For mountain climbers, conquering Mount Everest generally is regarded as the pinnacle achievement of the practice.

It is the Super Bowl of the sport, considering there are so many mountain climbers and so few who have reached the summit of hallowed Himalayan peak 29,035 feet above sea level.

"It is the ultimate peak for high-altitude mountaineers," said Thomas Haines, a Colorado State University student who currently is on the mountain.

Those who successfully have completed the task, though, are not rewarded with championship rings, endorsement deals or thrust into the international spotlight. Dividends for these winners come in the form of pride, inner strength and lifelong memories.

A handful of Colorado natives have conquered the peak, and others, such as Haines, are making an attempt. Hooman Aprin, of Denver, scaled Everest in 1990. The 22-year-old Haines is about a month into his effort.

Each recently shared his respective story, their tales offering an interesting before-and-after perspective.

Aprin, 52, was the leader of a 12-person Everest expedition 14 years ago. His group included four additional guides, five clients and two sherpas. Aprin will be the first to tell you that success is no guarantee: During his journey, seven of 12 climbers reached the summit.

Both sherpas and four of the five guides completed the task, but only one of the clients achieved the goal. It was Cathy Gibson, the only female client. At the time, Gibson was only the third American woman to conquer Everest.

Aprin said the key to the success was not worrying about the ultimate goal until the time came.

"Every day, when the day ended, all I wanted to know is that I did my best," he said. "Reaching the summit was a by-product of me doing my best on a daily basis. You couldn't be so attached to the results that you were walking on pins and needles the entire time."

It took Aprin 25 days to reach the top, and Gibson arrived two days later. The group, though, already had spent 18 days in Nepal making the trek to the Everest base camp. Often, hikers are flown in by helicopter or small plane to that point.

From there, Aprin was so focused on helping the group that his own pursuit did not always occupy his thoughts.

"I was there to provide the opportunity for the clients to make the hike," Aprin said. "So that is partially what kept me distracted and made it easy."

An interesting side note to Aprin's group was the plight of fellow guide Alex Lowe, one of the world's most prestigious climbers. Lowe, from Montana, was killed Oct. 5, 1999, in an avalanche while attempting to scale Xishapangma, a Tibet-based Himalayan peak.

Haines undoubtedly has heard several Everest tales and believed he was fully prepared before he left Colorado in early April. Haines, who has climbed since he was 14 and will be part of an eight-person group, points out that Mount Everest probably could be scaled in about one week if not for the altitude.

"I have climbed mountains that require a lot more technical gear and are a step above what I will (encounter) on the northeast ridge of Everest," Haines said. "However, on Everest, I will be performing these tasks at much colder temperatures and at an altitude that will alter my physical and mental abilities drastically."

Haines figures to have the endurance to pull through. He has climbed 47 of the 54 14,000-foot mountains in the United States and has climbed in Argentina, New Zealand, Ecuador, Mexico and Canada. He ranks Mount Robson, a Canadian peak, as his crowning achievement but said Everest will transcend anything he has done.

He said that "boredom" might become an adverse factor because climbers are forced to have so much downtime because of the time required for acclimatization to the altitude.

Haines brought along items such as homework, cards and a chessboard to bide his time, knowing thoughts of the summit will not allow him to become complacent.

"I am not afraid at this point," Haines said two days before he left Colorado.

"The only concerning day, as far as safety goes, will be the summit day. We will be on a very exposed ridge with over a mile drop-off on either side. . . . It is this day that separates climbing on the North side from the standard route on the South."