It might sound like a dirty joke, but this is true. According to Srinath Varma, a passionate 26-year-old climber who spoke to Vice about climbing Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the Himalayas, which has an elevation of 8,849 metres.
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Experiencing oxygen deficiency at 8,000 metres high
According to him, the entire blood flow slows down as you get higher on the mountain, and the heart beats harder and faster.
The lack of blood flow to your brain, paired with oxygen deficiency really does make your mind go blank. You feel as though you have no retained knowledge and you start to forget how your body works—it’s scary!
But that's not all that happens as you're ascending Earth's highest peak... Apparently, Srinath started seeing his member erect at 4,500 meters. And as it turns out, there's a scientific explanation behind this. This phenomenon is not isolated. It's called the airplane boner.
The airplane boner
As the cabin pressure changes with altitude, the male penis becomes erect. The lower cabin pressure due to altitude then causes blood to flow directly to the boner region of the male anatomy. This situation is worsened if an attractive female is sitting next to you. But we have no scientific evidence to prove that. However, screaming children on planes seem to lessen the severity of the swelling.
Climbing the Everest is a bit different than being on a plane. The experience, we can only guess, is much more intense than being on a plane. So, we can only imagine that the boner itself, might also be more intense.
When asked how long it lasted, Srinath answered:
About two hours per day, I think. I just had to drink a lot of water to speed up blood circulation, and also keep my body warm and constantly moving. It’s a patience game.
He also admitted it didn't make too much difference when he climbs but it's difficult to hide the third limb. But, with the lack of oxygen 'his mind was already playing tricks', so it's not a big issue. We reckon The Everest is worth the trouble.
