Latest news with #Carns
Mint
31-05-2025
- Mint
A lightning fast ascent of Everest is rocking the mountaineering world
KATHMANDU , NEPAL : Four men left London's Heathrow Airport for Nepal on a May afternoon. Within five days, they were atop Mount Everest, the 29,000-foot peak where an ascent typically takes weeks of acclimatization and bursts of climbing punctuated by rest. Instead, the four British army veterans prepared for the world's highest peak using a new pre-acclimatization regime involving inhaling xenon gas—once used as an anesthetic but now more commonly found in rocket propellant. Their ascent is rocking the mountaineering community and Nepali authorities, with their use of a substance banned from competitive sport by the World Anti-Doping Agency provoking the criticism this amounts to cheating. Nepal's mountaineering authorities are studying the climb and its implications. On May 29, when the country marks the first recognized summit of the mountain in 1953 as Everest Day, Nepal's prime minister lamented the use of xenon. 'Dishonesty even with Mount Everest?" he said. 'If it did happen, it should be stopped." Alistair Carns, a climber in the group, said critics should take the long view. 'We have just got to accept we're at the cutting-edge of science," said Carns, Britain's veterans minister. He said using xenon was no different from using supplemental oxygen, an innovation climbers made about a century ago that gained wide use. Xenon gas was banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2014 after Russian athletes acknowledged using it for Winter Olympics contests. Mountain climbing is a largely unregulated endeavor, though climbing Everest requires permission from Nepal if climbing from the south face, and from China if climbing from the north. Himal Gautam, director at Nepal's tourism department, said the government hasn't certified the expedition as a successful ascent or verified it as a record. The government gives certificates for successful ascents based on photos, videos and climber accounts, but doesn't verify all record claims. The climbers believe they set a record for the fastest round-trip Everest expedition, less than seven days including the return to London. A Ukrainian man said he made it from his home in New York City to the summit of Everest in four days, reaching the peak on May 19, just ahead of the British group. That claim hasn't been verified either. Austrian mountaineer Lukas Furtenbach, who organized the xenon-assisted ascent, said it wasn't just about speed. He described it as a scientifically planned effort to explore the future of high-altitude mountain-climbing—and make it safer. 'We use xenon to protect the body from altitude sickness, not to hasten the ascent," said Furtenbach. 'I don't believe that anyone is against increasing safety on Everest, when the whole world is every year reporting about the many deaths on Everest." Climbing times for the most experienced mountaineers have steadily lowered since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay achieved the first recognized ascent of the world's tallest peak. That historic climb began in Kathmandu on March 10, 1953, reaching the summit on May 29. In 2019, nutrition scientist Roxanne Vogel summited Everest in two weeks, door-to-door, from her home in California. The fastest climb from base camp to Everest, meanwhile, was by Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa in just under 11 hours in 2003. But for more typical climbers—even when aided by the best gear, experienced Sherpas, climbing ropes and oxygen—Everest is an endeavor that typically spans six to eight weeks. That includes more than a week to trek to base camp, days spent acclimatizing there, and circuits to higher camps often followed by a descent to allow the body to adjust. Failure to acclimatize properly can mean headaches and dizziness in milder cases, and in the worst instances, fatal mountain sickness. Carns said his work as a government minister and personal commitments—he has young children—didn't permit him weeks away from home. Another reason to make news was to raise money for Scotty's Little Soldiers, a British charity focused on the children of fallen soldiers. His fellow climbers were Kevin Godlington, Anthony Stazicker and Garth Miller. Furtenbach had the four British climbers prepare for weeks at their homes in the U.K. by sleeping for a total of over 500 hours each in tents that simulate the low-oxygen conditions on Everest. That has long been part of Furtenbach's expeditions offering a 'flash" ascent of Everest in about three weeks. The men also worked out using masks that simulated thin mountain air. Their regime included a new feature—a roughly 20-minute, one-time hit of a mix of xenon and oxygen some weeks before the men began their climb in Nepal. The formulation was developed and administered to the men in Germany by Dr. Michael Fries, head of anesthesia and intensive-care medicine at St. Vincenz