Mail by Runner 139: Special Forces Team Summits Everest in Under 5 Days

Last week, four former British special forces soldiers set a new precedent on Mount Everest, summiting in just under five days after leaving London.

Backed by a regimen of hypoxic tent training and xenon-gas inhalation, the team bypassed the traditional six- to eight-week on-mountain acclimatisation, arriving at Base Camp by helicopter and reaching the summit in 4 days and 18 hours.

Their achievement has drawn headlines, and scrutiny.

The team’s organisers say their methods were medically sound. But the use of xenon gas, a technique designed to trigger red blood cell production, is now under investigation by Nepal’s Department of Tourism. Lawmakers are calling for clearer rules, and the UIAA has warned that the scientific evidence behind xenon’s effectiveness is thin.

Meanwhile, some in the mountaineering community are asking: Is this the future of a safer high-altitude climbing approach, or a step too far?

Sir Ed climbed in a way that acclimatised slowly, carrying loads up and down, with respect for the mountain. His climbs weren’t built on shortcuts, they were built on systems, determination, hard work, and shared effort with his Sherpa friends.

Whether or not one approves of Everest in five days, there’s no doubt it opens a new frontier in the evolution of high-altitude climbing, scientific and strategic.

A well earned rest is deserved by the team on what is a groundbreaking accomplishment.