The date is coming up-the 29th-and if you're into climbing or have an interest in Everest, I would recommend the May issue of National Geographic (Hilllary is on the cover.) Great photos of course, and a good piece on the Sherpas. There is a pullout called, "The Body: Adjust Or Die," that notes your vitals as you climb higher and higher. For instance at 29K feet, your resting heart rate is 123-jesus I can't imagine that (the highest I have ever been is the summit of Whitney). See the web site as http://www.nationalgeographic.com/everest/
Anybody following "Global Extremes" on OLN? It's an American cable network that selected 5 climbers in a "survivor-like" selection process to make an attempt at climbing Everest. One of them has dropped out, and the four remaining ones (2 men, 2 women) are at advance base camp ready for a summit attempt any day now. Supposedly, they're going to have live coverage of the final push. I want to know how they selected the camera crews!
I've climbed with one of the contestants before who was in the earlier rounds. That dude was a freaking ass. Very cocky. But he's also one of the better outdoor athletes in this town. Several weeks ago the National Geographic Channel had an all day Everest-fest...it culminated with a show on Hilary's son making the summit and calling his dad on a satellite phone. Anyone here remember that horrendous movie based on "Into Thin Air"? Well a local news crew came out to interview me at one of the climbing walls I ran. Little did they know that climbing vertical rock is different than climbing any high summit. But they still made me do some roped soloing up a 30 foot wall and they mic'd me up and interviewed me as I was doing my climb. Basically I talked about the committment and concentration needed to climb in extreme conditions (even though the only highest summit I've ever done is Mt. Borah at a tad under 12,700 feet). I've got issues at how much of a Disneyland-like Everest has become...but I hold the utmost respect for the people that attempt it.
Earlier today I caught a few minutes on ONL and it sounds they may try for the summit in a few days. Sounds like they may get there when it is Thursday mid-afternoon in the US.
I think most people have NO IDEA how hard that is. The tallest mountain I've summited was Old Baldy (rounded top above the tree line) at Philmont Scout Ranch in NM. About 12,500, IIRC. It wasn't a particularly difficult climb - nothing worse than a little scrambling - but it was cold, even in the middle of August. And I had been running stairs in Ohio all summer (with a loaded pack) to try and build some cardio ability, and I was wrecked. Even at 8,000 running became very hard, especially to sustain for any length of time. At 12000 physical exertion left me winded. I could barely carry my pack, and that was empty with the exception of heavy pants and a coat, along with about 2 liters of water. I would die on Everest, well before the summit. Hell, at my current fitness level I couldn't summit Baldy again. But man, what a view Everest would be.