A millionaire “desk jockey” has recounted his incredible journey hiking Mount Everest without any training. Neel Parekh, 35, told how the climb of a lifetime began when he and his wife arrived at one of the world’s most dangerous runways in Nepal – danger that stems from the fact that it is just 500m long. What followed was a thrilling journey through some of the world’s most high altitude villages that saw Parekh push his body to the limit and find himself “humbled” by the natural world .
But while he believes that almost anyone can make the climb, he has been frank about its challenges too. “I firmly believe that ANYONE with average fitness can do this. The trek itself isn’t too technical.
It’s long, yeah, but that’s expected. The hard parts come from the unexpected,” he explained on Twitter (X). The entrepreneur said his journey to Everest Base Camp, which is 17,598 ft above sea level, got off to what felt like an “easy” start on day one.
This is when he met his Sherpa guide – a Tibetan local genetically suited to life at high altitudes – and checked into his accommodation. But by the second day of his trip, Parekh realised that just getting to the foot of Everest is a task in and of itself and he had to hike for seven hours through uneven terrain. “I quickly start realising that trudging uphill, with a pack, in thin air, is crazy hard,” he admitted.
He admits that this part of the journey was “humbling” especially when he was “huf.
