Record mountaineering feat: London-Everest-London in a week with xenon gas
An extraordinary mountaineering feat accomplished in one week thanks to the innovative use of xenon gas.
2' min read
2' min read
In just one week from London to Mount Everest and back. What for many mountaineers is sheer madness, for some wealthy manager with a full schedule could be an interesting proposition.
Austrian Lukas Furtenbach's high mountain expedition agency has hit the international press for successfully completing this feat, which was only made possible by the use of xenon.
The noble gas, hitherto mainly used as an anaesthetic, has recently landed in high-altitude mountaineering due to its ability to increase the production of erythropoietin (epo) and thus shorten acclimatisation times.
The feat of four Britons - reports the Tiroler Tageszeitung - began on 16 May at London Airport, on the 17th they arrived in Kathmandu, from there they flew directly to an altitude of 5,300 metres, to the base camp of the world's highest mountain.
After a medical examination, the ascent to camp 2 at 6,450 metres began immediately.
