mount everest, adventure quest I'm reading a book, Into Thin Air, which is about a trek to the top of Mount Everest, and it is extremely well written and describes the arduous adventure quest that going to the top of Mount Everest is. Summiting this mountain is not a trip to paradise! It is extreme adventure, and only those who have the sheer determination to deprive themselves for a couple of months can manage it. First, you have to spend at least six weeks acclimatizing yourself to altitudes over 20,000 feet, by camping at base camps that are just shy of primitive camping conditions. And at that height, the weather is anything but balmy. It is a 12 month winter there, and the nights are cold and subfreezing most of the year. The sun may come out during the day (a big maybe) and warm you for a few hours, but for the most part, you will be wearing winter clothes 24/7. And the trip to the top of the mountain is life threatening unless you bring along plenty of oxygen canisters and stay clear of shifting snow and the frequent blizzard conditions that happen all year on Mount Everest. What a book, what a trip.