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Depending on who you ask, Mount Everest tops out at 29,029’, at 29,035’, or at 29,038.7’, among other altitudes. Despite these discrepancies, it’s impossible not to appreciate the mass of such a colossal mound of metamorphic limestone, gneiss, schist. There is an undeniable admiration and awe for those who choose to climb to the highest point on the “Mother Goddess of the World”. From my desk on the 7th floor of a building located at sea level, its hard to fathom such a challenge. At my desk’s “elevation” of about 70’, I would have to climb our office stairs 414 times to roughly achieve 29,029′. You can be sure that I wont be trying that.

The simple aspect of elevation gain is, in itself, a burly challenge. And then you have the issue of the human body’s inability to adapt above 26,000’ in a space cheerfully called the Death Zone. Are you tempted yet to go to that altitude and try yourself?

We could debate until we’re blue in the face – or til we’re as low on oxygen as a climber at 8,000m – the best strategies and systems for climbing Everest, but the reality is that every individual who takes on this mountain whatever plan they choose is taking on an incredible challenge.

But Chad Kellogg’s dream takes climbing this mountain to even further extremes than the typical ascent.

Human Powered Adventurers, which ever type of adventure you choose, all know there are few hard and fast certainties of adventure but we can always count on there being many variables. VertiCulture has been following Chad’s expedition since his departure for Kathmandu in early April with the confidence that he is – without a doubt – physically and mentally ready for this challenge And we hope that the fickle tendancies of the “Mother Goddess of the World” will align for his successful summit and descent in solid conditions.

After much preparation and with a positive forecasted weather window, Chad is about to begin climbing toward his goal; a speed ascent and descent record from basecamp at ~17,000’ to the summit of Mount Everest in near 30 hours. And he will begin his climb Saturday, May 22nd at approx. 3am(PST).

We spoke yesterday with Sam Bricker who just returned from a trip basecamp to film part of Chad’s journey through interviews with him, climbers, guides, and fixtures of the Everest community for Outdoor Research and for the in-the-works film, Suffer Machine. We wanted to know the general feeling at basecamp. How do others perceive Chad’s determined goal?

Sam reported the overall feeling; “This massive goal is one that very few are prepared to take on, but the community feels Chad is ready. If anyone is capable of achieving this speed record, its him. He has built a huge network of support within the community; Willie Benegas, Conrad Anker, Pemba Gylaje Sherpa, the Hanes Expedition Team, Altitude Junkies… Chad’s dedication to reach his goal has earned him deserved respect among his high altitude comrades.”

Sam continued by defining Chad is a climber, through-and-through, with the summit of Everest being a part of the lifelong “resume” he will continue to build. Though the efforts of all who attempt Everest are laudable, Chad has chosen not to go as a client or part of a team, but to go on his own, simply and purely, as a climber. “He’s not some guy who just decided to climb and signed onto a team. The real story is that he’s an unassuming homebuilder from Seattle. And he’s a climber. There’s an unavoidable distinction between a client and a climber. This is serious business for both clients and climbers but guides have a vested interest in keeping their clients safe and successful. Chad does not have that same infrastructure to fall back on. He’s on his own. But, if anyone can do this speed climb, if anyone is prepared to do it, it’s Chad.” Sam also reported that Chad is in good spirits, but anxious to begin his climb after months of preparation.

“Whether Chad realizes it or not, he has a support network that stands behind him, believes in him, and will be there to celebrate with him when he returns back to basecamp.”

Chad will begin his climb on Saturday, May 22nd and we’ll be following him via his SPOT tracker relayed here on VertiCulture. We continue to be proud of Chad’s dedication to his goal, his tireless energy and ambition for reaching his dream.

Footage with Conrad Anker was provided by Sam Bricker. Keep checking back for more as we upload additional videos from Sam’s trip to Everest.