Climbing Everest and the Appalachian Trail question

[IdgieNC]

Does anyone know or has anyone done something on this ? they say walking the entire trail is like climbing Everest 16 times. has anyone figured out starting from Springer where are the points at on the map where you get to each climb?

[4eyedbuzzard]

Hiking the AT is, of course, nothing like climbing Everest, even once. And actually, the cumulative elevation gain on the AT, roughly 510,000 feet, is some 44 times what it is on Everest (base camp 17,500 ft, summit 29,000 ft), depending upon how all that is estimated. From Lukla (9400 ft), the start of most treks to base camp, it would be 26 times. But you could probably figure it out from this data http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php/49

[HooKooDooKu]

Keep in mind that those that summit Everest usually go part of the way up and back down many times to acclimatize before making a summit attempt.

To draw comparisons you would have to do something like hike GA to VA and back 3 or 4 times before pushing on to PA... return to GA and hike all the way back to PA before making a final push for attempting to reach ME.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Keep in mind that those that summit Everest usually go part of the way up and back down many times to acclimatize before making a summit attempt.

To draw comparisons you would have to do something like hike GA to VA and back 3 or 4 times before pushing on to PA... return to GA and hike all the way back to PA before making a final push for attempting to reach ME.

I suppose you could make a comparison between the bottlenecks of mountaineers summiting Mt. Everest and the crowds reportedly at Springer this year...

[brian039]

Hiking the AT is more like stringing together 60 long-weekend hikes.

[fiddlehead]

Maybe (just maybe) if you hiked the AT in wintertime, you could begin to compare the 2.
But the altitude would still be the big difference. (and the cost of course)
Let's not be so silly.

[Odd Man Out]

Everest is up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up
down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down.

The AT is up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down.

[Hawk i]

I have both on my "List". Everest would be the base camp A tour though, cheaper and at least I was "there". The AT calls my soul every year around this time.


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[colorado_rob]

Hiking the AT is, of course, nothing like climbing Everest, even once.

Mostly true, but maybe not quite. Though I haven't yet climbed Everest (but still might try in the next couple years), climbing big, high, cold mountains (which I have done a lot of)invokes a lot of the same types of stresses, both mental and physical ones, as doing a long hike like the AT (which I have done 2/3rd of, hope to complete this year). For example, after having climbed a lot of big mountains, the ups & downs along the AT do seem very modest, even though there are so very many of them, so having climbed many big mountains, this helps with hiking the AT. I'm sure this works in reverse: those who have managed to hike the AT, or any other long trail, have the potential for climbing the big mountains of the world, and with a large amount of enjoyment.

[Traveler]

I have always heard the AT thru hike compared to Everest as being "equivalent" to climbing that elevation many times over. It may have become verbal/print short hand to say its the "same" and I doubt anyone who knows much about either would agree with that.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Mostly true, but maybe not quite. Though I haven't yet climbed Everest (but still might try in the next couple years), climbing big, high, cold mountains (which I have done a lot of)invokes a lot of the same types of stresses, both mental and physical ones, as doing a long hike like the AT (which I have done 2/3rd of, hope to complete this year). For example, after having climbed a lot of big mountains, the ups & downs along the AT do seem very modest, even though there are so very many of them, so having climbed many big mountains, this helps with hiking the AT. I'm sure this works in reverse: those who have managed to hike the AT, or any other long trail, have the potential for climbing the big mountains of the world, and with a large amount of enjoyment.

Other than the adventure aspect of it, I find them to be different in many ways.

Major differences IMO:

Virtually anyone who isn't severely disabled can literally start thru-hiking the AT tomorrow morning and succeed based upon sheer willpower. People hike themselves into shape. Climbing Everest or any big mountain, you have to in advance be very fit and in very good cardiovascular health to climb.

AT is hiking between towns 4 days apart, on established trail, at low altitudes, with no technical climbs. Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, with ice falls, glaciers, crevasses - and there isn't enough oxygen on the last 3000 ft of it to support life. Much greater inherent risk: lose a glove = lose a hand; lose a boot or ? or take a bad fall or even just have the weather turn really bad = die on the mountain. Add HAPE, HACE, etc. Is hypothermia a risk on the AT? Yes. Falls? Sure. But the risk level is so much smaller. Every year, healthy and experienced climbers lose body parts and die on Everest, just because it's that hard and dangerous. Enough said.

