Overview

• Four former special forces members, including Labour minister Alistair Carns, flew from London and reached Everest’s summit in under seven days by inhaling xenon during pre-climb preparation
• Nepal’s tourism department says xenon use breaches climbing ethics and has opened a formal inquiry into the expedition
• The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation warned that xenon has no proven acclimatization benefits and carries potential health risks
• Xenon has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2014 but remains unregulated in mountaineering
• Expedition organiser Lukas Furtenbach intends to offer two-week Everest packages using xenon gas by 2026