Yahoo Lifestyle What do they Eat on Everest?
At Base Camp and Camp 2, Sherpas do all the cooking. At Camp 1 and Camp 3, you cook for yourself, but the food—often fresh dal baht (rice and lentils) or fried potatoes—is still transported in by the Sherpas. It’s really only at Camp 4, on the summit push, for at most two days, where dehydrated food is eaten, or simply ignored.
Snack Foods
At most camps, snack foods of all kinds are available 24/7 including:
Yogurt-covered raisins
Almonds
Peanuts
Cashews
Gummy bears
Crackers
Pringles chips (everyone’s favorite!)
M&Ms
Drinks
At Base Camp, we have every drink imaginable!
Coffee
Tea - black tea, milk tea, herbal tea
Powders: Protein powders, electrolyte powders, chocolate powders, milk powders
Soft drinks: Coke, Sprite, Fanta
Alcohol: San Miguel beer and your choice of Scotch: single malt or blended.
Too much?
It might seem excessive, but the goal is to keep climbers and Sherpas eating and drinking as much as possible for as long as possible. Extreme exercise, bad sleep, and high altitude inevitably tear the body down, and above 20,000 feet (6,096 meters), there’s no possibility for recovery.
A climber simply becomes weaker and weaker. Above 23,000 feet (7,010 meters), many people lose their appetite completely, whereupon the body begins feasting on itself, rapidly consuming both muscle and fat.
The Everest Diet
Call it the Everest Diet: Eat everything in sight, eat as much as you possibly can at all times, and lose at least two pounds a week, every week, for as long as you’re willing to stay at high altitude.
Read the full article
This is an except from National Geographic Magazine's 'On Everest Field Test' blog. To read the full article and for more Everest blogs and photo galleries, visit the National Geographic Magazine "On Everest Field Test" blog site.
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