For regular mountaineers, climbing to the summit of Mount Everest usually takes 40 to 45 days. It requires long periods of high-altitude training and back-and-forth training between glacier camps to allow the body to acclimatize to altitudes of six to seven thousand meters.

Recently, someone successfully reached the summit of Everest in just 4 days and 18 hours, using a 1.24 million yuan helium gas 'attachment', setting a new record. This act has stirred up a significant uproar in the climbing community; instead of receiving widespread acclaim, it has become the target of fierce criticism from many climbing enthusiasts and professionals.

Is conquering Everest with the help of helium therapy a sign of the demise of the climbing spirit, or an inevitable evolution of technology? What is the experience of participating in helium therapy really like? What controversies lie beneath? Reporters from the 'Daily Economic News' (referred to as 'Daily Economic News reporters') sought out those involved in an effort to authentically restore this incident.

The "mission impossible" of 4 days and 18 hours. How did British veterans "lightning climb" Everest?

Two days after experienced mountaineer Chen Tao, known in the industry as "Qiangzi," safely led his team down from the peak of Mount Everest at an altitude of 8,848.86 meters, a British climbing team also stood on top of the world on the morning of May 21 at 7:10 AM.

They set off from London Heathrow Airport at an altitude of just 24 meters on May 16, taking approximately 4 days and 18 hours to reach the summit. This speed has redefined common perceptions of the Everest climbing duration and made Qiangzi, who witnessed the scene through a live broadcast screen at base camp, exclaim in awe: "Shocking!"

This "lightning journey," destined to be recorded in the history of Everest climbs, featured four British Special Forces veterans — including an airline pilot, two entrepreneurs, and a politician. Upon arriving in Nepal's capital Kathmandu, they took a helicopter directly to base camp at an altitude of 5,300 meters.

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Qiangzi recalled: "There, everything they needed, such as oxygen, tents, food, and even GPS and global live broadcast equipment, was all ready." After arriving at the base camp, they did not gather in the camp like other teams to participate in the traditional Puja ceremony to pray for a safe ascent; instead, they chose to head directly for the summit. At 10:30 PM on May 20, they began their summit attempt from Camp 4 at an altitude of 8,000 meters. At 7:10 AM on May 21, they successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest.

Prior to this, no team had ever been able to conquer Everest at such an astonishing speed without undergoing systematic high-altitude acclimatization training. Qiangzi elaborated to reporters about the long process of traditional Everest climbing: "For ordinary people wishing to summit Everest, the whole process takes about 40 to 45 days." He divided it into three main stages.

First, there is about a 10-day trek into the mountains, aimed at gradually acclimatizing the body to different altitudes; Second, there is high-altitude training focused on climbing Lhotse, which takes about 4 to 6 days, to strengthen climbing skills and physical condition; Finally, there is back-and-forth training between Camps 1, 2, and 3 on the Khumbu Glacier. After completing all this, climbers also need to return to base camp for sufficient rest, patiently waiting for the "weather window" to open before formally launching their assault on the summit.

The British climbing team's "lightning summit" undoubtedly overturned this model.

How did Xenon become the “Super add-on” of the summit?

The reason this British climbing team broke the 'rules of the game' for climbing Everest is that they claim to have a secret weapon—xenon therapy.

On May 5, about two weeks before flying to Nepal, four climbers traveled to Germany to meet with Michael Fries, a doctor who developed this therapy and one of the world's leading researchers in xenon medicine. Under his supervision, they inhaled a mixture of xenon and oxygen at a German hospital.

Xenon (Xe), an inert gas that is part of the rare gases family in the periodic table, is usually used in medical anesthesia. Today, it has transformed into a mysterious 'power-up' that assists climbers in making a rapid ascent of Everest.

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One of the four climbers, Garth Miller, told reporters that there was a professional team providing support in the room, and the entire process lasted 25 minutes. 'Breathing in a xenon/oxygen mixture felt normal; some people experienced slight dizziness, but the symptoms disappeared immediately after the treatment. We felt great and flew back to the UK that same day.' He emphasized that the xenon therapy was a one-time treatment, and they used pure oxygen throughout the climbing process thereafter.

