Everesting: The New Fitness Trend Among Cyclists You Need To Know About

Fitness enthusiasts love a good challenge and luckily, in India, there is huge scope for that. Had the circumstances been normal, things like scaling snowy mountains in Leh and Ladakh, marathoning across the Thar Desert and surfing on the beaches of Pondicherry would be happening rampantly. Every year, scores of people, both locals and tourists, set out on these physically-demanding adventures and make memories that last a lifetime.

This reminds us of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s historic feat of climbing the highest peak on the planet, Mount Everest, in 1953, and becoming the first people ever to do so. The challenges they faced on the way are a whole different conversation. It’s not for nothing that the world remembers them till date. Turns out, they ascended a total of 8,849 metres before making it to the top. Ever since, more than 4000 people have successfully reached the summit, but it is they who were the pioneers.

Given that the world is grappling with the coronavirus pandemic right now, we can only hope to go for one of these life-changing experiences. Having said that, humans have a way to work around every problem and are managing to exercise and stay fit within their homes or if they’re privileged, their backyards and secluded neighbourhoods. Some sports, like cycling, have suffered more than others, as geographical restrictions have been levied on most places. As a result, cyclists are now making do with the little space they have by going to and fro between that. This has given rise to a new fitness trend called everesting. AskMen India shares all you need to know about it:

What is everesting?

Everesting is a fitness challenge where cyclists fix a certain path on a hill to go to and fro on their bike, until they complete a total distance of 8,849 metres, which is equivalent to the height of Mount Everest. Mind you, they’re not allowed to take breaks in between and are expected to swiftly take U-turns when they reach one of the ends. Given that this is an upward terrain, it requires immense core strength and endurance.

It can help you lose weight and improve cardiovascular capacity, tone your legs and improve knee and hip mobility. It is a gruelling challenge that is impossible to achieve without grit, determination and discipline. Everyone is free to give it a shot, but beginners in mountain cycling should be careful not to overexert, as this can do more harm than good. Remember, trying is more important than winning.

How far has the everesting trend taken off?

As per everesting.cc, 18,000 people across 108 countries have taken part in the Everesting challenge so far and succeeded at it. They have all been featured in the website’s Hall Of Fame. From India, as reported by The Hindu, colleagues Chitti Babu and Gokul Krishna from Hyderabad completed the task on October 2, 2020, by cycling for 26 and 27 hours at a stretch respectively. They did not stop even once in between.

In fact, the duo went way beyond the target and covered 9k and 10k metres respectively. They started preparing for this two months in advance, by switching to a vegan diet and timing their cycling speed on their phone. They made sure the terrain they chose was safe to climb. This played a prime role in their success. Many more people across India are now participating in the Everesting challenge, as the trend seems to be catching on very fast.

Cover artwork by Dhaval Punatar/AskMen India

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