That's it. Mt. Everest. I've been absolutely fascinated with that mountain since high school. I have no idea what prompted it. But, in the last decade or more, I've read practically every book written about Mt. Everest. I've watched dozens of documentaries. I even have my DVR set to autorecord any program about Everest that airs.
I used to be infatuated with wanting to climb Everest. I don't know what the draw is, exactly. It might be wanting to stand on top of the world. Maybe it's the lure of joining an exclusive club. Perhaps it's the challenge.
Then I realized that I don't have the time or the money to undertake such a project. (It costs about $65,000 just to join an expedition, get permits, etc. That doesn't include any training, airfare or personal equipment.) In a sense, the last several years have dashed my hopes of standing on top of the world.
So my latest idea to keep that dream alive is to at least see the mountain. I could do a trek to Everest Base Camp for about $4,000 + airfare. Is that crazy? I mean, it's a far cry from the $100K it would cost me to actually climb the thing, right? It'll be a few years yet before I'd feel ready to leave my baby to go undertake that journey, but I think it's something I want to do eventually.
If I get up there, maybe it'll pacify my desire to climb Everest. Maybe I just need to see it. Or maybe that will give legs to the bigger dream...
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