Everest in five days: Britons first conquered the summit with xenon

Four British climbers became the first to climb Mount Everest using xenon, a gas that improves acclimatization. In total, their expedition lasted less than five days from London to the summit, which was made possible by new approaches to training. This is reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.

Four British climbers have set a new precedent in the history of conquering Everest - for the first time they used xenon, which allowed them to avoid several weeks of acclimatization

Usually, climbers spend several weeks or even months on the mountain, stopping at each altitude reached for a while to allow the body to adapt. Climbing Everest is extremely dangerous if the climber has not acclimatized properly.

This time, instead of the traditional long stay at high altitude, the climbers inhaled xenon in Germany before heading to the mountains.

Xenon is a colorless, odorless gas found in very small amounts in the Earth's atmosphere. It is known for its anesthetic properties and medical applications.

Also, at home, the climbers slept in special hyperbaric tents that mimic high-altitude conditions to prepare for the ascent. After that, they traveled from London to Everest and reached its summit (height 8848 meters) in less than five days. Additional oxygen was also used during the ascent, as in most expeditions.

Xenon improves acclimatization and protects the body from altitude sickness and the effects of hypoxia

According to him, although guides have already tested this technique before, this is the first case for clients - ordinary climbers.

This approach not only made the ascent safer and faster, but also reduced the environmental impact on the mountain.

A shorter expedition also means less garbage, less resources, less waste of human activity in this sensitive environment

Not everyone in the climbing community is equally positive about the innovation. American guide Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions called the use of xenon a "trick."

It never seemed like the kind of experience we want to provide. But if these climbers are proud of this style, it's their choice

Reference

For this season, Nepal has already issued 468 permits to climb Everest, of which more than 200 climbers have already reached the summit.

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