A small crew out of the UK summited Everest in days with the help of xenon gas. Here's what xenon gas is, why it's used for climbing, and the risks of using it.

Xenon is a noble gas—colorless, odorless, inert. But it does affect the body. It’s been used as an anesthetic on occasion since the 1950s, says Robert Dickinson, a senior lecturer in medicine ...

Xenon is a noble gas discovered in the 1880s that for decades was used as an anesthetic. It has been shown to increase production of the protein erythropoietin (EPO), which is produced by the ...

A group of British men went from London to the summit of Everest and back in less than a week with the help of xenon gas. Mountaineers and the Nepalese government weren’t pleased.

All four members of the Furtenbach Adventures team who prepped for their climb by hypoxic training at home and breathing Xenon gas, summited Everest today, five days after leaving the UK. They now ...

The use of xenon gas by a group of British mountaineers before they began an expedition to climb the world's highest mountain in less than five days has raised questions about its effectiveness ...

The four British military veterans say they still haven’t processed a speed climb for which they used xenon gas to acclimatize before the climb. Updated May 23, 2025. 6 min. Summary.

Four climbers went up and down Everest in under a week with the help of xenon gas—a record-breaking ascent that has ignited controversy in the mountaineering world.

Four ex-military friends are planning to summit Everest without the usual lengthy acclimatization period, relying on inhalations of noble gas xenon to prepare them, despite warnings this method ...

Rather than taking weeks or months, climbers are trying to summit Everest in just 7 days by inhaling xenon gas. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Dr. Peter Hackett, a pioneer in altitude research.

The British climbers, who had inhaled Xenon gas in Germany before embarking on the expedition, climbed the 8,848 metre (29,032 ft) peak in less than five days after departing London, ...

Four ex-military friends are planning to summit Everest without the usual lengthy acclimatization period, relying on inhalations of noble gas xenon to prepare them, despite warnings this method ...