Hospital in the German town of Limburg an der Lahn. After hearing Furtenbach speak on the radio in 2018 about his efforts to help climbers pre-acclimatize, Fries said he contacted him to propose his idea: breathe in xenon gas before a challenging climb. The gas, said Fries, appears to have neuroprotective properties and prompts the production of a hormone that triggers red blood cell production, improving the blood's ability to carry oxygen. Furtenbach and at least a dozen other climbers experimented with the gas in their climbs in the following years, said Fries, and their experiences convinced them it helped prevent altitude-related symptoms. The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation said in January that scientific literature didn't support the idea that breathing in xenon improves performance in the mountains. Given how swiftly it can work—putting people to sleep in a minute—highly experienced medical supervision is vital, said Fries. Furtenbach on his Instagram account has warned climbers against trying to copy their example, noting his group used the gas under medical supervision—and not on the mountain itself. Several mountaineers, while crediting the British climbers achievement and the preparations of Furtenbach's outfit, expressed concern that less experienced climbers or unethical expedition outfits could try to replicate the experiment with dangerous results. 'I'm happy for the four climbers," said Alan Arnette, a mountaineer who chronicles Everest climbing. 'I just think we have to be very aware of unintended consequences of other people trying to take this and replicate it and not doing it safely and thinking that it's some kind of magic bullet or shortcut to the top." Stephan Keck, head of the Austria-based expedition operator Himalayan Experience, said he worried commercial impulses could encourage xenon's use to help inexperienced people summit quickly. 'I don't want to have a circus up there," he said. Some mountaineering experts said it is hard to assess the effects of xenon for a climbing group that also prepared extensively with hypoxia tents and had past physical training in the military. After arriving in Nepal on the morning of May 17, the men took a helicopter to reach base camp after noon. Pasang Tendi Sherpa, who worked with the climbers, said the group prayed at base camp before beginning. They began climbing around midnight, skipped the first camp and arrived at the second camp the next morning. The following day they climbed to Camp 3 and on May 20, made it to Camp 4, into the infamous 'death zone." The pace was relentless, said Godlington: 'We barely stopped to rest." At Camp 4, three of their Sherpas turned back because of a storm. The rest continued to climb overnight, reaching the summit at 7:15 a.m. on May 21. 'We were the only guys on the mountain," Godlington said. Carns said he had given the group a 30% chance of success. Reminders of how wrong climbing Everest can go were all around. When he turned into Camp 4 'there was a dead body just frozen to my left," said Carns. He doesn't foresee a spate of copycat climbs. 'This is one of the hardest things I've done," said Carns. 'So I don't think we're going to see a whole glut of people trying to get up in a week." Write to Krishna Pokharel at and Tripti Lahiri at
NDTV
28-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
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.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Selly Oak action man MP waves Birmingham flag on top of Everest in record breaking feat
Selly Oak's action man MP Al Carns has successfully completed his record breaking mission to get up and down Everest inside a week - and proudly waved a Birmingham flag on the summit. Carns, speaking from Kathmandu Airport this morning, Thursday, May 22, waiting for the flight home that will take him into the record books, said he was 'incredibly proud' and 'feeling amazing' after the epic adventure. "It was really tough - we walked pretty much non-stop for 55 hours, all uphill, to get to the top, but we did it." READ MORE: Selly Oak's action man MP in record breaking bid to climb Everest in seven days Carns said the eerie 'moonscape' that unfolded as the team neared the top of the peak was tragically 'littered' with the bodies of those who had tried but failed to reach the top or collapsed on the descent. "It really brought it home, this was the death zone, where there is no room for error or accident," he said. At one point there was talk from their Sherpas of possible retreat because of the intense 70mph winds lashing them above Camp 4, at temperatures of -35 to -40, during their summit bid. "We said 'no way', and they agreed to continue for an hour - the clouds then parted and the winds subsided and we were able to make it to the top," he said. The veterans minister, elected as Selly Oak's Labour MP in 2024 after being 'parachuted in' to the seat following the retirement of Steve McCabe, said he had