Massachusetts teenager returns from climbing Mount Everest

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

PRINCETON, Mass. — A local man has accomplished a feat that very few people in the entire world come close to; At 19, Ryan Mitchell can now say he's reached the top of the world.

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Ryan Mitchell of Rutland, MA recently climbed Mount Everest and documented his trip on YouTube

Mitchell was able to fund the exploration with money he earned on his Minecraft channel

In total, the descent from Mount Everest base camp took 42 days, according to Mitchell.

Mitchell doesn't have a schedule in place, but plans to climb K2, the world's second-highest mountain, for his next big trip.

“To be honest, I’ve never been a big hiker,” Mitchell said.

In preparation for climbing Mount Everest, the teenager from Rutland, Massachusetts, said he trained largely locally.

“We're at Wachusett Mountain right now, the mountain is right there and that's the trail I always hike for six hours with a 35 to 50 pound pack,” Mitchell said. “It’s like a second home now, so it feels good it’s good to be back.

Mitchell said he was able to finance the trip, which he said cost more than $120,000 in total, through his YouTube channel.

“So I have a Minecraft channel. I've wanted to become a YouTuber since I was 10 years old. And that's how it all started,” Mitchell said. “About a year and a half ago, I started climbing Everest. I really wanted to climb. It all started with thinking of the YouTube title “I Climbed Mount Everest” because I also love creating YouTube videos.

And he said documenting the climb helped him keep moving forward.

“You can’t let your mind go numb up there,” Mitchell said. “By recording, I was able to keep it fresh and not have to think, 'OK, what am I going to record next?' What have I said before? It kind of kept me locked in, I would say.

Now, Mitchell said her goal is to continue to inspire people by showing that perseverance pays off — and can even take you to the top of the world.

“Find that goal that appeals to you and tackle it immediately. Don't waste time,” Mitchell said. “When I found Everest I weighed 217 pounds, I'm 160 now. Before leaving, I was 170 years old, I lost 10 kilos. But before that, I couldn't even run a mile. My life has completely changed, as has my psychology and everything, which I'm very happy about, of course. But the reason is because this goal called me. I wanted this to happen so badly, and it was so out of this realm that I had to lock myself away to make it happen.