British climbers become first to scale Mount Everest with new method
A team of four British climbers has made mountaineering history by becoming the first to summit Mount Everest using Xenon gas, a method that significantly shortened the usual acclimatisation period needed for the climb.
The expedition, organised by Austria-based Furtenbach Adventures, saw the climbers reach the 8,848-metre (29,032 ft) peak in under five days after leaving London, News.Az reports citing The Independent.
Traditional Everest expeditions involve weeks or even months of acclimatisation on the mountain, allowing climbers' bodies to adjust to the extreme altitudes.
This process is crucial for safety, as attempting the ascent without proper acclimatisation poses severe risks. Before their climb, the British team inhaled Xenon gas in Germany in a procedure designed to accelerate the acclimatisation process.
In addition to the Xenon gas treatment, the climbers utilised specialised tents simulating high-altitude conditions during their preparation at home.
Xenon, a colorless and odorless gas present in trace amounts in the Earth's atmosphere, possesses certain anesthetic properties and has recognised medical applications.
“Xenon improves the acclimatisation and protects the body from altitude sickness and the effects from the hypoxic environment,” Furtenbach told Reuters in a text message from the base camp, referring to the low oxygen environment in the mountains.
Furtenbach, who has logged four Everest ascents, said Xenon gas was used by guides before but “it is the first time for clients”, or ordinary climbers.
Xenon made the climb safer and shorter as it kept the climbers properly acclimatised, he said.
“Shorter expedition also means less garbage, less resources, less human waste in this sensitive environment,” Furtenbach said. Piles of garbage dumped by climbers have been an issue on Everest in recent years.
American climber and guide Adrian Ballinger of the Alpenglow Expeditions company called the use of Xenon a “stunt ... it’s never seemed like the type of experience we want to provide.”
“Everyone should climb the mountain in a form they are proud of. If these climbers are proud of this style, then that’s their choice,” Ballinger said.
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