proudly waved the Birmingham flag from the summit. Carns was joined on the mission by former forces comrades Kevin Godlington, 49, Garth Miller, 51, and ThruDark clothing founder Anthony Stazicker, 41, wth their efforts sponsored by the clothing firm and other supporters. Between them, the team have served in every major conflict since 1992 and earned every military gallantry medal except the Victoria Cross, but all of the citations are secret. The team had inhaled xenon gas ahead of their record bid and slept in hypoxic tents at home for weeks so they could pre-acclimatise. The revolutionary tactic worked like a dream, said Carns. "We had no headaches, no altitude sickness, it was incredible. The evidence shows this appears to work." READ MORE: Selly Oak's action man MP in record breaking bid to climb Everest in seven days It normally takes mountaineers up to ten weeks to scale the peak, the world's highest, by walking in to Base Camp and then awaiting a rare weather window to climb the route in stages, so the body can acclimatise to the deadly thin air. But Carns and the team were up and down in three days. The evidence collected on their trip will be used to assess whether xenon gas can help Nepali and other high-altitude communities, and assist on other missions and expeditions in future. Carns also hopes to help raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for veterans' charities and to also highlight the valour and experiences of ex-forces people. You can donate to the appeal here. The team were waiting on a flight from Kathmandu airport to London, and expected to achieve their goal of getting from London to Everest and back inside seven days - an incredible feat. Enjoying a restorative pizza and beer, the jubilant team said they were thrilled to have executed their mission in style.
NDTV
21-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
4 Ex-Military Friends Scale Mount Everest, Used This Gas To Climb Faster
The four climbers, along with a photographer and five Sherpa, reached the summit this morning. A British team of veteran ex-special forces soldiers summited Everest on Wednesday, expedition organisers said, in a bid to fly from London, climb the highest peak and return home within seven days. The four men, who include government minister Alistair Carns, left London on Friday, pre-acclimatised to the low oxygen at high altitudes -- including the controversial assistance of xenon gas, a method that has raised eyebrows in the mountaineering community. The men, who slept in special low-oxygen tents before departure from Britain, are raising funds for veterans' charities. "All four of them, along with a photographer and five Sherpa team reached the summit this morning at 7:10 am," expedition organiser Lukas Furtenbach, of Austria-based Furtenbach Adventures, told AFP. The team, who also include Garth Miller, Anthony Stazicker and Kevin Godlington, are now descending from the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) peak. "They will down descend to the base camp by evening and, weather permitting, will be back home within seven days," Furtenbach said. The team is raising money for children whose parents were killed in conflict. "I've seen, on multiple operations in Afghanistan, individuals who haven't returned," Carns, 45, who carried out five tours of Afghanistan, said before his departure. Carns, a colonel in the Royal Marine reserves, is the most highly decorated British lawmaker since World War II. "I think, from my perspective, doing something to support those children left behind is the most honourable thing we can do," Carns said. 'Climb higher faster' The men are not the fastest to ascend Everest -- that record is held by Nepali climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, who climbed from base camp to the summit in 10 hours and 56 minutes in 2003. But expedition leader Miller, a commercial airline pilot, said it was a "new way of climbing 8,000-metre peaks". Speaking before the ascent, he said used they "the latest sports science" to hone their physical preparation to allow them to "climb higher faster". For decades, the dream of reaching the summit of Mount Everest has required at least two months on the mountain doing a series of acclimatisation rotations. But the team took a different route, heading directly to Everest's base camp on Saturday, straight after arriving from London. Areas above 8,000 metres are known as the "death zone" because thin air and low oxygen levels heighten the risk of altitude sickness. They pre-acclimatised at home using hypoxic tents and special training techniques, before being administered xenon gas two weeks before departure. The World Anti-Doping Agency banned the use of xenon in 2014, saying it could illegally enhance the performance of athletes. 