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Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Race from sea level: British Xenon gas climbers summit Everest in just five days, but now US national claims to have done it in less than four
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The race is on to see who can get from sea level to Everest's summit in the quickest time possible. Earlier today (May 21), news broke that four former British special forces soldiers became the first climbers to scale Mount Everest using Xenon gas, which helped them go from sea level summit in an extraordinary five days. It took the four veterans, in their forties and fifties, just five days from leaving London to reach the top of the 29,032ft (8,848m) peak, leaving them two days to get back to base camp to make their seven-day goal for the entire expedition. Usually it takes mountaineers several weeks to acclimatize to the high altitudes. The previous record was 21 days, and most expeditions take 70 days to let climbers get used to the thin atmosphere. But now, Nimral Purja is claiming that a client of his expedition company, Elite Exped, has gone from New York to Everest summit in just 3 days, 23 hours and 27 minutes. What's more, he's claiming that he did it only using supplementary oxygen. According to Purja, on May 15, Andrew Ushakov, left New York at 10.15am to travel to Everest base camp. On May 16, he and a team of five sherpa guides started the climb and reached Camp 3 on May 17. On May 18 they departed Camp 4 and after 22 hours reached the summit on May 19 at 9.22am. Purja said in an Instagram post: "Andrew only started climbing in 2020, he is not a full-time athlete, which makes this feat even more impressive." A full-time engineer and a dad, Ushakov reportedly managed the feat with "dedication, training and lots of preparation and hypoxic training for acclimatisation (*including 400+ hours in a hypoxic tent)". British veterans Alistair Carns, 45, Kevin Godlington, 49, Anthony Stazicker, 41, Garth Miller, 51, inhaled Xenon gas in Germany before their expedition. The gas is said to help accelerate the acclimatization process by increasing your body's erythropoietin production and boost red blood cell count. They also slept in specially adapted hypoxic tents to simulate the rarified air found on Mount Everest in the run-up to the trip. On the mountain they used supplemental oxygen. Anthony Stazicker is the founder of ThruDark a brand that creates high-performance outwear for harsh outdoor conditions. The group's progress was communicated on its Instagram account: "First day (May 17) was 12 hours long yomp. Pretty punishing 6 hours from getting off the plane. Today (May 18) was 5hrs but another 1km in height gained. "The Mission: Everest team is currently at Camp 3 and preparing to move to Camp 4 tomorrow (May 20). They're making great time and morale is high, even dodging an avalanche as they moved through the Khumbu Icefall." The team summited on May 21 at 7.10am in 35mph winds. They were with a team of fiver sherpa and one photographer. Xenon gas has been used by guides before but this is the first time it has been used by regular climbers. Lukas Furtenbach of Austria-based Furtenbach Adventures, which organized the expedition told Reuters: "'Xenon improves the acclimatization and protects the body from altitude sickness and the effects from the hypoxic environment. "Xenon made the climb safer and shorter as it kept the climbers properly acclimatized," he said. 'Shorter expedition also means less garbage, less resources, less human waste in this sensitive environment." Xenon is a gas mainly used in manufacturing of lights, but also as a surgical anesthetic. It is recognized as a doping agent in competitive sport by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and in May 2014 was added to the Prohibited List of substances. Adrian Ballinger, American climber and guide from Alpenglow Expeditions company, told Reuters that the use of Xenon was a 'stunt ... it's never seemed like the type of experience we want to provide.' However, he admitted that 'everyone should climb the mountain in a form they are proud of. If these climbers are proud of this style, then that's their choice'. The British group are hoping to raise over £1 million ($1,341,000) for veterans charities. Social media comments on the Elite Exped's posts were not so congratulatory, however: Matteusstarling commented: "Speed means nothing, that's just EGO. No respect for setting a dangerous example for climbers. There is a method to keep people alive and healthy and that's just cutting corners to make headlines. Internet and social media help bring these kind of sadly bad examples to life. But in the mountains, life will be always priority. Congratulations to the courageous climb, but it's not an example, it's merely a exemption of someone risking it's [sic] life and fellow sherpas." Hornsby_type_r replied: "These 'records' are mostly a product of artificially cutting corners most others don't when climbing mountains. Hypoxic tent before, ~5 Sherpas supporting you and probably a very high oxygen flow rate making the actual altitude relatively irrelevant. Still very hard, but with a lot more aid than most people get when climbing the mountain." Lanzetta posted: "Well if we're talking about Sea to Summit I'd say Tim Macartney Snape did it correctly. Walked from the beach to the summit of Everest. If you go by plane it's not sea to summit, it's just a quick ascent of Everest." British MP Alistair Carns told The Sun the xenon team were treating the climb like a Special Ops mission – using every advantage they could get. He said: 'This is like a Special Forces mission. We have the best people, the best training, the best kit and we are at the very cutting edge of science. We'll go in, hit the objective and leave no trace, no waste.' Elsewhere at Everest base camp, a UK nurse, fresh from her