The fascination of Everesting: By bike to the highest mountain in the world

At 8848 metres above sea level, Mount Everest is the highest point on our planet. Only hardened mountaineers dare to climb it, many die in the attempt. For cyclists, the summit of the world remains out of reach. Or is it?

The idea behind the so-called "Everesting" is an old one: Ride up the mountain as many times as it takes to conquer 8848 metres of altitude. Some people always choose the same ascent and descent, others tackle the climbing orgy on trails and others do this madness several times in a row.

The Everesting Hall of Fame now has over 34,600 entries from 20,300 graduates from 124 countries. An Everesting World Championship will also be held again in 2026 - this time on Mount Etna in Sicily. Everesting can confidently be described as a cycling trend or, yes, a cult. We take a look at the fascinating world of Everesting.

The classic Everesting

As there are not even 8848 metres of altitude in one go on the real Mount Everest, Everesting uses a trick. The same ascent is tackled over and over again. Everesting bikers often ride up and down the same route dozens of times. Depending on the gradient, this usually adds up to a distance of between 100 and 200 kilometres.

The first documented Everesting goes back to George Mallory in 1994. The first woman, Sarah Hammond, did not attempt it until 2014. Today, of course, there are a few rules for such a crazy endeavour. If you want your success to be listed in the virtual Everesting Hall Of Fame, you have to adhere to them. Here is a summary of the three most important ones:

• Drive in one pieceThe minimum altitude difference of 8848 metres must be conquered in one ride without resting or sleeping. Stops are only permitted for refreshments or to change clothes. There is no time limit.
• Don't get any momentumIt is not permitted to ride up two sides of the valley alternately. Either bikers limit themselves to a single route for the ascent and descent or they ride down the other side of a pass and back up again using the shuttle principle. Logically, there are also no circular routes.
• DocumentationThe altitude metres achieved must be submitted as GPS data or Strava recordings to the Evereseting Hall of Fame administration. There are separate groups on Strava for this purpose (e.g. Everesting Germany Club).

>> We reported on a world altitude record with the e-bike here.

Game forms and records

In principle, Everesting can be done on any bike. The endurance trend is most widespread among racing cyclists, who ride on tarmac. But mountain bikers also take on the challenge, mostly on gravel paths but in exceptional cases also on trails. Even e-bikers can be infected with the fascination of Everesting and have access to a variety of interchangeable batteries. There is even virtual Everesting on indoor cycling platforms such as Zwift. The format is also popular on foot, with runners often relying on the support of a bike, lift or car to get downhill. Everesting is also often organised as a charity event to collect donations for a good cause. Top sporting performances over the 8848 metres of altitude mark these records on a racing bike:

• Men: Ronan MCLaughlin, 6 h 40 min
• Women: Illi Gardner 8 h 3 min

>> The world record in Triple-Everesting was only broken this year. This article provides all the information.

Eightfold Everest and even more madness

The extreme performances in the Everesting format are proof of what the human body is capable of. In 2022, Arend Van de Broucke rode the challenge six times in a row. It took him 108 hours to cover the 53,454 metres in altitude and 1429 kilometres. One year later, Karl Plötzl even managed eight times in one go. 70,800 metres in altitude, 1781 kilometres and 116 hours came together. In the mountain bike sector, Ben Hildred recently attracted attention with a double Everest on his trail bike. Mount Everest may be the highest mountain on earth, but there are far higher elevations in the solar system. For example, some cyclists attempt the Olympos Mons Challenge with 26,400 metres of altitude in one go using a similar principle. We have compiled further curiosities about Everesting here:

• In 2016, Benny JJ completed an Everesting every month of the year
• In 2018, Ben Soja rode the first Everesting on a unicycle and took over 23 hours to do so
• The first Everesting on Mount Everest was completed in 2018. As there is only one kilometre of meaningful route there, Zhuangen Zhou had to cycle up and down it 177 times.
• In 2020, Manuel Scheidegger rode an Everesting in the wheelie. He mastered all the climbs on the rear wheel without exception.
• In 2024, Lukas Kaufmann broke the world record in the 24-hour Everesting. In one day, he pedalled 18,427 metres in altitude on his mountain bike
• In 2024, Kai Saaler rode an Everesting seven times in seven days.
• To date, Jono Egan has completed a total of 148 officially listed Everesting Challenges. He has covered 1,368,934 metres in altitude and 38,857 kilometres in just under 2246 hours.

>> We took a look at the bike of mountain bike Everesting legend Ben Hildred here.

The team, beginner and multi-day option

As the feat of 8848 metres in altitude cannot be achieved by every athlete, bike communities have come up with a wide variety of options. For example, some talk about a half-Everest or a Sherpa classification for 4424 metres in altitude. Quarter (2212 metres in altitude) and eighth (1106 metres in altitude) Everests are also held and documented. Team rankings are also offered at certain events. 5364 metres of altitude gain bring bikers to the base camp of Mount Everest and thus into a separate classification class. Bike Everest Tirol is a mountain bike tour with a total of exactly 8848 metres in altitude over 285 kilometres from Garmisch Partenkirchen to Nauders. The official estimate is seven daily stages.

>> This article reveals what Everesting record holders have to eat for 8848 metres of altitude.