Riding bicycles as a sport is a growing phenomenon in China, with some cyclists taking it to new heights.

Three riders recently traveled to China’s Tibet to attempt to climb nearly 9,000 meters up Mount Qomolangma, the mighty peak known in the West as Everest.

Straddling the international border between China and Nepal, Qomolangma is the highest mountain in the world. Precipitous and snowbound, Qomolangma is infamously tough to climb on foot – and impossible on two wheels.

The brave triumvirate of cyclists set their sights on an endurance challenge known as “Everesting,” under which an individual has to scale a peak repeatedly until they have cumulatively climbed the height of Everest, 8,848 meters. Everesting can be attempted anywhere in the world (around 1,800 people have managed it), but the group – including the founder of Everesting, plus a former pro triathlete – hoped to become the first to tackle it on Qomolangma itself.

The site was one of the highest and most remote climbs in the world, to Rombok Monastery at Everest Base Camp, at a dizzying 5,000 meters altitude. On the morning of October 12, the cyclists began the first of a planned 152.5 ascents and descents of the Rombok Monastery climb, a total distance of 366 kilometers, in extreme cold and with very limited oxygen.

CGTN Digital spoke with Shannon Bufton of Beijing’s Serk Cycling about the grueling experience.

“We were kind of humbled by Everest,” he said. “If it had been easy, it probably meant it was not a hard enough challenge.”

“There is a lack of oxygen which makes the going very slow,” Bufton explained, also describing “this howling wind that was in our face. It was very hard to overcome physically and mentally.”

To remain upbeat, Bufton said the cyclists had a support team on the ground and kept their own personal secret stash of their favorite foods to help them get through it.

“I had a chocolate bar from Holland,” he said. “That picked me up."

Unfortunately, the three were not successful due to the extreme conditions which caused delays, but regardless Bufton said the epic journey will be unforgettable.

“The moment I stepped off the bike, it was somewhere between 2 and 3 in the morning. It was just me in the night air. I just stood there for a minute and took the moment in. Respect to Everest for being such a mighty mountain.”

And after an earlier successful Everesting closer to Beijing, Bufton is already eyeing another go at Everesting Everest.

“No firm plan yet, but let’s just say it is starting to form in my mind how to attack it again,” he said. “Pretty sure we will have another try."

There are now plenty of lycra-clad men and women attempting journeys of various degrees of extremity in China. Serk Cycling has more than 1,000 members and runs trips throughout the year to various parts of the country.