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Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Everest in five days: British team's speed climb triggers Nepal proble
KATHMANDU, Nepal (Kathmandu Post/ANN) — Four former British special forces soldiers have set a startling new precedent on Mount Everest, reaching the summit in under five days without the traditional acclimatisation process. Their rapid ascent of the planet's tallest peak has drawn sharp scrutiny from Nepali authorities, not for the climb itself, but for the controversial use of xenon gas prior to arrival in Nepal. The team, comprising Maj. Garth Miller, Col. Alistair Scott Carns, Anthony James Stazicker and Kevin Francis Godlington, summited the world's highest peak at approximately 7:15 a.m. on Wednesday. Their journey began in London on the afternoon of May 16, with the climbers arriving at Everest Base Camp the following day. By 10:30 p.m. on May 20, they had begun their final summit push. Back home, the team had trained in hypoxic tents and followed a rigorous high-altitude conditioning regime. But what has provoked the current controversy is their reported inhalation of xenon gas, administered two weeks before departure in Europe, intended to reduce the risk of altitude sickness. Himal Gautam, director of the Department of Tourism, who oversees mountaineering expeditions, said the department was not informed of the gas use. "We have launched an investigation into the matter," he said, noting that all climbers and operators must declare the equipment, medications, and substances used during expeditions. Traditionally, climbers take more than a month to summit Everest. They begin their trek in early April and complete multiple rotations between Everest Base Camp and higher camps to acclimatize. These rotations are vital for adapting to the thinning air at high altitudes and skipping them is considered risky. By contrast, the British team completed the entire climb in just five days — a feat that would have been unimaginable in previous decades. While their speed has captivated parts of the global mountaineering community, it has triggered a heated debate in Nepal about safety, ethics and the future of high-altitude climbing. The expedition was organized by the Austria-based Furtenbach Adventures, whose founder, Lukas Furtenbach, insists the team followed all rules. He confirmed that the xenon treatment was administered in Germany and emphasized that only standard supplemental oxygen was used on the mountain. "What happens outside Nepal should not be under the purview of the Nepal government," he said. He defended xenon's use as a modern, medically supervised intervention to prevent altitude sickness and suggested it could make Himalayan expeditions safer. "Our company has a long-standing reputation for safety," Furtenbach said, expressing confidence that the investigation would find no wrongdoing. He also pointed to potential environmental benefits. "Shorter expeditions mean less garbage, lower carbon emissions, and reduced human waste in the fragile alpine ecosystem," he argued. Despite the abbreviated climb, Furtenbach claimed his team employed about 120 local workers and paid them competitively, demonstrating, in his view, that sustainability and economic benefit could go hand in hand. Yet not all stakeholders are convinced. Dambar Parajuli, president of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal, warned that widespread adoption of such short-duration climbs could upend the economic model on which the Everest industry depends. "Traditional expeditions employ sherpas, porters, guides, and kitchen staff for weeks, sometimes months," he said. "If climbers finish their journey in days, the ripple effect on local employment will be devastating." He urged the government to consider the broader implications of this shift and to ensure that new policies uphold the livelihoods of communities that depend on the Everest economy. Xenon's use further complicates matters. In 2014, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned the gas for athletes, citing its potential to enhance performance by stimulating the production of erythropoietin (EPO). This hormone boosts red blood cell production. However, mountaineering does not fall under WADA's purview, and there is no ban on its use for non-competitive climbers. In January, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) released a statement on xenon, concluding that it offers no proven performance benefit for altitude climbing. "Although a single dose may cause a short-term spike in EPO levels, there is no evidence that this translates into increased red blood cell count or improved performance," the UIAA said. It emphasized that acclimatisation is a complex physiological process that a single intervention cannot hack. Moreover, the UIAA warned that xenon is a potent anaesthetic, not widely approved for medical use, and carries health risks. "In an unmonitored environment like Everest, side effects such as impaired brain function or respiratory distress could be fatal," the statement said. One study cited by the UIAA reported significant sedation even at doses recommended for mountaineering, posing a potentially serious risk in high-altitude zones where alertness can mean the difference between life and death. Still, Furtenbach dismissed these concerns. He said his company followed ethical and medical guidelines and remained open to cooperation with Nepali authorities. "We are transparent and willing to share our expertise with the government. But there needs to be a better understanding of modern medical science," he said. The Everest "death zone," above 8,000 meters, is one of the most hostile environments on Earth. Oxygen is scarce; even seasoned climbers risk pulmonary or cerebral edema, frostbite, and exhaustion. That such terrain could be tackled in mere days through science and training challenges deeply held beliefs about human endurance and the ethics of high-altitude mountaineering. As Nepal's investigation proceeds, officials face a new dilemma: how to regulate innovation without sacrificing safety, fairness, or the economic sustainability of Everest expeditions.
