Explained: How Xenon Gas Helped UK Veterans Climb Everest In Just 3 Days
A team of four British ex-special forces veterans, including UK Labour Party minister Alistair Carns, summited Mount Everest on Wednesday morning. The group attempted a high-risk, high-speed challenge to fly from London, scaled the world's highest peak, and returned home - all in seven days.
Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines colonel, was joined by fellow ex-special forces veterans Garth Miller, Kevin Godlington, and Anthony Stazicker. The expedition aimed to raise 1 million pounds for charities supporting military families.
Such a rapid ascent is almost unheard of in mountaineering, where most climbers spend up to two months battling altitude sickness, unpredictable weather, and physical exhaustion. But this team's approach had a controversial edge - the use of xenon gas, an odourless anaesthetic.
What Is Xenon Gas?
Xenon is a rare, colourless, odourless, and tasteless noble gas found in trace amounts in Earth's atmosphere, according to the National Institute of Health.
These gases are very stable because their outermost layer of electrons is full, which means they don't easily react or combine with other substances.
Xenon is found only in tiny amounts in the air around us, much less than the oxygen or nitrogen we breathe. Because it doesn't react with much, xenon stays in its pure form and doesn't change easily.
Even though it is a gas at room temperature, xenon is much heavier than air. It has some unique uses because of its properties, like in special lights, medical treatments, and even in space rockets.
Xenon gas isn't new to science. It has long been used as an anaesthetic in medicine and, more recently, studied for its effects on helping the body adapt to low oxygen.
How Xenon Gas Helps Mountaineers
Some researchers say that inhaling xenon gas activates a molecule called hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), which the body naturally triggers when adjusting to high altitudes, as reported by The NY Times.
When activated, HIF increases the production of red blood cells and improves oxygen delivery throughout the body, helping it adapt to environments with less oxygen.
Mountaineers typically spend weeks slowly ascending and resting at Everest Base Camp and higher camps to allow their bodies to adjust. But the British team skipped that step. Two weeks before the climb, they reportedly inhaled carefully administered doses of xenon gas in Germany, combined with weeks of sleeping in hypoxic tents, devices that simulate high-altitude conditions.
The result? They reached Everest Base Camp and climbed to the summit in only three days, one of the fastest attempts ever for climbers without traditional on-site acclimatisation.
Is This The Future Of Everest Expeditions?
Expedition organiser Lukas Furtenbach believes so. He called this climb a "provocation" to traditional mountaineering but insisted it proves that fast, commercially guided trips to Everest are possible. He plans to offer two-week Everest packages using xenon gas by 2026, claiming shorter climbs mean fewer accidents, less exposure to avalanches, and less environmental waste.
Alistair Carns defended the expedition, saying many didn't have the luxury of spending six to eight weeks away from work or family.
"The reality is if I had six to eight weeks to climb Everest, I would, but I'm a government minister and I don't have time," he said. "What we have done is we have proven that you can reduce the timeline safely."
But critics warn this could commercialise Everest even further and diminish the emotional and physical journey that has made summiting the peak one of humanity's most iconic challenges.
As Professor Hugh Montgomery, a mountaineer and intensive care doctor, says, "Maybe just bagging every hill at speed means you miss out on the joy you could have had."
Why This Has Sparked A Storm
The Nepalese government has opened an investigation into the climb. Officials, including Himal Gautam from the Tourism Department, have called the use of xenon gas "against climbing ethics." The worry isn't only about safety, but also about what Everest represents.
Mountaineering purists argue that using such performance-enhancing techniques undermines the spirit of climbing. Traditionally, Everest isn't just a peak to be "bagged", it is a test of endurance, patience, and respect for nature. The idea of turning it into a seven-day adventure trip unsettled many in the community.
The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation warned that xenon had no proven benefits for mountaineers and could pose health risks.
Xenon has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list since 2014, but Everest climbing isn't considered a competitive sport.
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