>>2732439Most Everest approaches start at even higher elevation than 2000m, some of the base towns are higher than 2000m. Elevation is not everything (it isn't unimportant either), there are world class technical climbs below 20k ft (even below 15k ft) all over the world, and elsewhere in Alaska itself. For example the most prominent mountain in the world by topographic relief immediately from sea level to its peak that is visible from the sea is also in Alaska, Mount Saint Elias, from sea to peak it rises its full 18,000 feet in less than 11 miles as the crow flies. Elias beats out several other peaks of the Andes in sea to peak climb directly and is acknowledged as having the most relief of any peak on Earth within the shortest distance (within 10 nautical miles, some of the Andean ones are 20 nautical miles from the sea and have subranges in front of them, blocking their view from the sea). Some people also will not be able to acclimate to even 15,000 feet well at all, and technically anything over about 3k m (10,000 ft) can cause potentially dangerous mountain sickness in some individuals, even with acclimatization. People living above 4k m in the Andes and the Tibetan plateau and Nepal are literally built different, smaller frames and significantly more efficient blood oxygen utilization.
