Cycling
An epic challenge lies just on your doorstep. Here's a beginner's guide to making your first Everesting attempt.
The idea behind Everesting couldn’t be simpler: cycle up and down a hill until you’ve tallied 8,848m of ascent – the height of Mount Everest. The reality is a relentless endurance battle that will push you to your physical and mental limits. Succeed, and you’ll become a member of the elite HELLS 500 club.
To give you the inside track on what it is, how to do it, and just how big a challenge you’ll be biting off, we chatted to Sir Guy Litespeed (a nickname given by his cycling friends as opposed to a certified member of the Round Table) who counts himself as one of the UK’s most prolific Everesters.
It might just be the most epic challenge on your doorstep.
How it all started
In 1994, George Mallory (grandson of the British mountaineer of the same name) cycled up Australia’s Mount Donna Buang ten times, clocking 8,848m. Feeling inspired, a group of Melbourne-based cyclists – HELLS 500 – made the challenge official in 2014. Andy van Bergen, founder of HELLS 500, then set up everesting.cc to connect fellow Everesters, regulate each climb, and showcase success in the Hall of Fame.
Everesting fanatics like Sir Guy Litespeed have been involved from the start: “I found out about Everesting in 2014 but I failed on my first attempt. Of my five successes, four have been in the UK – I think I've Everested more than any other UK rider."
How to go Everesting
You can Everest any peak in the world by logging 8,848m of ascent on the same route in a single stint. Breaks are allowed; sleep isn’t. Typical attempts take around 24 hours but merely completing the challenge is a massive mark of achievement. As a first-timer, your only goal should be finishing safely.
If you succeed, you can upload your climb on everesting.cc. Once it’s been approved, you’ll gain a place in the Hall of Fame and receive a coveted grey stripe jersey to prove it.
Now is a great time to get involved in Everesting, too, with countless peaks the world over yet to be conquered – but you need to follow the rules.
I've heard of people on their knees, crying and hallucinating, or vomiting due to too much electrolyte mix on Everesting attempts!
The Everesting rulebook
For your climb to count, you need to follow the official rules:
- Record 8,848m (29,029ft) of total elevation gain
- Follow one route on one hill
- Descend on the same route you climb
- No sleep – you must complete the challenge in a single stint
- Breaks (eating, drinking, recharging) are included in your time
- You must reach the summit of the hill every time
- You must descend safely and get back home
- No time limit
Break any of these rules and you fail, so be sure to read the rulebook in full.
Just how hard is it?
“Make no mistake, Everesting is very hard,” warns Guy. “Physically demanding and mentally challenging, it's a 20-24hr effort for most cyclists. Your legs can get you to around 6,000m in elevation gain, then your head needs to take over and force you up the final 2,848m when your body is screaming for you to stop!
You don’t have to register an attempt in advance, so we'll never know how many people fail vs those who succeed, but I suspect that the vast majority fail. Each Everesting I attempt is still really hard. I fear each Everesting as it approaches, regardless of my previous successes."
Anyone can turn up and start riding but, to be in with a chance of success, you need to plan. “My first Everesting attempt failed due to poor logistical planning, a bad choice of climb and a lack of local knowledge – I ended up with a block headwind,” says Guy.
Here are a few things to consider:
- Kit – “Everything should be tried and tested on long, climbing-orientated rides,” advises Guy. “Nothing should be new or unknown, from your bike and clothing, to your lights and computers.
- Basecamp – "This is your support station, safe haven, kitchen, workshop, wardrobe, hospital and everything in-between. Whether it’s a car, van or tent it needs to be carefully positioned and stocked with everything to keep you and your bike on track."
- Nutrition and hydration – “I've heard of people on their knees, crying and hallucinating, or vomiting due to too much electrolyte mix on Everesting attempts!” says Guy. “You need a strategy that has been planned and tested.”
- Safety – "You’ll be riding at your absolute limit and struggling with a crushing lack of sleep. Night riding adds to the risk, so think about your lights, safety gear, emergency contacts and phone reception."
- Recharging – Keeping your Garmin, lights and other essentials powered-up can be tricky. Again, follow Guy’s mantra: come up with a strategy and practice it in advance.
- Game plan – Guy recommends breaking the challenge into chunks: “8,848m sounds ridiculous, but 8 x 1,000m is more workable. 100 laps sounds awful, but 10 x 10 laps might be OK. Reward yourself between sets, have people around you and listen to an audiobook."
- When to go – “UK Everestings have been completed in some pretty questionable weather, even in winter,” says Guy. “For me, I want as much daylight as possible, so May, June and July are optimal. They’re also more likely to offer up warm, dry weather and lighter winds."
How to pick a hill
“The beauty is that you can do it on any hill, anywhere in the world. Hence, any climb in the UK, on a good day, can be perfect for Everesting,” says Guy. For your first attempt, he recommends staying local. It’s easier to plan, practice and manage logistics, plus you’ll have the advantage of local knowledge.
“The most important thing is to pick a hill that works for you, as an individual,” he adds. “For most people, this is something like a 6-8 percent, steady climb of around 2-3km. Gradient choice is key: too shallow and your ride will be epically long; too short and it becomes a muscle-sapping power climb."
This is very much a mental game as well, so choose a hill that plays into that: “Personally, I either want the opportunity to be the first to Everest a climb, or it has to be something very beautiful or special, like Stwlan Dam.”
How do you know if you’re ready?
So you’ve trained, planned and practised every procedure. How do you know when you’re ready to go Everesting? Here’s Guy’s theory:
“As I’ve said, your legs need to get you to 6,000m and your head has to get you the rest of the way. That means I need to be comfortable riding 250km and climbing 6,000m, probably over a 10-12 hour period. If I can do that, I can probably succeed. That's my 'ready' measure.”
Guy’s website documents his Everesting attempts and other epics cycles, and has expert advice for Everesting newbies.