The Everest Race: A Day in the Life
The Everest
Race is the most unique adventure race in the world. Teams of three climbers
tackle a peak in North America and a peak in Asia, completing tasks at each
summit. These tasks are unpredictable and require the climbers to adapt to
whatever mental and physical challenge is thrown their way. The result is that
every team has a different experience. This article details what it is like to
be part of the Everest Race as one of 40 athletes from around the world who are
locked away together for 48 hours with almost no outside contact or support.
It’s not for everyone, but it’s also so much more than just an adventure race.
The Basics
The Everest
Race is a 48-hour adventure race for teams of three climbers. The goal is to
summit two mountains on two continents. The Asian team summit is Mount Meru in
Northern India and the North American team summits Mount Everest in Nepal. The
event also includes a five-day pre-event in Kathmandu, a Sherpa dinner, and a
post-event celebration in Canada. The race is held every two years and like
most adventure races, the majority of it is spent in the confines of a Base
Camp. The Everest Race is a part of the Adventure Race World Series (ARWS),
which features the top adventure races in the world. As part of the World
Series, the race is a qualifying event for the Adventure Racing World
Championships. It is also a part of the ARWS Order of Merit, which is a point
system that is used as a tiebreaker at the end of the season to determine who
gets invited to be a part of the ARWS Finals.
Welcome to Base Camp
Adventure
races are all about the experience, and that experience starts the moment you
head to the airport to catch the flight to Kathmandu. With other adventure
races, you may have a couple of people in your group and you’ll all be flying
into the same city, but with the Everest Race, there might be 40 people on the
same flight. This is a good sign that you’re about to be part of something
special. When you arrive in Kathmandu, you’ll notice just how different the
experience is from other races. You’ll be greeted with a massive welcome party
at the airport, complete with dancers and musical performances. You’ll be shown
to the reception area with a large stage and an impressive light show. There
will be people there representing each of the different teams, waiting to
welcome you to the race.
Orientation and the Briefing
The next
couple of days will be filled with a lot of activities. You’ll have time to
explore Kathmandu and will be given the opportunity to participate in some
cultural activities. There will be team-specific team building activities and
you’ll have the chance to meet with the race director and ask any questions you
have about the race. The most important activity of the pre-race is the team
briefing where you’ll be given the details of the race. The team briefing is an
all-day affair where the race director gives a presentation outlining the
rules, the schedule, and what’s expected of the teams. It’s a little overwhelming
at times, but it’s also a great reminder that this is not a normal adventure
race and that you’re about to experience something unique.
The First 24 Hours: Summiting Mount Meru, Day 1
- Your first
challenge in the race will be to climb Mount Meru in Northern India. You will
be locked away in a room from 10:00 A.M. on the first day and won’t be able to
leave until 10:00 A.M. on the second day. You’ll be given a set of tasks to
complete during this time and won’t be able to communicate with anyone outside
the room until you finish the last task. - This is the most important part of
the race. Everything is up for grabs at this point, and all teams are on an
equal footing. Every team will have different experiences during this time, but
everyone is in the same position. - The first challenge is to get a team photo,
which you need to take outside the hotel. The race staff will supply a camera,
but it must be done in a specific way. One person has one hour to take the
photo while the other two try to keep the crowd away from the camera and the
photographer. - Your next task is to find a shop that sells yogurt and buy as
many different flavors as you can find. The team must then eat every flavor
until they are finished. - Your final task is to cut a piece of paper into a
rectangle and fold it into a paper airplane. When you finish the last task, you
will be allowed to leave the room and meet with the other teams to start the
race officially.
48 Hours Later: Summiting Everest, Day 2
- Once you
finish the first challenge, the teams will receive a new set of tasks to
complete at the next destination. For the North American team, that means
traveling to Nepal to climb Mount Everest and for the Asian team, it means
traveling to Colorado to climb Mount Elbert. - As soon as you arrive in Nepal,
you’ll need to start organizing your logistics and getting everything ready to
climb Mount Everest. You’ll be given 48 hours to climb Everest and you’ll be
racing against the clock to get everything ready. - There will be a mandatory
team meeting where you’ll receive instructions for the climb. You’ll have to
select your climbing rope and decide on your climbing order. You’ll then be
given your final set of tasks to complete during this time. - At this point,
you’ll have a general idea of what your next task is. You will have to complete
one task in your room and one on the mountain.
Epilogue
Once the 48
hours are up, you are finished with the race. If you’re at Everest, you’ll have
to make the journey back down and will have to complete the last task at the
base of the mountain. If you’re at Meru, you’ll have to travel to the airport
and make your way back to Kathmandu. At Kathmandu, you’ll have one final task
to complete before the race is officially over. The post-event celebration is a
massive party. The dance floor is always full, and it’s not uncommon to see
members of different teams partying together. It’s a celebration of what the
teams have accomplished over the past 48 hours and a reminder that despite the
fact that you’re competitors, you’re also a community.