Skiing Mount Everest

Posted by Evelyn Kanter Nov 5, 2006

Athlete, skier, adventurer Kit DeLauriers has become the first woman to climb up and ski down the highest mountain on each of the seven continents, including Mount Everest.

All I can say is wow. Double wow. One for each ski.

Everytime I’m in an airplane and the pilot comes on the radio to tell us we are cruising at 30,000 feet, I think, wow, that’s the same height at Mount Everest.

I cannot imagine hiking up high enough to touch a 737. And I certainly cannot imagine skiing that far.

I love to ski, hike and scuba dive, but there are limits. Mine include not jumping off cliffs on my skis like those guys on the covers of ski magazines, not hiking more than 10 miles a day, and not diving into deep caves.

Although I’m a good enough skier to enjoy the expert slopes, when the snow is gone and I’m on a mountain bike, I stick to the bunny runs. I have no desire to run a marathon or enter a triathlon or ironman competition. My mountain climbing is limited to the height of a six-story building or the length of a belay rope, whichever is less. After a week of camping in a tent, all I want is a washing machine, a bathtub, and a method of cooking dinner that does not blow smoke in my eyes.

I am in awe of elite athletes. Sometimes I think they are nuts to do what they do, but most of the time I respect the dedication they have to push the envelope day after day keep going when they would rather quit.