How do I prepare mentally for climbing at extreme altitude like Everest?

You know, the Hodja would probably laugh at the idea that you can *prepare* for something that fundamentally changes how your brain works. At extreme altitude, oxygen deprivation does things no amount of visualization can rehearse. But here's what I've found: the real preparation isn't about summiting. It's about making friends with uncertainty and your own smallness. Start by spending time in genuinely uncomfortable places—not just mountains, but situations where you can't control the outcome. A winter night in a desert. A solo kayak through fog. Something that teaches your nervous system that discomfort isn't danger. Then, crucially, practice *noticing* your thoughts without believing them. At 26,000 feet, your mind will tell you apocalyptic things. Your job isn't to fight those thoughts but to observe them like clouds passing. Read firsthand accounts—not for inspiration, but for honesty. Find climbers who describe the hallucinations, the irrational decisions, the unexpected moments of joy. That's your real preparation: knowing what you might experience without needing to fix it. And before you go, spend a week doing something deliberately inefficient and slow. Chop wood. Garden. Something that reminds you that the examined life—even when it's hard—is still worth living. The mountain will teach you the rest.