Climb Everest Without Leaving London in New Immersive VR Experience
Climbing Mount Everest normally requires months of preparation, a sizeable budget and a willingness to face some of the harshest conditions on Earth. A new immersive experience in London is now offering a considerably easier way to reach the roof of the world.
Everest: The First Ascent has opened at Eclipso London in Camden, taking visitors back to the historic 1953 expedition that saw Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay become the first confirmed climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Using virtual reality, visitors become part of the expedition and travel from Nepal towards the highest point on Earth, experiencing some of the environments and challenges faced by the original team along the way.
The journey begins away from the mountain itself, introducing visitors to Nepal, its temples and traditions, before heading higher into the Himalayas.
As the expedition progresses, the experience recreates high-altitude camps, glaciers, freezing conditions, thinning oxygen and the final push towards Everest’s 8,849-metre summit.
Rather than simply watching the story unfold on a screen, participants are able to move through the virtual environment as the events of the famous expedition take place around them.
Reliving the Historic 1953 Everest Expedition
The British Mount Everest expedition of 1953 was led by Colonel John Hunt and involved a huge supporting team of climbers, Sherpas and porters.
After weeks of establishing camps and working a route higher up the mountain, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit on 29 May 1953.
Their achievement became one of the defining moments in the history of mountaineering.
The new London experience aims to tell more than just the story of those final steps to the summit, placing a strong emphasis on Tenzing Norgay, Sherpa culture and the enormous collective effort required to make the first ascent possible.
The production was developed using historical, cultural and mountaineering research, with specialists brought in to help create an authentic recreation of both the expedition and the Himalayan environment.
Among those involved were Tibetan Buddhism and sacred mountain specialist Katia Buffetrille, mountaineering writer and historian Charlie Buffet, and Lapka Sherpa Gelgen, an experienced Sherpa guide who has summited Everest seven times.
Everest Comes to Camden
The experience arrives in London following its world premiere as part of the Venice Immersive programme at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in September.
Visitors wear virtual reality headsets and are able to move freely through the experience without traditional handheld controllers.
The full visit takes around an hour once the introduction, equipment fitting and immersive experience are included.
Tickets start at around £20, with the experience suitable for visitors aged eight and above.
Everest: The First Ascent can be found at Eclipso London, 213–219 Camden High Street, close to Camden Town Underground station.
For anyone fascinated by Mount Everest but not particularly keen on spending weeks acclimatising in the Himalayas, it could be the closest thing yet to experiencing the legendary climb without actually setting foot on the mountain.
