The rationale is that by reducing the expedition time, you conserve energy and reduce the risk of illness by minimizing your time on the mountain. Using a hypoxic altitude tent 30 to 60 days before leaving home, you can arrive at base camp acclimatized to at least 17,000 feet and even up to 23,000 feet. This way, you can eliminate one or all acclimatization rotations and enhance your chances of summiting. Then, you can hurry back home and return to work as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n
The package typically includes pre-acclimatization in a hypoxic altitude tent a month or two before departure, an IFMGA guide, virtually unlimited oxygen flowing at up to 8 liters per minute in some cases, and ample Sherpa support. This additional support raises the cost to $100,000 or more.<\/p>\n
Xenon Climbs<\/strong><\/p>\n There is a new twist on this from the Austrian operator, Lukas Furtenbach, owner of Furtenbach Adventures.<\/p>\n The Financial Times<\/a> reported on January 10, 2025, that the operator would have four British clients inhale a xenon gas blend for half an hour upon arrival in Kathmandu. Then, they would fly to EBC, meet their Sherpas and leave for the summit within two hours. The plan is for a three-day ascent and another day to descend. There would be no acclimatization rotations. If all goes well, they could return home in about two days, making the entire trip last a week.<\/p>\n According to Dr. Michael Fries, an anesthetist at a hospital in Limburg an der Lahn, Germany, who was involved in the expedition design and interviewed by FT, xenon, used as an anesthetic, “…has a separate effect at lower doses: boosting EPO production.” Erythropoietin (EPO) is produced in the kidneys and increases when the body is exposed to high altitudes, a normal part of natural acclimatization.<\/p>\n The FT article notes on xenon: “The hormone, a synthetic version of which is banned in sport, boosts the production of red blood cells, increasing the body\u2019s capacity to transport oxygen.” Concerning doping rules, Furtenbach told FT, \u201cIt\u2019s not an organised sport, so there\u2019s technically no doping in mountaineering.\u201d<\/p>\n Furtenbach said he tried the gas on Aconcagua and,”\u2018OK, this really works.\u2019 I was totally convinced.\u201d<\/p>\n Furtenbach charges \u20ac150,000 ($153,720) for the seven-day expedition. Download the Financial Time<\/a>s app to read the entire article.<\/p>\n The so-called Rapid\/Flash\/Speed climbs are all the rage right now, and there seems to be no end to this high-end trend. I understand that some people want to summit Everest in the shortest time possible\u2013there’s a market for all styles, and each person has their own reason.<\/p>\n The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) issued a statement<\/a> on using xenon gas for mountaineering “According to current [scientific] literature, there is no evidence that breathing in xenon improves performance in the mountains, and inappropriate use can be dangerous<\/strong>,\u201d<\/p>\n They go on to say:<\/p>\n Moreover, xenon has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List of banned substances since 2014. A ban on the use of performance-enhancing substances can only be applied to sports that are subject to WADA rules, thus applying for example to competitive ice climbing but not to high-altitude mountaineering. Xenon is an anesthetic gas, and thus a medicine, with corresponding adverse effects and health risks, meaning in an unmonitored setting this could be impaired brain function, respiratory compromise, and even death. One study showed significant sedation in people using it at doses recommended for mountaineering. Even slight sedation is detrimental in the potentially dangerous setting of high-altitude mountaineering.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n A research article<\/a> published in 2019 entitled “Effect of acute and chronic xenon inhalation on erythropoietin, hematological\u00a0parameters, and athletic performance” concluded: “Xenon inhalation did not increase fitness or improve athletic performance, and, given the adverse symptomology associated with dosing, our findings do not support the use\u00a0\u00a0use of\u00a0xenon as an erythropoiesis-modulating agent in sports.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n Furtenbach responded to the UIAA on Stefen Nestler<\/a> blog with:<\/p>\n … describes the statement to me as \u201cunscientific, full of methodological and substantive errors and misinterpretations and malicious insinuations\u201d. According to Furtenbach, it contains the \u201cfalse assertion that xenon has no effect on erythropoiesis [formation of red blood cells] <\/em>and performance, according to which it would have to be removed from the WADA[doping]<\/em> list immediately or should never have been included there in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n I cannot and will not opine on the medical aspects as I’m not qualified, so I’ll comment only from a climber perspective. I’m a bit troubled by this. The old adage, “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should,” feels appropriate here. I’m not a fan.<\/p>\n In my view, climbing shouldn\u2019t be rushed. It tests and challenges us to endure difficulties, celebrate the journey, not just the outcome, and return home as better versions of ourselves by embracing the spirit of expedition climbing.<\/p>\n Perhaps I am just “old school,” but then again, I never thought we would send tourists into space.<\/p>\n Best of luck to everyone. I’m sure we will see more of it this. I suspect full spacesuits are next, and I’m not joking.<\/p>\n Climb On!<\/p>\n Alan You can listen\u00a0on Spotify<\/a>,\u00a0Apple Podcast<\/a>, Breaker<\/a>, Google Podcasts<\/a>, Pocket Casts<\/a>, RadioPublic<\/a>, Anchor<\/a>, and more. Just search for “alan arnette” on your favorite podcast platform.<\/p>\n Schedule a Free Call<\/a><\/p>\n Navigating the internet for the best company to climb with on the highest peaks can be\u00a0overwhelming<\/strong>. Alan’s experience can help you\u00a0save money<\/strong>\u00a0and boost your chances of\u00a0achieving your goals<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Alan\u2019s unique industry experiences include climbs, summits, sponsorships, and organization. Although he ran track in high school and set state records, his fitness level didn\u2019t translate to climbing at high altitudes (above 10,000 feet) when he began at age 38<\/strong>.<\/p>\n He has affordable, proven physical trainin<\/strong>g and\u00a0mental toughness<\/strong> programs. Many Summit Coach clients have limited or no experience, while others have successfully climbed dozens of summits and are seeking help for their next big challenge. Regardless of your experience level, Summit Coach offers an honest program without the false promises of a “summit with no experience.” Please visit the Summit Coach website<\/a> <\/strong>for information on prices and offerings.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Some foreign guides and a few Nepali guides offer fast Everest climbs, lasting two to four weeks instead of the traditional six to eight weeks. This is an increasingly popular option, and a new twist promises to reduce this to just one week, from home to home.. #Everest2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":40804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[7,147,755,81,216],"tags":[448,754],"class_list":["post-46829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climbing-news","category-everest","category-everest-2025-coverage","category-everest-news","category-everest-popular-posts","tag-everest","tag-everest-2025-coverage"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Screen-Shot-2022-04-28-at-Thursday-Apr-2840.47-AM.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46829\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Update: The Medical Community Responds – Don’t<\/h3>\n
Furtenbach Responds<\/h3>\n
Opinion<\/h3>\n
\nMemories are Everything<\/p>\n
\nThe Podcast on alanarnette.com<\/h2>\n
\nWhy Do You Need a Coach and Why Alan?<\/h2>\n
![\"summit](\"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/cropped-silverheels_2008_020.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n