Lessons Learned for Everesting
Lessons Learned for Everesting

Below are some lessons learned from planning and attempting to Everest on Lookout Mountain. They’re meant as a guide for my next attempt as well as some useful tips to anyone else interested in trying the Everesting challenge.

What was done right

Started early at 6am

Minimized break time wherever possible. I didn’t take my first break until ~7500 ft in (6 ascents)

Had company and support to refill water bottles and ride alongside me

Where to Improve

Short, Steep, Straight, Shaded

When choosing your segment, these are the four qualities you want. I initially thought

Lookout Mountain⁠

was a good choice for its steady grade of 5-6%, accessible, good weather, and the added bonus of being super scenic. But in retrospect, this segment had its challenges:

4.5 miles is a long climb - 35-50 minutes in length - to get 1275ft of elevation gain. Periods that long in high Zone 2/3 will exhaust you faster than shorter bursts.

The switchbacks and curves slow down your descent and are increasingly dangerous as you get increasingly fatigued.

Most of climb is highly exposed. Higher exposure to the sun or wind slows your ascent and fatigues you faster. I know I’m particularly ill-suited to warm weather and perform optimally in colder weather, so this was a major factor.

Ultimately, you’re racing the clock to get this done as fast as possible. The goal should be to get the most bang for your buck when you’re climbing. Look for a short segment (max 1-2 miles) with major elevation gain (8-10%+) and minimal curves. Get the gearing and buy a new cassette if needed - like 34 in the front, 32 in the rear. Additionally, aim for a shaded segment and prefer colder weather to warmer weather. You can always layer more, but heat can really wear you out.

Oh, and, probably don’t try it at altitude if you’re coming from lower elevation. I don’t think altitude played a significant factor for me however, and I haven’t had issues with it before.

Get Simple, Portable, Constant Nutrition

Finding things you want to eat or drink after 8 hours of riding is tough. For me, the best things for mid-ride are:

goldfish or pretzels (salty, starchy snacks with zero sugar)

Water bottles with 2 tablets of Nuun sport (lemon-lime flavor)

Nature’s Bakery fig bars

Then during breaks, any sort of “real” food - like a sandwich or burger - would be a huge help if you can get it and a welcome break from the mid-ride diet.

On this attempt, I was trying too many different food options and they weren’t ideal for mid-ride eating. The UCAN carb powder clogged my water bottle, something I should have caught during training. And I had a large box of Goldfish (rather than small packs) that I ended up leaving it on the side of the road and grabbing handfuls of each time I went by. That cost time, limited when I could eat, and added annoyance (I fell over reaching for it when I was super tired).

Make sure to eat something on every ascent. It should be easy to consume, without too much water to choke it down. Caffeine is a good idea. Lots of electrolytes are critical. The amounts will vary with temperature and the individual.

Easy Access to Supplies

My rental car had a proximity key - the car would unlock if the car key was nearby - so we couldn’t keep the key near the car while riding. Nor could we carry it - Casey and I would be riding at different paces up the mountain. So we ended up leaving the key hidden in some grass by the start of the climb. But that made getting to the car and the enclosed supplies a big hassle. Point being, that hassle made me decide to keep climbing instead of stopping to refuel at crucial moments. The result was I

bonked⁠

and got dehydrated as the day heated up and I tired out. Make sure food and water are easily available at the bottom of the climb, ideally with someone to just hand you a fresh water bottle and some food. If you have someone willing to run support for you, gratefully accept that support and buy them dinner after.

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