Not only that, but they also underwent several months of acclimatization training using low-oxygen tents. Garth Miller explained, 'We used a device that can reduce the oxygen concentration to simulate a high-altitude environment. We accumulated over 450 hours of low-oxygen time, mostly while sleeping, but we also trained on a treadmill or stationary bike with masks on. This would stimulate our bodies to undergo physiological changes similar to those experienced in real high-altitude areas, allowing us to start climbing immediately after flying to the base camp of Everest at an altitude of over 5,300 meters, without needing to undertake slow trekking and multiple acclimatization cycles as usual.'

“Xenon can stimulate the production of red blood cells, thereby enhancing the body's adaptability,” said Lukas Furtenbach, the founder of Austrian adventure company Furtenbach Adventures, to reporters. He further stated, “More importantly, it can protect both the heart and nervous system. It effectively safeguards the brain and lungs from high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE).” This is also the first time Furtenbach's company has applied xenon therapy to commercial climbing clients.

He firmly believes that xenon will change the game for climbing high-altitude peaks. “Hypoxic pre-conditioning is a powerful tool in itself; we have used this technology to change the way we climb Everest (shortening the traditional required 10 weeks to just 2 to 3 weeks), and xenon changes everything again.” Furtenbach told the reporters: “Xenon not only significantly enhances the body's adaptability but also protects the body from the troubles of altitude sickness, making the climbing process much safer.” It is important to note that altitude sickness is one of the greatest dangers climbers facing, when challenging Everest and is one of the leading causes of fatal accidents.

In the face of skepticism from various parties, Futenbach maintains his stance. He rebutted, "If xenon really does not have a significant impact, then the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) would not have listed it among the banned substances in competitive sports. Our practice in this area is ahead of science, which often happens in the innovation process. Now, we need scientists to conduct more in-depth research to confirm our findings."

He believes that xenon is only used as a legal medical preventive measure against altitude sickness, with no gray areas, no side effects, and no withdrawal symptoms. "If the use of xenon is banned, then oxygen must also be banned."

Garth Miller told the reporter: "I have spent a long time in areas above 8,000 meters and have summited Everest. But this time felt different. We did not experience common altitude sickness symptoms such as headaches. I felt amazing, my mind was clear, and I had plenty of energy without any altitude sickness." He also emphasized: "The effects of xenon do not last more than a month and may not even be felt at normal altitudes."

For ordinary people, experiencing xenon therapy is not an easy task. Xenon is extremely rare in the atmosphere, with a concentration of about 0.000009%. Extracting xenon from the air requires an extremely complex process, making it very expensive.

The high cost of purification also determines the positioning of xenon therapy as a "luxury item." Furtenbach Adventures currently offers a commercial "xenon-assisted summit plan" priced at up to 150,000 euros per person, roughly 1.24 million yuan. Of this, the cost of xenon for each climber alone amounts to 5,000 dollars, approximately CNYB36,000.

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After the British team successfully summited Everest, Furtenbach noted an increase in inquiries about "xenon therapy." He plans to expand this service to support all climbers looking to enhance their acclimatization and ensure safety.

This price stands in stark contrast to traditional commercial climbing costs for Everest. Qiangzi told reporters that this year, the price for climbing Everest is around 50,000 dollars, and with tips, airfare, and insurance, the total cost usually amounts to about 55,000 dollars (around 400,000 yuan).

In this regard, Futenbach has his own business logic: "I believe this is a win-win situation. On one hand, it makes the climbing process safer for climbers; on the other hand, the impact on the environment is also reduced, such as decreases in resource consumption, waste generation, and human excrement. Workers in high-altitude areas can earn the same salary while their workload is reduced."

Rare gas producers like OOCT are working hard to increase production. As more and more high-purity rare gases from Asia are being utilized in isotopes and other medical fields, technological advancements will surely lead to significant progress in areas such as medicine, electronics, semiconductors, and aerospace technology.