'New ways' However, Furtenbach said xenon allows faster climbs and decreases the risk of altitude sickness. "I was looking for new ways of acclimatising," Furtenbach told AFP. Inhaling the gas prompts the production of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) in the body, which encourages the formation of oxygen-carrying red blood cells to improve performance. "You can say that xenon inhalation mimics the effects of a classical rotation to high altitude", said Michael Fries, a German doctor who works with Furtenbach. "Xenon seems to provide protective mechanisms to prevent high altitude sickness, which is mainly triggered by a lack of oxygen. Xenon increases erythropoietin and thereby haemoglobin", he added. "The body is able to transport more oxygen". In January, the medical commission at the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) -- the umbrella group for mountaineering organisations -- issued a cautionary statement. "According to current literature, there is no evidence that breathing in xenon improves performance in the mountains, and inappropriate use can be dangerous," it said. Some have been critical of the use of xenon on climbs. "Mostly I view it as a stunt," said Adrian Ballinger who runs US-based Alpenglow Expeditions, a company that has worked to develop accelerated acclimatisation methods. "To me, those things take away from what makes climbing Mount Everest unique, which is the unknown outcome and the fact that each person on the mountain is pushed to their emotional, physical and mental limits", he said. "That's where learning happens on the mountain. And that's where the value of the experience is." But Furtenbach, who has tested the gas on mountain climbs since 2020, said he could "definitely see that this is working", adding that, "like often in innovation, we have been ahead of science". Furtenbach said he hoped that the expedition would help normalise xenon, in time, to become "part of a standard safety protocol for high altitude mountaineering." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
eNCA
21-05-2025
- Sport
- eNCA
British climbers summit Everest in record bid
NEPAL - A British team of veteran ex-special forces soldiers summited Everest on Wednesday, expedition organisers said, in a bid to fly from London, climb the highest peak and return home within seven days. The four men, who include government minister Alistair Carns, left London on Friday, pre-acclimatised to the low oxygen at high altitudes - including the controversial assistance of xenon gas, a method that has raised eyebrows in the mountaineering community. The men, who slept in special low-oxygen tents before departure from Britain, are raising funds for veterans' charities. "All four of them, along with a photographer and five Sherpa team reached the summit this morning at 7:10 am," expedition organiser Lukas Furtenbach, of Austria-based Furtenbach Adventures, told AFP. The team, who also include Garth Miller, Anthony Stazicker and Kevin Godlington, are now descending from the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) peak. "They will down descend to the base camp by evening and, weather permitting, will be back home within seven days," Furtenbach said. The team is raising money for veterans' charities, especially focused on supporting children whose parents were killed in conflict. "I've seen, on multiple operations in Afghanistan, individuals who haven't returned," Carns, 45, who carried out five tours of Afghanistan, said before his departure. Carns, a colonel in the Royal Marine reserves, is the most highly decorated British lawmaker since World War II. "I think, from my perspective, doing something to support those children left behind is the most honourable thing we can do," Carns said. For decades, the dream of reaching the summit of Mount Everest has required at least two months on the mountain doing a series of acclimatisation rotations. But the team took a different route, heading directly to Everest's base camp on Saturday, straight after arriving from London. Areas above 8,000 metres are known as the "death zone" because thin air and low oxygen levels heighten the risk of altitude sickness. They pre-acclimatised at home using hypoxic tents and special training techniques, before being administered xenon gas two weeks before departure. Inhaling the gas prompts the production of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) in the body, which encourages the formation of oxygen-carrying red blood cells to improve performance. "Xenon seems to provide protective mechanisms to prevent high altitude sickness, which is mainly triggered by a lack of oxygen. Xenon increases erythropoietin and thereby haemoglobin. The body is able to transport more oxygen," said Michael Fries, a German doctor who works with Furtenbach. "You can say that xenon inhalation mimics the effects of a classical rotation to high altitude." The men are not the fastest to climb Everest - that record is held by Nepali climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, who climbed from base camp to the the summit in 10 hours and 56 minutes in 2003. By Paavan Mathema
