Fitness for climbers: why descending from highest peaks is the hard part, and how to get in shape for summits – Hong Kong mountain guide
Having summited Everest three times and with 24 years’ experience, adventure guide John Tsang knows the risks and what it takes to reach the top of the world safely. He talks about altitude sickness, acclimatisation and the perilous descent from the peak
At 8am on May 17, John Tsang Chi-sing summited Everest with Wong Wai-kin. This was the third time he has reached the top of the world, having scaled the highest point on the planet in 2009 (when he was the third Hongkonger to do so) and in 2013. This time, however, he reached the top as a guide, helping two other Hongkongers achieve their Everest dream: 46-year-old Wong on May 17; and 55-year-old Raymond Ko Kam-fai the next day at 6.50am.
Tsang’s first two ascents were done at his own pace. “[Because I knew the situation and my body condition] I could push myself a bit more … I always climbed with one of my Sherpa friends … I [felt comfortable to] push myself hard,” he said of that first attempt in 2009.
Now, as a professional guide, his priorities have shifted. As founder of commercial guiding outfit Alpine Adventure Travel, which he established in 2014, the safety of his clients is the top priority. As a result, this experience felt “completely different”.
His responsibilities include discussing clients’ climbing schedules with other commercial operators and setting out specific guidelines to ensure they return to camp safely.
Tsang says the most challenging part of the trip is the descent from Everest to Camp Four. “When climbers know it’s summit day … they push themselves hard to reach the top. Once there, they tend to run out of energy; that’s why most accidents happen during the trip back down.”