Snowbasin Resort sits just outside of Ogden, Utah and serves as the base camp for the 29029 Everesting event happening this week. The event challenges participants to climb the popular ski mountain 13 times in 36 hours to reach 29,029 feet, the same height as Mt. Everest.
Janell Yule has her eyes set on reaching that goal.
"I want to meet the version of myself that can climb a mountain 13 times in 36 hours," said Yule.
Fitness and physical challenges aren't foreign territory for Yule. Janell and her husband Justin own The Transformation Club in Chanhassen, which pushes people to overcome their insecurities through nutrition and fitness.
Having completed a couple of marathons before, Janell wanted a new, more unique challenge.
"I love being outside and I love hiking. That piece of it drew me to this event," Yule said. "Just the concept, it's so unique and different. I don't have a desire to necessarily climb Mt. Everest. But to do Mt. Everest in a safe way where I'm not risking my life is appealing to me."
Yule and around 250 other climbers will begin their 36 hour endeavor on Friday.
The climb takes participants up a trail high in the Wasatch Mountains. The trail is mostly comprised of ski runs, packed with dirt, rock, and hard gravel. After each ascent, climbers will take a gondola down the mountainside to the base camp to restart the climb.
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Training for the event forced Yule to get outdoors and get creative. In the final few weeks leading up to the ultimate challenge, she would spend between 8 to 10 hours training.
"You do the best you can. There's been a couple of places that I have spent a lot of time including Richard T. Anderson Conservation Area in Eden Prairie, Afton State Park, Willow River State Park, and I even spent a lot of time at Highland Hills climbing ski hills. I've also used the treadmill because one advantage is you don't have to go back down on a treadmill. Outside, once you go up, you got to go back down."
Yule will make the climb alongside another coach/team member at the Transformation Club. Her husband, Justin, will also be there for support throughout the journey.
"Our plan is to stick together and we're hopeful that if one of us is struggling, the other one will feel strong and we can kind of use that. My husband will be with me as a support system."
Each ascent could take anywhere between 75 to 90 minutes, but will vary based on a number of conditions, including weather.
"I'm really praying that it doesn't rain," Yule said. "I'm prepared for it and have the gear in case of rain, but my preference would be to not experience that."
When they reach the peak for the final time, climbers will receive a red bib signifying they’ve reached Everest. There’s also a coveted red hat awarded to each participant.
"I have a feeling there will be a lot of emotions when we get that red hat and take the gondola ride down. There will also be a lot of relief that we're done at that point physically, mentally, and emotionally."
Yule hopes her 29029 Everesting journey encourages others to consider doing something out of the ordinary.
"I want people to ask themselves what their Everest is," she said. "A lot of times we get too comfortable with the way things are and never really go into a place of transformation, growth, and expansion. That's really where we learn about ourselves and do things we never thought we were capable of. I think we're all far more capable of things than we've ever imagined."