Climbers Using Xenon Gas Summit Everest
Instead of taking weeks to climb Everest, these climbers just summited five days after leaving home
Four British Army veterans have climbed to the summit of Everest using xenon with expedition organiser Furtenbach Adventures. Welcome to the xenon era!
Their goal is to summit Everest and return home within a week, which means they now have two days to complete their objective. The climbers were Garth Miller, Alastair Carns, Anthony Stazicker, and Kev Godlington. With them were several guides and a photographer.
“Xenon improves the acclimatisation and protects the body from altitude sickness and the effects from the hypoxic environment,” Furtenbach told Reuters. American climber and guide Adrian Ballinger of the Alpenglow Expeditions called the use of Xenon a “stunt … it’s never seemed like the type of experience we want to provide… if these climbers are proud of this style, then that’s their choice.”
Nepal issued 468 permits to Everest for the spring climbing season and more than 200 have already reached the summit so far this year.
