest assessment
We start from where you are, not where you want to go. Your altitude history, your technical ease on ice and fixed ropes, your fitness, and how you behave when you are cold, tired and afraid. Sometimes the right answer is a season on Ama Dablam or Manaslu first.
Months 9 to 3: building the engine
A training programme built on your actual physiology, with technical blocks placed early enough that the movements are automatic before altitude starts taking them away from you.
Months 3 to 0: the details that decide the day
Gear tested in deep cold. Oxygen and logistics planned. Turnaround times agreed. By the time you land in Lukla there should be nothing left to decide, except how you feel that day.