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Would You Ride A Hot Air Balloon Over Mt. Everest?

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A Hot-Air Balloon Ride Over Mt. Everest Will Cost You $2.6 Million

Associate Travel Editor
Seriously?! A Hot-Air Balloon Ride Over Mt. Everest Will Cost You $2.6 Million
The Everest balloon ride would cost two people $5.215 million. (Courtesy: IfOnly)
Is the garden-variety hot-air balloon ride not an exciting enough date for you? Got a few million dollars stashed under your mattress? If so, one man is offering the adventure of a lifetime – possibly a short lifetime.

Chris Dewhirst, the man who in 1991 completed the first hot-air balloon ride over Mount Everest is looking for two passengers for his second attempt: it costs over $2.6 million per person. And lest you get cold feet, the trip is non-refundable, with no guarantee of a successful crossing.

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Pilot Chris Dewhirst, who was aboard the first successful balloon ride over Everest. (Courtesy: IfOnly)

Looking down on the frosty peaks of the world’s highest mountain from over 30,000 feet is bound to be worth the price for someone – people are paying $250,000 a head just for the possibility of flying into space with Virgin Galactic. The expedition is being advertised on the luxury site, IfOnly and boasts, “This is not only a remarkable endeavor, it is also an invitation to join one of the most elite fraternities on Earth.”

This isn’t just a joyride, though. Passengers will need to prove they’re physically able to make the crossing, and they’ll need to commit to up to a month of training. No surprise, there’s a detailed liability waiver you’ll need to sign as well.

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The original Everest flight.(Courtesy: IfOnly)
The objective is to spend up to several weeks in Nepal, waiting for the right conditions to go airborne for a daylong flight. Himalayan weather is notoriously fickle, and climbing Everest is a dangerous endeavor, and over a dozen climbers were killed in one accident there earlier this year.

Says the ad, “While Chris will make completing the journey a priority, safety is of course the top concern.  If the weather is uncooperative at the time of the attempt, Chris will make every effort to reschedule though this may come at additional expense.”




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