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British climbers use innovative method to reach Everest summit quickly
Four British climbers, including government minister Alistair Carns, successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest in a bid to set a new record. They departed London on Friday, having prepared for the low oxygen levels at high altitude using an unconventional method involving xenon gas, a technique that has sparked debate within the mountaineering community.
Before leaving Britain, the team spent time sleeping in specialized low-oxygen tents to pre-acclimatize. Their climb aims to raise funds for charities supporting veterans.
“All four climbers, accompanied by a photographer and five Sherpas, reached the peak at 7:10 am this morning,” said Lukas Furtenbach, expedition leader from Furtenbach Adventures based in Austria.
The group includes Garth Miller, Anthony Stazicker, and Kevin Godlington and is now on their descent from the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) summit.
They plan to return to base camp by evening and, weather permitting, to be back home within a week.
The expedition also raises money to support children who lost parents in conflict zones.
Carns, aged 45, a colonel in the Royal Marine reserves and one of Britain’s most decorated lawmakers since World War II, shared his motivation: “Having served five tours in Afghanistan, I have seen many not return. Supporting the children left behind feels like the most honorable action we can take.”
Though not the fastest ascent team—Nepali climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa holds that record with a 10 hour and 56 minute climb—expedition leader Miller, a commercial pilot, described their approach as a “new way to climb 8,000-meter peaks.”
Traditionally, climbing Everest requires months of acclimatization rotations, but this team went straight to base camp after arriving from London.
Regions above 8,000 meters are known as the “death zone” because thin air raises risks of altitude sickness.
The climbers pre-acclimatized at home using hypoxic tents and specialized training, then were administered xenon gas two weeks prior to departure.
Despite being banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2014 for potentially enhancing performance illegally, Furtenbach advocates xenon for speeding up ascents and reducing altitude sickness risks.
Inhaling xenon stimulates erythropoietin (EPO) production, which promotes the formation of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, enhancing oxygen transport.
German physician Michael Fries explained, “Xenon inhalation mimics traditional high-altitude acclimatization by increasing hemoglobin and protecting against altitude sickness caused by low oxygen.”
The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) issued a caution, noting a lack of evidence that xenon improves mountain performance and warning of potential dangers.
Critics like Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions see xenon use as a gimmick that undermines the traditional challenge of Everest climbing, which pushes climbers to their limits and offers valuable learning experiences.
Nonetheless, Furtenbach, who has experimented with xenon since 2020, is confident in its benefits and hopes it will eventually become a standard safety measure in high-altitude climbing.