When I thought that humans could no longer surprise me, this new news appears. Have you ever been at the bar, having a few drinks, and claimed in front of your group of friends that you are capable of carrying out the most absurd or dangerous challenge? These displays of bravery usually stay at the bar, but in the case we bring today, they have taken it very seriously. A pilot, a politician, a businessman, and an entrepreneur have decided that they are going to climb Mount Everest in a week. Yes, just as you read.
One of them, Al Carns, told CNN that the timeframe is because they are very busy people. The quartet had the idea of using a method that supposedly aids the acclimatization process necessary before climbing: inhaling xenon for 10 days before starting the expedition. According to the CEO of Furtenbach Adventures, Lukas Furtenbach, the body needs an adaptation period for it to produce more red blood cells, which they intend to supplement with the inhalation of this noble gas.
Furtenbach Adventures will address this issue before traveling from the United Kingdom to Kathmandu. However, the emeritus professor of medicine at the School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health at the University of Glasgow told CNN that the lack of oxygen affects the entire body. The International Federation of Sport Climbing and Mountaineering (UIAA) also expressed concern, as there is no scientific evidence showing that inhaling xenon is related to red blood cell production. Let us hope that the British expedition has a happy ending and that we do not have to regret any kind of harm.
Let´s go climb the Everest
As if it were a joke, a pilot, a politician, a businessman, and an entrepreneur were having a drink in a bar when they came up with the brilliant idea of climbing Mount Everest, as if it were a weekend trip to the beach. One of them, Al Carns, the British legislator, told CNN, “There’s no way I can spend four to six, maybe even eight weeks climbing Everest – it’s almost impossible.” Not only did it seem like a good idea to embark on this epic challenge, but they also wanted to do it in one week since, as they stated, they are “very busy people”.
Acclimatization period
Before starting their expedition, they should go through an acclimatization period, which usually requires hikes around the base camp of the mountain. However, since they are such busy people, they have resorted to another method. According to them, there is a faster way to do it: through the inhalation of a noble gas, xenon. Thanks to the program led by Furtenbach Adventures, they will inhale xenon gas 10 days before traveling from the United Kingdom to Kathmandu, where they will take a helicopter to the base camp of Mount Everest.
Serious concerns about this method
Experts explain that death on Everest can occur due to many factors. One of the most important is that when reaching the area known as the “death zone,” at 8,000 meters (26,000 feet), oxygen levels drop considerably, which is a significant danger. The CEO of Furtenbach Adventures, Lukas Furtenbach, told CNN that “Before you can climb Mount Everest, you need to acclimate your body to low oxygen levels. You can do this in a traditional way – trekking to the base camp and then several rotations on the mountain, and then, after weeks of acclimatization, your body is ready to produce enough red blood cells, and then you can start your summit attempt”.
However, the medical community does not fully agree with the xenon method, as argued by Andrew Peacock, emeritus professor of medicine at the School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health at the University of Glasgow, who explained to CNN, ‘You run out of oxygen, and this affects the whole body, particularly the brain and lungs”. Additionally, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) also expressed concern, since there are no studies proving that inhaling xenon promotes the production of red blood cells, and they believe that not only is the relationship minimal, but it may not exist at all. Let us hope that this British expedition has a happy ending and that no personal injuries occur.