Aranda electrician Ben Darlington thinks so, and he is putting his theory to the test.

Tomorrow Mr Darlington, 29, will fly to Nepal to join a group of hopeful would-be mountaineers from around the world who, with the help of guides and Sherpas, plan to climb to the peak of the tallest mountain in the world.

He has done some mountain climbing in South America, but the highest peak Mr Darlington has reached was about 6000 metres tall, whereas Mount Everest towers more than 8800 metres.

As a small businessman, Mr Darlington works 80 to 100 hours a week in an active job, and he said that level of activity, along with mental toughness, could be enough to take him to the top.

''I'm actually doing my own little experiment on how fit electricians are,'' he said.

Mr Darlington has an athletic background, growing up near Jindabyne, NSW, where he was a junior cross-country skier at a national level. When he moved to Canberra he was an A-grade cyclist.

He hikes in the mountains around Canberra but his preparation for the two-month Everest trek amounts to little more than running his dogs a couple of times a week.

His fiancee, Laura Meadley, said while she will be nervous, as a competitive road cyclist specialising in races longer than 100 kilometres, she respected the fact that outdoor endeavours often involve risks.

In fact, Ms Meadley will head off to America to cycle while Mr Darlington is away. And as there is little phone reception on the mountain she has prepared to be without contact for the duration of the trip.

''I'll expect no contact, because that way if I don't hear anything I won't be worried,'' she said.

Ms Meadley said that the Canadian company Mr Darlington had chosen had not lost anyone on the mountain.