Climbers Use Xenon Gas to Speed Everest Ascent, Hoping to Summit in Under Seven Days

Kathmandu, Nepal: In a bold expedition, Austrian mountaineer Lukas Furtenbach leads four climbers planning to summit Mount Everest in under one week—shaving the typical 40-day trek dramatically. Their secret? Administering xenon gas pre-climb to boost red blood cell production and reduce altitude sickness. Critics remain skeptical, noting limited clinical evidence that xenon reliably improves acclimatization. Furtenbach claims prior personal trials show it mitigates extreme altitude effects. If successful, this approach challenges the traditional months-long Everest routine and might reshape high-altitude mountaineering methods.