"British politician intends to ascend Mount Everest with contentious Xenon gas, relying on it for safety during rapid ascent"
British Politician Alistair Carns and His Team Aim to Scale Mount Everest in an Unprecedented Four Days Using Controversial Xenon Gas
Climbing the world's tallest mountain, Mount Everest, takes most an arduous several months. However, British Minister for Veterans and People Alistair Carns aspires to conquer this daunting peak in just four days, with the help of a questionable gas.
Next month, Carns, accompanied by three ex-Special Forces friends, plans to embark on this daring expedition in Nepal. They aim to reach the summit by Thursday after arriving on a Monday and returning to London for Sunday. The team includes Anthony Stazicker, founder of high-performance outwear brand ThruDark. Prior to the climb, the group will spend two weeks in Germany, where medical professionals will oversee their intake of the controversial Xenon gas.
The ambitious project is being guided by Austrian outfit Furtenbach Adventures, led by experienced mountaineer Lukas Furtenbach. Furtenbach has expressed confidence in Xenon, citing its positive impact on a recent climb on Aconcagua, South America's highest mountain. Xenon, a legal substance on Everest, seeks to expedite the acclimatization process by enhancing the body's erythropoietin production, which is theorized to boost red blood cell count.
However, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation does not endorse this approach due to a lack of substantial research into Xenon's effects. Despite this, the federation acknowledges that a single inhalation of Xenon can raise erythropoietin levels, albeit not in a sustained manner or associated with a change in red blood cells over four weeks of use.
The benefits of using Xenon gas include its potential to bypass the traditional acclimatization process, thus allowing climbers to scale the mountain more quickly and without the risk of altitude sickness. However, its efficacy and safety remain subjects of debate in the climbing community.
Whilst the use of Xenon gas for mountaineering has drawn criticism, Carns and his crew remain optimistic. The politician believes it will aid them as they ascend at a rapid pace, stating, "We are all fathers, so as fathers, we are going to load as many of the variables as we can in our favor."
At 8,849 meters (29,032 feet), Mount Everest is the highest peak on Earth, attracting approximately 800 climbers each year, with several losing their lives in the attempt. Last year, the mountain claimed eight lives.
What is Xenon Gas?
Xenon, one of the 118 chemical elements of the periodic table, is an odorless and colorless noble gas that has been used as an anesthetic for decades. Medical professionals supervise its lower-dose use in climbers, as it amps up erythropoietin production in the kidneys, thereby stimulating the creation of red blood cells and increasing the body's capacity to transport oxygen. However, its use is banned from organized sports due to its advantage-providing qualities.
The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation has expressed concerns over the unregulated use of Xenon in extreme environments, citing potential health risks and sedative effects that could be detrimental in the high-stakes world of high-altitude mountaineering.
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- The use of Xenon gas, a controversial substance in high-altitude mountaineering, is being attempted by British Minister Alistair Carns and his team in their aim to scale Mount Everest in four days.
- As a legal substance on Everest, Xenon gas is said to aid in the acclimatization process by boosting red blood cell count through increased erythropoietin production.
- While Xenon has been cited for its potential to bypass the traditional acclimatization process and reduce the risk of altitude sickness, its efficacy and safety remain subjects of debate in the climbing community.
- Paralleling the debate, sports authorities have banned Xenon from organized sports due to its advantage-providing qualities, raising concerns over its unregulated use in extreme environments.
