Has anyone ever hiked a 8k meter/26k ft. mountain?

camerondiggs · #1 01-02-2007, 06:42 PM

how in Gods name did a book about everyone dying on a climbing expedition make you want to start climbing?

Did seeing Requiem for a Dream make you want to start taking heroin?

I.Rowboat · #2 01-02-2007, 07:02 PM

I think the suggestion to try something smaller first, like climbing one of the numerous 14kft peaks in the lower 48, would be a good place to start. Mt. Whitney and Mt. Shasta (both in California) are each challenging-but-doable, and probably good places to see if you like the activity.

If you want some more reading, I'd suggest getting a copy of the Dick Bass/Frank Wells book, Seven Summits, in which they document how they became the first to summit the tallest peaks on each continent. Obviously, there's no shortage of good books on this sort of thing, which makes it very easy to do a lot of vicarious exploration before you step into the crampons.

DonkeyKongSr · #3 01-02-2007, 07:06 PM

A really good friend of mine was just invited to do part of Everest in a couple monhts. I think he's [censored] crazy considering he's only done about a half dozen week long hikes in Western US mountains. But, it should be one hell of an experience.

Kneel B4 Zod · #4 01-02-2007, 07:08 PM

all I know is that I get altitude sick above 10,000 feet or so.

I can't even drink beers without getting piercing headaches [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

nyc999 · #5 01-03-2007, 04:42 PM

[ QUOTE ]
A really good friend of mine was just invited to do part of Everest in a couple monhts. I think he's [censored] crazy considering he's only done about a half dozen week long hikes in Western US mountains. But, it should be one hell of an experience.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, that sounds like a really stupid idea.