Mountain is a young German startup founded in 600 and formed by veterans of the world of gaming, with a more or less illustrious past in the competitive multiplayer sector. Its first flagship product is Mountain Everest , a mechanical keyboard for players very special. Not only because it wants to be as complete as possible, but above all because it is custom built around the needs of the most committed players. It is modular and is offered with high-performance mechanical switches, supplied by the historic company in the sector Cherry .

Mountain Everest is a modular keyboard which, in its most complete form, includes the Media Dock with the Display Dial , the numeric keypad with 4 small programmable displays , the USB hub through a additional USB 3.2 Gen 1 port and the customization kit with additional key covers and five switches that can be easily installed in place than the default ones (Cherry MX Red type). This all-inclusive version costs 250 EUR.

The keyboard comes in an elegant (and bulky) package , divided into two compartments. Above we find the keyboard, while below there are five small boxes , each containing the modular elements just described. On the upper part of the keyboard there are two hooks USB-C , which allow you to install the Media Dock on both right than on the left, and the same can be said for the sides, allowing you to install the numeric keypad, once again, on the right or left. Below you can attach the palm rest via a magnetic connection.

One of the most interesting parts of keyboard is definitely the Display Dial on the media dock, equipped with a small screen that provides a variety of information to the player while the PC is running. This is a wheel with which you switch between three menu items set by default: Clock, Profile, Lighting, Volume, Brightness, PC info, APM and Custom. After selecting the desired item, press once on the physical button immediately to the left of the wheel to enter the corresponding submenu, while pressing this button twice takes you back to the main screen.

Let’s see what they are for the various modes of the Display Dial. Clock obviously displays the clock, in digital or analog format depending on the choice made by the player in the software. Profile allows you to switch from one profile to another, as they are configured via software. Profiles can differ in lighting effects, button assignments, macros, and more. Lighting allows you to scroll through the various lighting effects available and Volume to change, of course, the volume as it is set in Windows. Brightness adjusts the intensity level of the illumination.

PC info is one of the most interesting, because it allows you to monitor on the fly the level of CPU or GPU occupation, as well as the quantity of RAM or the use made of the internet connection. APM shows the number of actions per minute performed by the player, a very interesting data in games, for example, like League of Legends: basically this is the number of keyboard buttons pressed in one minute.

Custom , on the other hand, allows you to enable the custom mode and to associate different functions to the buttons of the Media Dock, or to customize their assignments and change the result with respect to the rotation of the Display Dial in both directions (for example, you can scroll a web page with the Display Dial). On the left of the Media Dock we find four LED indicators , which indicate the activation or not of the caps lock , del bloc scroll and del bloc num in case the numeric keypad is docked.

The numeric keypad with customizable displays , which in some ways resemble the Stream Deck by Elgato. The player can configure the operation of these displays through the software and set images to allow remembering the setting made. For example, we can decide to assign the application Steam to one of the buttons and display the icon of the famous Valve program, so you can quickly recall it at any time. But that’s just an example, because you can assign a button macro or a profile to these buttons.

All these adjustments are made via the software Base Camp (all names respect the climbing theme). Among other things, Base Camp allows you to configure lighting, set macros and configure the associations for each of the keyboard buttons , which can be associated with applications, mouse functions, macros and more. If you do not want to install Base Camp, however, all the adjustments can also be made through combinations of buttons on the keyboard, with the ability to manage multimedia controls, lighting, profiles and various special modes (such as Game Mode, which inhibits the operation of the Windows button to prevent inappropriate returns to Windows during game sessions).

The lower part of Mountain Everest is also quite interesting, as it is set up with a series of conduits that allow you to keep cables tidy and to make your desk as clean as possible. Additional feet with magnetic hooks included in the package can also be positioned on the circular feet at the top in order to keep the device in an elevated position.

The package contains, in addition to these additional pins, also five switches, an extra key cover and the tool for easy removal of key covers and switches. Additional switches can be placed in place of W, A, S, D or the keys most used by players to experiment with innovative combinations. In addition, they allow you to try the other switches that are available for this keyboard: at the time of purchase, in fact, you can choose the desired switch. These are RGB Red, RGB Brown, RGB Blue, RGB Silent Red and RGB Speed ​​Silver .

In the sample we tested there are the Reds, who personally are the ones we prefer. These have infinite travel without audible or tactile feedback and offer minimal resistance to pressure. According to what Mountain tells us, the original Cherry stabilizers were used to ensure the greatest possible stability of the switches on the plate, together with the lubricant Krytox GPL 205 g0 to minimize noise. Additionally, a damping foam was used between the Everest PCB and the keycaps to increase noise absorption.

Regarding the USB-C docking system we have to say that it works quite well. The Media Dock can be positioned nimbly and USB-C connections work well. More problematic is the numeric keypad, whose latch is rather weak. If you lift the keyboard, for example to position the Media Dock, the numeric keypad will inevitably pop out. Mountain lets us know that this is a conscious decision to avoid the risk of bending or disconnecting the connector. During normal keyboard operation you will not notice anything strange but, as mentioned, this type of connection to the current state of things remains one of the main problems of Everest’s youth.

The other point not completely convincing is related to lighting. Even at the maximum level of brightness it is a not completely incisive and decidedly softer lighting than those sported by other keyboards in this category. Attention, for those who do not like too much lighting effects, this could be a positive factor. In any case, the lighting effect is adjustable, as we said, and can also be completely disabled.

Ultimately, Mountain Everest is definitely a project very innovative and presents several points of interest. It is certainly a very expensive keyboard in its full configuration, which can only be recommended for a specific type of gamer. Very interesting is the Media Dock with Display Dial to monitor the status of the PC during all phases of the game, as well as the numeric keypad that recalls some ideas of the Elgato Stream Deck. Some limitations, as we said, on the USB-C connections and the lighting: they could only be flaws of youth since Everest is actually only the first commercial product of the young startup.

Mass production of the keyboard started in October and shipments of the first pre-ordered units are in progress. Those who buy an Everest now, on the other hand, will have to wait until the end of November for the delivery of their unit, according to what the manufacturer tells us. Mountain Everest can be purchased on the Mountain website, while below you can see a chart with prices for the various configurations. Finally, remember that Mountain is also responsible for the gaming mouse Mountain Makalu 67 .