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Nepalese Sherpa Kami Rita scales Everest for 31st time, breaks own record
Famed Nepalese Sherpa guide Kami Rita has scaled Mount Everest for the 31st time, breaking his own record for the most successful ascents of the world's highest peak. The 55-year-old climber leading stood atop the 8,849-meter summit at around 4 am on Tuesday under stable weather conditions, according to Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks, the expedition organiser. He was guiding a team of the Indian Army Adventure Wing Everest Expedition, led by Lieutenant Colonel Manoj Joshi. This new feat cements his status as the record holder for the highest number of ascents to the top of the world a record that no one else has come close to, the Kathmandu Post newspaper quoted Mingma as saying. Kami Rita is safe and stable after his summit. He has started his descent and is on his way back to base camp, he added. As always, Kami has demonstrated his unmatched skills and professionalism on the mountain. We are immensely proud of his achievement and the legacy he continues to build. In the last two years, Kami Rita scaled Mt Everest twice each season taking his successful summits count to 30. Kami Rita developed a deep passion for climbing from a young age and has been scaling mountains for over two decades, Chhang Dawa Sherpa, Expedition Director at Seven Summit Treks, said. His mountaineering journey began in 1992 when he joined an expedition to Everest as a support staff member. According to Dawa, between 1994 to 2025 Kami Rita also scaled K2 and Mt Lhotse one time, Manaslu thrice, and Cho Oyu eight times. Hundreds of climbers attempt to climb Mount Everest from the Nepali side each year. Everest was first climbed in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Nepalese Sherpa guide Kami Rita scales Mount Everest for 31st time breaking own record
Famed Nepalese Sherpa guide Kami Rita on Tuesday (May 27, 2025) scaled Mount Everest for the 31st time, breaking his own record for the most successful ascents of the world's highest mountain. The 55-year-old climber leading stood atop the 8,849-meter summit at around 4 a.m. under stable weather conditions, according to Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks, the expedition organiser. Also Read | Famed climber to scale Mt. Everest for 31st time, break own record He was guiding a team of the Indian Army Adventure Wing Everest Expedition, led by Lieutenant Colonel Manoj Joshi. 'This new feat cements his status as the record holder for the highest number of ascents to the top of the world — a record that no one else has come close to,' the Kathmandu Post newspaper quoted Mr Mingma as saying. 'Kami Rita is safe and stable after his summit. He has started his descent and is on his way back to base camp,' he added. 'As always, Kami has demonstrated his unmatched skills and professionalism on the mountain. We are immensely proud of his achievement and the legacy he continues to build.' Also Read | CISF sub-inspector scales Mt. Everest In the last two years, Kami Rita scaled Mt Everest twice each season taking his successful summits count to 30. Kami Rita developed a deep passion for climbing from a young age and has been scaling mountains for over two decades, Chhang Dawa Sherpa, Expedition Director at Seven Summit Treks, said. His mountaineering journey began in 1992 when he joined an expedition to Everest as a support staff member. According to Dawa, between 1994 to 2025 Kami Rita also scaled K2 and Mt Lhotse one time, Manaslu thrice, and Cho Oyu eight times. Also Read | Nepal's Sherpa guide regains title for most climbs of Mount Everest after 27th trip Hundreds of climbers attempt to climb Mount Everest from the Nepali side each year. Everest was first climbed in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Who is Kami Rita? Nepal's Sherpa who broke his own record with 31st Everest summit
Kami Rita (PTI) Dubbed as the 'Everest man', Nepal's Kami Rita, 55, has successfully scaled the world's highest mountain for the 31st time. Rita broke his own record on Tuesday, more than thirty years after he ascended his first summit. According to Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks based in Kathmandu, Rita was in good health and reached the summit at around 4 am under stable weather conditions. "This new feat cements his status as the record holder for the highest number of ascents to the top of the world - a record that no one else has come close to," said Mingma as reported by Kathmandu Post. Kami Rita was the guide for the Indian Army Adventure Wing Everest Expedition, which was led by Lieutenant Colonel Manoj Joshi. Who is Kami Rita, Nepal's own Everest Man? Rita's mountaineering journey dates back to 1992 when he joined an expedition to Everest as a support staff member. His father was also among the first Sherpa guides. In a successful mountaineering career spanning from 1994 to 2025, Rita has ascended the Everest, K2, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, and Manaslu. He scaled Everest for the first time in 1994, and ever since then, he has stood on top of the 8,849-meter summit almost every year. Over the past two years, Rita has summited Mt. Everest 30 times, achieving this by climbing it twice each season. According to AP, Rita had vowed to climb the summit for the 31st and even a possible 32nd time before this expedition. Every year, hundreds of climbers attempt to scale Mt. everest from Nepal's side. This season itself, Nepal has issued more than 1,100 permits for mountaineers, including 458 for just Everest. Everest's summit was first reached by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepal's Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Nepal's Sherpa Kami Rita breaks own record with 31st Everest summit
Picture credit: Instagram/Kami Rita Sherpa Nepal's Kami Ritaclimbed Mount Everest for the 31st time on Tuesday,breaking his own record for the most climbs to the top of the world's highest mountain. The 55-year-old Sherpa led a group of climbers to the summit in the early hours of Tuesday, confirmed Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summits Treks in Kathmandu. "This new feat cements his status as the record holder for the highest number of ascents to the top of the world - a record that no one else has come close to," the Kathmandu Post newspaper quoted Mingma as saying. He was guiding a team from the Indian Army Adventure Wing's Everest Expedition, which was led by Lieutenant Colonel Manoj Joshi, reported PTI. He is reportedly in good health and on his way back to base camp with the rest of the group. Before the climb, Kami Rita told The Associated Press, he hoped to reach the summit for the 31st—or possibly even the 32nd—time this season. He had to turn back once earlier due to poor weather, but succeeded on his second attempt. Kami Rita first climbed Everest in 1994 and has made the ascent almost every year since, sometimes twice a season. Like many Sherpa climbers, he works as a guide for international clients, ensuring their safety and success on the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) peak. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo In addition to Everest, Rita has summited other major peaks like K2, Cho Oyu, Manaslu, and Lhotse. Born into a family of mountaineers, Kami Rita followed in the footsteps of his father, who was among the early Sherpa guides. His closest competitor is fellow Sherpa Pasang Dawa, who has climbed Everest 29 times. Mount Everest was first successfully climbed in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay of Nepal.
