I’ve spent the better part of two decades watching people underestimate the Himalayas. Usually, it’s the ones with the most expensive gear and the highest fitness levels who get it wrong. They show up in Kathmandu with a “conqueror” mindset, thinking their marathon times or their Cross Fit rankings will carry them up the valley without a hitch. But the reality of high-altitude mountain travel is that the peaks don’t care about your VO2 max. They really don’t. I’ve seen triathletes collapse on the stone steps of Chhomrong while a…
The Altitude Myth: Why Your Lungs Aren’t the Only Thing Scaling Annapurna
