Livingston Doctor Climbed Mt. Everest In Short Time

ESSEX COUNTY — Mt. Everest — the tallest point on earth, is in the Himalaya Mountains between Nepal and Tibet, an autonomous region of China — is a challenge for even the most experienced mountain climber.

Dr. Qaisra Saeed, a Short Hills resident and cardiologist at Cooperman Barnabas Health hospitals in Livingston and Newark, recently climbed Mr. Everest in just three weeks — a much shorter time than most people, noted news reports this month.

While it usually takes people two or three months, "She couldn't be away from her patients that long," says a story in NorthJersey.com. So she trained in January, sticking to a special diet and training, and sleeping in a hypoxic tent beforehand to get used to lower oxygen levels.

“I’ve been climbing mountains for several years," Saeed said. "In mountain climbing, Everest was always in the back of my mind. It didn’t always feel to be attainable."

A Difficult Climb

On MedPage Today, Saeed reveals what her schedule was for climbing, with stops at camps and to avoid a storm. She finished her climb in May.

The peak is 29,032 feet high.

Climbing there has become controversial, due to pollution, too many climbers at times, and fears of indigenous people in the area being exploited, says National Geographic.

It's also a challenging climb that requires much training. Find out more here.