Winning Gold is Quite A Feat, But Compared To Mountain Climbing?

While we congratulate all the well deserving athletes for their win at the Olympics, there is an extreme sport that some trust is even harder. The defy of the conquest of the highest mountain peaks in the world.

Dont feel upset and run away, this article is not putting down the wonderful efforts of the worlds top athletes.

As I see athletes offer of their utmost I weep tears of empathy. After years of discipline, pain, perseverance and self-denial, that most athletes never accept or attempt, it is nothing short of a tragedy to see them piped-at-the-post by a thousandth of a second. I salute these hard working athletes for their hard work.

However , some say to try and conquer one of the worlds top mountains is an even more demanding extreme sport. Once an athlete is standing on the podium , it is just a short jump down, to the post-Olympics parties with other athletes and friends.

Its not the same for the mountain climber. Once the climber has reached the top, the job is only half completed.

The body system compensates once the level of oxygen drops. This is known as altitude acclimatization. Extra red blood cells are produced by the body, the heart rate increases and non-essential body functions temporarily shut down. Climbers breathe more often and deeply, though digestion efficiency continues to decreases.

Altitude acclimatization can take up to a period of days or even weeks. Climbers by the dozen are compulsory to gather together for a period of up to two months, at the base camp on Mt. Everest, 16,000 feet over sea level. Anxiously they wait for their turn to begin their ascent. The consequences of not stopping to acclimatize are catastrophic and deadly.

In the Death sector, which is anything that is above 22,950 feet, the human bodies no longer acclimatize. Sleeping becomes difficult and digestion of food nearly impossible above 24,950 feet. Loss of consciousness , deterioration of body functions and death will be the result of an extended stay at these heights. The longest stay ever recorded on the top of Mt Everest was just over 21 hours. However, on- the-top-of-the-worlds stay average about twenty minutes. There are no millions of spectators watching and congratulating them for their effort. It is a very solo achievement . Other climbers pay little attention . Their entire focus is centered on their own survival .

After achieving their long awaited and hard-worked-for goal , there is no easy step off the mountain and lets go home. There is no quick helicopter ride off the top . No slippery slide to the bottom, unless the climber {{[wants | needs}}} to go home zipped into a body bag. Each hurting step of the ascent must now be painfully repeated, on the exhausting trek home. If someone is hurt or injured, there is no rescue task. Often fellow climbers are not capable to help their companions. Mountain climbing has to be the ultimate know-how in self-reliance, where mountain and man meet in a head on collision of will.

Sir Edmond Hillary and Peter Tenzing were the first to conquer Mt. Everest in May 1952. Many had tried before them. To the British Empire, it was the crowning glory, as Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne.

In 1966, 84 climbers survived to the top, but 12 people died that season . It was the worst year-to- date in the mountains history. Since then all minutes, sadly, continue to be broken.

The oldest climber in was a 71 year old Japanese, in 2007. Now a 76 year old Nepalese, succeeded in 2008. He says he might do it once again . Over 3500 Nepalese have ascended as guides, for climbers who pay up to $US50 thousand, for the {{[opportunity | chance}}} of trying to conquer the worlds highest peak . The prime minister of Nepal charges $US25 thousand to each person accepting the defy of the high peaks.

Sherpa guides climb without support from the oxygen. Appa Sherpa has climbed Everest 11 times, while Ang Rita Sherpa and Babi Chiri Sherpa have both climbed 10 times.

Throughout the Olympics no competitor has to be bothered about the {{[rubbish | trash}}} they create. Just forget it and walk away. Not on the icy slopes of the mountain. Every climbing party is {{[responsible | in charge}}} for its {{[rubbish | trash}}} removal, including empty oxygen tanks.

The local Sherpa People considered Mt Everest a jealous goddess, strictly punishing illicit sex performed on her icy slopes. She is, however, not the only mountain to act unkindly towards its conquerors. She has a far more {{{dangerous | risky}}] sister known as K2. Recently 11 lives were lost on K2s deceptive slopes, in the worst incident since 13 climbers died over a two-week span in 1986. K2 has been nicknamed, the Peak that invites death.

Insufficient preparation, obvious {{[wrong |mistaken}}} choices and lack of knowledge are rife among the mountaineering elite. Now as the same things were said after the 1986 disaster.

From the Olympic platform to extreme adventure sports, there will always be men and women for whom the unattainable challenge has a special attraction. They are not experts. They just have higher ambitions and desires than everyone else. They have four things in common:

1. Faith in themselves 2. Great determination 3. Driving ambition 4. And endurance.

They are person who dare to dream large dreams. They absolutely refuse to quit and through planning, patience and perseverance, get to the top .

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