You reach the summit—congratulations, you’re on top of the world! Now you have to get down, and that’s where most deaths happen. Why? Because you’re exhausted, your oxygen tank might run out, and your brain is a mushy potato. Descending from 29,032 feet to Base Camp takes about three to four days, but those days feel like a hangover after a week of bad decisions.
Total days? Roughly 60 to 65 from Base Camp to finally dragging your frostbitten butt back to civilization. But let’s bust a surprising fact: you actually spend only about four to five days above 26,000 feet. The rest is just... walking, waiting, and wondering why you didn’t choose a hobby like knitting or competitive eating.
So, Should You Go?
Look, climbing Everest is like adopting a very expensive, very angry dog that might eat your leg. It takes seven to nine weeks of your life, plus $50,000 to $100,000. You’ll lose weight, gain a permanent cough, and learn that “comfortable” is not a word in the Sherpa vocabulary. But you’ll also see a sunrise from the edge of space, and that’s pretty rad.
If you do go, remember: the mountain doesn’t care how many days you planned. It only cares if you packed enough snacks. Pack extra snacks. And maybe a book. You’ve got two months to kill.