summit, has revealed how it was her nursing profession that gave her the skills she needed to reach the world's highest peak. Rowena Rowberry, 34, who is a nurse and lecturer in nursing at the University of Derby, is mid-way through her challenge of scaling each of the seven highest summits in the seven continents. Mount Everest was her fourth summit. She's taking on the challenge to raise money for the Royal College of Nursing Foundation and to shine a light on the hardships of nursing. Rowberry told the BBC: "I feel battered and bruised, mentally and physically exhausted. I really did struggle on the way down and if it wasn't for my amazing sherpas who kept encouraging me... they were the real machine into making this happen. "There's so much I've been through and I don't think I would have been able to do this if I hadn't had some of the qualities nursing has given me. "I wanted to shine a light on the profession and show what we can do." The best winter hiking boots: for unbeatable performance in the cold The best ice axes: for tackling frozen terrain
Scottish Sun
21-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Brit MP completes record-breaking Everest ascent reaching summit after 5-day dash from UK…& says ‘I won't climb again'
HIGHEST PEAK Brit MP completes record-breaking Everest ascent reaching summit after 5-day dash from UK…& says 'I won't climb again' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BRITISH MP has made history with a record-breaking ascent of Mount Everest. Ex-Special Forces Commando Al Carns, 45, and three former SAS and SBS pals reached the roof of the world at 7am local time today, 2am London time. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Alistair Carns OBE MC MP has completed a record-breaking ascent of mount Everest Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun 6 L-R: Veterans minister Al Carns, 45, Kevin Godlington, 49, Anthony Stazicker, 41, Garth Miller, 51 6 Veterans Minister and ex special forces Major Alistair Carns (L2) with his three ex special forces colleagues in training, Garth Miller (L), Anthony Stazicker (R2) and Kevin Godlington (R) Credit: Simon Jones Their lightning ascent came five days after leaving London and they survived an avalanche on the way up. Most expeditions take 70 days to let climbers acclimatise to the deadly thin air. Carns said the climb was 'off the scale of a challenge'. And he joked: 'Now that we have done the biggest, I am never doing another mountain again.' He and his former comrades Garth Miller, 51, Kevin Godlington, 49, and Anthony Stazicker, 41, slept in low-oxygen tents to prepare their bodies for the conditions. And they inhaled controversial xenon gas which helps the body produce red blood cells to avoid deadly altitude sickness. Expedition leader Lukas Furtenbach, who spoke to The Sun from Everest Base Camp, said the climbers were "feeling strong". 'They said it was really windy and cold. But they are doing great, in high spirits and highly motivated to come down.' A photo from the summit showed Carns, 45, waving a Union Jack which had carried on all of his military tours, including multiple combat trips to Afghanistan. They are hoping to raise over £1million for veterans charities. Limbless Afghan veteran Gurkha Hari Budha Magar from Canterbury who hopes to reach the top of Everest by Coronation Day has set off from Base camp The final ascent was 'tough' because winds were gusting over 35mph. Speaking from Everest Base Camp, Furtenbach told The Sun: 'Conditions were windy, so it was a hard summit day for them, it was right on the edge. Not dangerous but hard.' 'They spent about half an hour on the summit then came down to camp 4 at 8,000 metres, they rested for about half an hour and now they are on their way to Camp 2, just above the Khumbu Icefall.' The four Special Forces veterans were flanked by cameraman Sandro Gromen-Hayes and five Nepalese Sherpas, Pasang Tendi Sherpa, Pemba Rinji Sherpa, Gelu Sherpa, Nima Nuru Sherpa and Phu Dorji Sherpa. They are planning to descend the Khumbu Icefall in darkness tonight because the plummeting night time temperatures make it safer. Furtenbach said the team had a narrow escape on the first full day of their climb, whern they were covered in powder from a nearby avalanche. 6 Mountain guide Lukas Furtenbach in Kathmandu, Nepal Credit: AP 6 The Everest team on the night they set off 6 Most climbers take 70 days to tackle Everest but Al Carns and his team of ex-Special Forces pals finished in under a week Credit: Getty He said: 'Right after they had crossed the Khumbu Icefall, at the upper end, there was an avalanche that came down on their right hand side from Nuptse, a 7,800 metre peak. 'The powder from the avalanche hit the climbing route. 'They were not buried with snow or ice, but thet were covered white and it was definitely a shocking moment for them.' Furtenbach has pioneered the use of xenon gas. But it has split the climbing community as traditionalists fear it could make mountains like Everest even more crowded with the cash-rich, time-poor Instagram crowd buying their way to the top. Speaking before the ascent Kev Godlington joked that their training had been so gruelling that, 'no one's gonna want to put the four months we have put in, whatever the price." Carns said the team were treating the climb like a Special Ops mission – using every advantage they could get. He told The Sun: 'This is like a Special Forces mission. We have the best people, the best training, the best kit and we are at the very cutting edge of science. We'll go in, hit the objective and leave no trace, no waste.' Garth Miller, a Gurkha officer turned long-haul pilot, said xenon was safer for the climbers and better for the environment — as the team's footprint on the mountain will be a tenth of normal expeditions. He said: 'We are all fathers, so as fathers we are going to load as many of the variables as we can in our favour.'
