Could you climb Everest in a week? Briton attempts ‘fastest ever’ summit – using rare gas
The IndependentSign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Garth Miller, 51, will be attempting to reach the peak in just days rather than months with the help of Xenon - a gas sometimes used of rocket propellant - which could help mountaineers “pre-acclimatise” better to the mountain’s altitude. Lukas Furtenbach, a leading mountain guide and climber from Austria, said a blend of the gas could make climbing the notoriously dangerous mountain safer and faster by boosting production of erythropoietin, a hormone that helps the creation of red blood cells, allowing the heart to transport more oxygen around the body. “I’m super-excited to see if we can leave home on a Monday morning, be on the summit of Everest on Thursday night, and make it home for Sunday lunch,” he told the Financial Times. “I was standing there, thinking, ‘OK, this really works.’ I was totally convinced.” Mr Miller then got in touch with Mr Furtenbach, and assembled a group of fellow veterans to carry out the pilot climb to fundraise for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity for bereaved military children.
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How climbers could tackle Everest in a WEEK - thanks to a controversial gas that's banned in professional sport
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