After a month of preparation, climbers get a thumbs-up from the weather gods. Then they start the summit push, which takes about 4 to 5 days.
They leave base camp, move through Camps I, II, III, and finally Camp IV (26,000 feet). That last camp is in the Death Zone, and sleep is a joke. You’re basically shivering in a tent, trying not to think about the most dangerous night of your life.
Then comes summit day: a 12 to 18-hour slog in the dark, wearing headlamps, using oxygen tanks. You’ll pass frozen bodies (yes, really) and wonder why you paid so much for this. But when the sun rises over the world? Worth it.
How Long Did It Take For Mount Everest To Form | Detroit Chinatown
Fun Comparisons to Keep You Hooked
Let’s put two months in perspective. It takes longer to climb Everest than it does to walk the entire Appalachian Trail if you speed-hike. Seriously, that trail is about 2,200 miles, and some folks finish in 45 days.
Everest takes longer than the average movie shoot for a Hollywood blockbuster. It’s also longer than a typical space mission for astronauts on the International Space Station (they stay about 6 months, but the transit is shorter).
And here’s the kicker: the actual time spent climbing above base camp is only about 10 days. The other 50 days are waiting and preparing. So climbing Everest is 80% patience, 20% adrenaline.
