Exercise 3 Young Mountaineer

His training programme is rather unusual because he relies very heavily on his youth and ‘feeling good’ when out in the hills and mountains. He explained, “I know what it’s like to walk until my legs feel like they are on fire, but I have to keep going so that the pain will subside. It isn’t about the speed you go, but rather about minimizing the number of stops you take,” he said. “If you stop for only one minute it can easily turn into fifteen minutes which could lose you a kilometre.” Jake added, “I constantly set myself targets of a little bit further each time I go out training. Also I’ve had to fit this in around my exams. I’m studying environmental geo-science at university and I need to make sure I pass!”

Jake Meyer attempted Everest after only ten years of climbing which included five years of what he describes as ‘proper mountaineering’. He said, “When climbing Everest, it’s possible to take your time moving up and down between camps, gradually building up to the summit. That way you acclimatize to the altitude. I took what is considered to be an easier route up the North Col and North East Ridge which is thought to be more of a slow ‘plod’ than a speedy race. Nevertheless you have to keep going as fast as you can.”

This latest record-breaking challenge, however, was a lot tougher than he had imagined. He faced not only the dangers of altitude, but the very real threat of attack by bears or snakes and, of course, in driving from coast to coast, the worry of road accidents. For this challenge, speed was vital.  

As he continued, his lead increased and his record-breaking attempt became a certainty. It is suggested that the time for a round trip up Mount Hood (4,000 metres) is about 12 hours. Jake Meyer did it in only 6 hours, in spite of going through snow fields without specialist footwear. He got stronger and stronger as he progressed, and sometimes managed to climb as many as four smaller peaks in a single day even though he occasionally got lost.

He feels he still has challenges to meet and would like to reach the summit of the highest peak in each country in Europe. He would enjoy going up K2, the second highest mountain in the world, as well as taking an alternative route up to the top of Everest.