Degree of technical skills/prior training required. None for AT thru-hike. For Everest, add the cost of two years climbing/training in Cascades or Rockies and then a Denali or Aconcagua climb at minimum. Some services/expeditions require at least one other Himalayan summit, like Cho Oyu, prior to accepting a climber as a client.

Finances required (figure $60-80K + gear + travel for an Everest attempt with western based guided expedition). The AT can be hiked on as little as $2K or so on a shoestring budget, although $4K to 8K is a more typical and comfortable hike.

Discipline, teamwork, and yes, even following orders from leaders/guides is required as part of group on Everest. Not traits I see in a lot of thru-hikers, who tend to be more individualistic.


bp30.jpg
It looks so beautiful (in a challenging sense).
Now, imagine being up there and twisting a knee, or having the clouds roll in, or it starts snowing - things that are minor on the AT. I just see a lot of the differences.

[q-tip]

I have done alpine climbing, mountain trekking, backpacking and hiking. Each are different, alpine climbing is a unique sport requiring much different skills and equipment. Also, altitude trumps all. Over 8,000 feet things start to change. I have completed 1,100 miles of the AT from GA to NH. The challenges of the AT are unique in some ways, and the further I went the more mental discipline and motivation played in completing GA to WVA. If I had the cash I would head back to the high mountains in a heartbeat.

[colorado_rob]

Other than the adventure aspect of it, I find them to be different in many ways.

Major differences IMO:

...

Now, imagine being up there and twisting a knee, or having the clouds roll in, or it starts snowing - things that are minor on the AT. I just see a lot of the differences.

Yeah, that's why I said mostly true (them being different), just not quite all true (the physical and mental challenges). I've never had any problems climbing the high mountains I've climbed, all successfully, but last year when I tried to go from Springer to Harpers Ferry, I crapped out at mile 703 (Catawba). I just couldn't get my mind to go any further, I found my limit for one stretch at a time (6 weeks on the trail). I've yet to find any limit climbing high, though I've only been to 7000 meters (~23,000', on top of Aconcagua). Therefore, the AT was more difficult for me than climbing.

Just curious: Have you climbed any really high mountains yourself? You seem to know what you're talking about.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Some people say you have to be a bit brain damaged to want to climb mountains anyway. But even if you weren't to start with, well, you likely will be when you're done http://www.cns.nyu.edu/events/spf/SP...06evidence.pdf

As long as I have two brain cells left - so they can have a conversation in my head - I guess I'll be okay.

[jeffmeh]

In my view, not comparable at all, as altitude potentially trumps everything.

[squeezebox]

So what are the temps and wind speeds on Everest. Just don't compare the AT and Everest. 29K ft. vs 6.5K is a big difference. not to mention the rest of the specs.

[colorado_rob]

Some people say you have to be a bit brain damaged to want to climb mountains anyway. But even if you weren't to start with, well, you likely will be when you're done http://www.cns.nyu.edu/events/spf/SP...06evidence.pdf

As long as I have two brain cells left - so they can have a conversation in my head - I guess I'll be okay.

Yep, agree! I sure think that study has merit. I also think we have to be brain-damaged to hike 2180 miles in a green tunnel... But, tons of fun! If people who don't do these sorts of things (AT, high mountains, etc) are the "normal" undamaged ones, I'll take a bit "brain damage" any day.

[kayak karl]

Everest is up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up up
down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down.

The AT is up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down up down.

I don't remember the downs on the AT

[HooKooDooKu]

One of the points I was trying to make about climbing Everest is that it is NOT just "up up up up up up... " followed by "down down down down down down". You have to partially climb the mountain several times before the final climb to the summit... so an Everest climb is more like "up up up down down down up up up up up up down down down down down down up up up up up up up up up down down down down down down down down down up up up up up up up up up up up up down down down down down down down down down down down down".

[egilbe]

If you get hurt on the AT, someone will help you. If you get hurt on Everest, they leave you to die and use your body as a place name.