Harder Than Winning Gold at the Olympics?

While we are congratulating the well deserving athletes for their win at the Olympics, some say there is still an even more extreme sport. The challenge of conquering the highest mountains in the world.

Now super athletes don’t get your knickers in a knot. This is not an offensive article and it is not knocking your wonderful efforts.

I am the first to weep tears of empathy as I see athletes give of their utmost. After years of discipline, perseverance, pain and unbelievable self-denial, that many others would never accept or attempt, it is nothing short of a tragedy to see them pipped-at-the-post by a thousandth of a second. I stand in awe of these hard working athletes and salute them.

However, some say to try and conquer one of the world’s highest mountains is an even more demanding extreme sport. Once an athlete is standing on the podium, it is just a short jump down, to the post-Olympics parties with other athletes and friends.

Not the same for mountain climbers. Once the climber has reached the peak of the mountain, the job is only half completed.

When the level of oxygen drops, the human body compensates. If climbers are to survive the long haul to the top their bodies must experience altitude acclimatization. Extra red blood cells are produced by the body, while the heart rate increases. Non-essential functions temporarily shut down. Food digestion efficiency declines and the climber breathes more deeply and frequently.

This process is not immediate and can take up to a period of days or even weeks. Climbers by the dozen are forced to huddle, for up to two months, at base camp on Mt. Everest, 16,000 feet above sea level, anxiously waiting their turn to being the ascent. The results of not acclimatizing are disastrous and deadly.

In the Death Zone, which is anything that is above 22,950 feet, the human body can no longer acclimatize. Sleeping becomes difficult and food digestion nearly impossible above 24,950 feet. Body deterioration, to loss of consciousness and death is the result of an extended stay on the roof of the world. Records show that the longest stay on the top of Mt Everest was around 21 hours. However, most climbers only stay for about twenty minutes. No millions are watching and applauding these climbers for their effort. This is a solo achievement. Other climbers pay little attention to their fellow mountaineers. The entire focus is on staying alive.

Having achieved their long awaited and hard-worked-for goal, there is no easy way out. No ‘step off the mountain and let us go home’. No helicopter chops through the air with a quick ride home. No slippery slide to the bottom, unless the climber has a desire to go home in a body bag. Every difficult and painful step of the ascent must now be dangerously repeated in the descent.

Even when someone is hurt or injured, there can be no rescue mission. Other climbers are often unable to offer help. Scaling high mountains has to be the ultimate experience in self-reliance as man and mountain clash in a clash of wills.

Everest was only conquered in May 1952, by Sir Edmond Hilary and Peter Tenzing. This was the crowning glory to the British Empire as Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne.

In 1966, 84 climbers survived to the summit, but 12 people died that season. It was the worst year-to- date in the mountain’s history. Since then all records, sadly, continue to be broken.

A 76 year old Nepalese has topped the record for the oldest climber, after a 71 year old Japanese climbed in 2007. The Nepalese man says he may just do it once more. More than 3500 Nepalese have ascended, in the service of climbers who pay a sum of up to $US50 thousand, for the opportunity of trying to conquer the world’s highest mountain. The government of Nepal is charging $US25 thousand to each climber who would reach out and accept the icy challenge.

Both Ang Rita Sherpa and Babi Chiri Sherpa have climbed 10 times, while Appa Sherpa has ascended 11 times. These Sherpa guides climb without oxygen assistance.

At the Olympics no competitor has to worry about the rubbish they create. Throw it in a bin and walk away. Not on the mountain. Every expedition is responsible to have its litter removed, particularly empty oxygen tanks.

The local Sherpa People considered Mt Everest a jealous goddess, strictly punishing illicit sex performed on her icy slopes. She is, however, not the only mountain to act cruelly towards its conquerors. She has a far more dangerous sister known as K2.

Mt Everest is considered a jealous goddess by the local Sherpa People. She rigorously punishes illicit sex performed on the mountain. However, she is not the only mountain to act ferociously towards its conquerors. She has a far more dangerous sister known as K2.

Recently 11 lives were lost on K2’s treacherous slopes in the worst incident since 13 climbers died over a two-week span in 1986. K2 has been nicknamed, ‘The mountain that invites death’.

Insufficient preparation, obvious wrong choices and lack of experience are rife among the mountaineering elite. Just as the same things were said after the 1986 disaster.

From extreme adventure sports to Olympic platform, there will always be those for whom the impossible has a particular attraction. They are not experts, but they have higher ambitions than most other people. These men and women have four things in common:

1. Driving ambition,
2. Faith in themselves,
3. Great determination and
4. Endurance

These are people who dare to dream big dreams. They people are driven to the top through planning, patience and perseverance and an unwavering determination to never give up.