Everesting

George Mallory's Everesting attempt in 1994 was written up into an article in 2012, which first prompted others to take on this challenge.^[6] The widespread growth of GPS technology and social media - particularly Strava and Zwift - has been vital in allowing riders to accurately measure distance, elevation and height gain, while also sharing information about their ride.^[6] The writer and cyclist Andy van Bergen has been key to popularizing the idea through the Hells 500 group, which had been created as a social group to allow its members to complete and share cycling challenges.^[7] Hells 500 created the Everesting website, which established the parameters of the challenge, and started documenting attempts.^[7]

Everesting has grown among both amateur cyclists as a challenging but achievable goal,^[8] and among professionals or retired professionals who have sought to break Everesting time records.^[9] It rose further in popularity during 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in cancelled races, and lockdowns prevented cycling club rides or travel for cycling challenges. This forced riders to seek new challenges,^[8] that could be completed on local roads, or on virtual platforms (sometimes called vEveresting).^[10] During 2020, the challenge grew beyond cycling into running.^[11][12]

A number of related challenges have spun-off from the original Everesting challenge. Riders have attempted double, triple or even quadruple Everests.^[13] The Everesting website has multiple suggestions for variants of the challenge, including an Everesting 10k challenge - that is, to continue past the 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) of Everest to reach a cumulative height of 10,000 metres (33,000 ft) - as a stretch goal,^[14] or a Half-Everest as an easier target.

Everesting is a personal challenge, and as such there is no official sanctioning body: the only criterion is that 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) of climbing is completed in a single ride or run.^[8] To be accepted as a ride on the Everesting website, an attempt must, among other things:

• be recorded on Strava or Zwift;
• be timed as one effort, with any breaks for food or rest included in the attempt's elapsed time;
• be completed by going up and down one route of ascent only, avoiding loops;
• be continuous, with athletes cycling or running down the slope as well as up it (e.g., they cannot be taken by car down the slope);
• be completed using a bike that does not have a motor.^[15]

Everesting recognise different rules for variants of the challenge, some of which incorporate sleeping or longer rest breaks to ensure rider safety.^[15]