The Irish Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Brit MP completes record-breaking Everest ascent reaching summit after 5-day dash from UK…& says ‘I won't climb again'
A BRITISH MP has made history with a record-breaking ascent of Mount Everest. Ex-Special Forces Commando 6 Alistair Carns OBE MC MP has completed a record-breaking ascent of mount Everest Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun 6 L-R: Veterans minister Al Carns, 45, Kevin Godlington, 49, Anthony Stazicker, 41, Garth Miller, 51 6 Veterans Minister and ex special forces Major Alistair Carns (L2) with his three ex special forces colleagues in training, Garth Miller (L), Anthony Stazicker (R2) and Kevin Godlington (R) Credit: Simon Jones Their lightning ascent came five days after leaving London and they survived an avalanche on the way up. Most expeditions take 70 days to let climbers acclimatise to the deadly thin air. Carns said the climb was 'off the scale of a challenge'. And he joked: 'Now that we have done the biggest, I am never doing another mountain again.' He and his former comrades Garth Miller, 51, Kevin Godlington, 49, and Anthony Stazicker, 41, slept in low-oxygen tents to prepare their bodies for the conditions. And they inhaled controversial xenon gas which helps the body produce red blood cells to avoid deadly altitude sickness. Expedition leader Lukas Furtenbach, who spoke to The Sun from Everest Base Camp, said the climbers were "feeling strong". 'They said it was really windy and cold. But they are doing great, in high spirits and highly motivated to come down.' Most read in The Sun A photo from the summit showed Carns, 45, waving a Union Jack which had carried on all of his military tours, including multiple combat trips to Afghanistan. They are hoping to raise over £1million for veterans charities. Limbless Afghan veteran Gurkha Hari Budha Magar from Canterbury who hopes to reach the top of Everest by Coronation Day has set off from Base camp The final ascent was 'tough' because winds were gusting over 35mph. Speaking from Everest Base Camp, Furtenbach told The Sun: 'Conditions were windy, so it was a hard summit day for them, it was right on the edge. Not dangerous but hard.' 'They spent about half an hour on the summit then came down to camp 4 at 8,000 metres, they rested for about half an hour and now they are on their way to Camp 2, just above the Khumbu Icefall.' The four Special Forces veterans were flanked by cameraman Sandro Gromen-Hayes and five Nepalese Sherpas, Pasang Tendi Sherpa, Pemba Rinji Sherpa, Gelu Sherpa, Nima Nuru Sherpa and Phu Dorji Sherpa. They are planning to descend the Khumbu Icefall in darkness tonight because the plummeting night time temperatures make it safer. Furtenbach said the team had a narrow escape on the first full day of their climb, whern they were covered in powder from a nearby avalanche. 6 Mountain guide Lukas Furtenbach in Kathmandu, Nepal Credit: AP 6 The Everest team on the night they set off 6 Most climbers take 70 days to tackle Everest but Al Carns and his team of ex-Special Forces pals finished in under a week Credit: Getty He said: 'Right after they had crossed the Khumbu Icefall, at the upper end, there was an avalanche that came down on their right hand side from Nuptse, a 7,800 metre peak. 'The powder from the avalanche hit the climbing route. 'They were not buried with snow or ice, but thet were covered white and it was definitely a shocking moment for them.' Furtenbach has pioneered the use of xenon gas. But it has split the climbing community as traditionalists fear it could make mountains like Everest even more crowded with the cash-rich, time-poor Instagram crowd buying their way to the top. Speaking before the ascent Kev Godlington joked that their training had been so gruelling that, 'no one's gonna want to put the four months we have put in, whatever the price." Carns said the team were treating the climb like a Special Ops mission – using every advantage they could get. He told The Sun: 'This is like a Special Forces mission. We have the best people, the best training, the best kit and we are at the very cutting edge of science. We'll go in, hit the objective and leave no trace, no waste.' Read more on the Irish Sun Garth Miller, a Gurkha officer turned long-haul pilot, said xenon was safer for the climbers and better for the environment — as the team's footprint on the mountain will be a tenth of normal expeditions. He said: 'We are all fathers, so as fathers we are going to load as many of the variables as we can in our favour.'
