Cross-adaptation is the process of exposing your body to one type of environmental stress to promote adaptations that carry over to another. In the case of heat and altitude, repeated heat exposure triggers cardiovascular changes — increased plasma volume, improved oxygen delivery, enhanced blood flow — that can improve your body’s response to hypoxia. I used this approach while preparing to summit Mount Everest in two weeks door-to-door from my home at sea level. For five months leading up to the climb, I engaged in consistent, structured training under the guidance of Uphill Athlete coaches. For three of those months,…
Author: Roxanne Vogel
I like to say it was The Amazing Race: Mount Everest Edition. I waited in Berkeley, California, for a weather window, jetted to Tibet to take advantage of it, then booked it back down the peak for a whirlwind return trip—all in just 14 days. So many factors had to align to make this two-week door-to-door ascent possible. I gave every ounce of my being to the goal, and I received support from a number of fronts.I also got a little lucky.I started climbing mountains seven years ago, after trekking to Everest Base Camp and seeing the Himalaya for the…