Cyclist Daniel Connell rolled by his temporary “base camp,” where Old San Marcos Pass Road meets Highway 154, one last time at 1:33 a.m. on Thursday, March 21. He had just climbed Old San Marcos Pass Road, or OSM, a favorite amongst cyclists in town, for the 50th time in one go, earning him a “Double Everest.”
Technically, Connell had achieved the required 60K feet of elevation gain on his 48th ascent, but he figured, “Might as well make it 50.”
“Everesting,” a discipline gaining more and more popularity, is the act of climbing the equivalent altitude of Mt. Everest, on a bike or on foot, in one go. It is a brutal test of physical stamina, but even more so, mental endurance. Connell doubled it.