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
'Xenon won't propel us to the top, but it will protect us as we climb fast' - British politician plans to summit Everest using controversial gas
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Most climbers take several months to scale Mount Everest, gradually heading up and down to acclimatize to the lack of oxygen. British politician Alistair Carns says he is aiming to do it in just four days with the help of a controversial gas. Next month, the 45-year-old Minister for Veterans and People will fly to Nepal with three ex-Special Forces pals to climb the world's tallest mountain in a matter of days. They hope to arrive on a Monday, summit by Thursday, and be back in London for Sunday. Amongst the climbers is ThruDark founder Anthony Stazicker, whose brand creates high-performance outwear for harsh outdoor conditions. Two weeks prior, the group will be in Germany, where medical professionals will supervise their inhalation of the controversial Xenon gas. The team is being guided by Austrian outfit Furtenbach Adventures, led by experienced mountaineer Lukas Furtenbach. Furtenbach says that he used Xenon to assist a recent climb on Aconcagua, South America's highest mountain, and was was "totally convinced" by its effects. Xenon, which is legal on Everest, aims to accelerate the acclimatization process by increasing your body's erythropoietin production, which should, in theory, boost your red blood cell count. However, its effectiveness has been disputed. The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation does not recommend it due to a lack of literature and proper research into its effects. "Although a single inhalation of Xenon can measurably increase the release of erythropoietin, this increase is not sustained over four weeks use, nor is it associated with any changes in red blood cells," the federation explains on its website. In healthy individuals, blood oxygen saturation levels sit around 98% to 100% at sea level. At altitude, that number drops to roughly 87% to 92%; atop Everest, it can fall as low as 75%. This has a weakening effect and can cause deadly altitude sickness. With more red blood cells, climbers can forgo the traditional acclimatization process without risking the harrowing effects of altitude. Although the use of Xenon gas has drawn criticism from some sections of the climbing community, Carns and his crew are still eager to use it. "Xenon won't propel us to the top, but it will protect us as we climb fast," he tells British newspaper The Sun. "We are all fathers, so as fathers we are going to load as many of the variables as we can in our favour.' At 29,032ft (8,849m), Mount Everest is the tallest peak on Earth, measured from sea level. Around 800 people attempt to summit the Nepalese behemoth each year, with roughly five to ten people losing their lives. Last year, eight people died on the mountain. As anyone who was paying attention in chemistry lessons in school will know, Xenon (Xe) is one of the 118 chemical elements of the periodic table. It's an odorless, colorless noble gas that has a range of uses. It's been used as an anaesthetic for decades, as well as in lighting and medical imaging. Dr Michael Fries, an anaesthetist in Limburg an der Lahn, Germany, is involved in the project. He told the Financial Times that when used in lower doses as to when used as an anaesthetic, Xenon boosts erythropoietin production in the kidneys. This is turn boosts the creation of red blood cells and increased the body's ability to transport oxygen. Its potentially advantage-giving qualities mean that it's banned from use in organized sports. However, Furtenbach is adamant of its legitimacy in mountaineering circles, stating: "It's not an organized sport, so there's technically no doping in mountaineering." The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation has hit back stating that Xenon is a medicine, with the corresponding health risks if used in an unmonitored setting. It points to one study that showed doses recommended for mountaineering could lead to significant sedation, a quality that's detrimental in the high-stakes world of the death zone and high-altitude mountaineering. Before politics, Carns enjoyed a 25-year career with the Royal Marines, which he believes will serve him well for the upcoming challenge. "This is like a Special Forces mission. We have the best people, the best training, the best kit, and we are at the very cutting edge of science," he said. 'We'll go in, hit the objective, and leave no trace, no waste." The upcoming challenge is in aid of various charities and aims to raise a significant $1,280,000 (£1,000,000). The best winter hiking boots: for unbeatable performance in the cold The best ice axes: for tackling frozen terrain
