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They used Xenon to climb Everest in days – is it the future of mountaineering?

nytimes.com

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Re: They used Xenon to climb Everest in days – is it the future of mountaineering?

#21

Post by A_D_E_P_T »

Boss Lowe wrote about doping with xenon gas more than a decade ago: https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/another-use-xenon

Also, and quite interestingly, xenon isn't the only element that does this. Cobalt does something very similar: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6157393/

Athletic use is probably more common than people think. And I'd be absolutely shocked if Xe gas weren't already being used in racehorses. (You wouldn't believe the state of chemical warfare in that sport.)

There's also potential military use -- especially in combat divers. They're very limited by the amount of breathing gas they can carry. Anything to meaningfully cut oxygen use could be a game changer.

Re: They used Xenon to climb Everest in days – is it the future of mountaineering?

#22

Post by sschueller »

tonyhart7 wrote: post #16
lm28469 wrote: post #5

[flagged]

"just to climb a overcrowded rock and tick a checkbox on your pathetic life's" why the HATE so much lol

Because others are exploited and risk their lives to get these people up that peak. If it was only them going up on their own without expectations to be rescued if something goes wrong no one would have a problem with it.

Re: They used Xenon to climb Everest in days – is it the future of mountaineering?

#24

Post by dtech »

meindnoch wrote: post #12

Xenon is used by athletes to increase their endogenous erythropoietin production. As it's a noble gas, it leaves no trace in their body, so post-hoc detection of this doping method is impossible. But as a recreational climber, why bother with xenon? Just inject EPO.

I guess it feels different to people to stimulate their bodies production of a hormone rather than injecting it.

Re: They used Xenon to climb Everest in days – is it the future of mountaineering?

#25

Post by _joel »

meindnoch wrote: post #12

Xenon is used by athletes to increase their endogenous erythropoietin production. As it's a noble gas, it leaves no trace in their body, so post-hoc detection of this doping method is impossible. But as a recreational climber, why bother with xenon? Just inject EPO.

Breathing in an inert gas is easier and much safer than injecting something into your body.

Re: They used Xenon to climb Everest in days – is it the future of mountaineering?

#26

Post by grues-dinner »

Calwestjobs wrote: post #4

LESS people have Tesla car than amount of people who were on top of Mount Everest, why bother ?

"Only" about 6000 people have succeeded in climbing Everest as of mid-2022. Interestingly one third of all successful attempts ever have been since 2016, and nearly half of all summits are people doing it not for the first time.

Re: They used Xenon to climb Everest in days – is it the future of mountaineering?

#27

Post by timschmidt »

_joel wrote: post #25
meindnoch wrote: post #12

Xenon is used by athletes to increase their endogenous erythropoietin production. As it's a noble gas, it leaves no trace in their body, so post-hoc detection of this doping method is impossible. But as a recreational climber, why bother with xenon? Just inject EPO.

Breathing in an inert gas is easier and much safer than injecting something into your body.

Xenon acts like an anesthetic so it's possible to OD on.

Re: They used Xenon to climb Everest in days – is it the future of mountaineering?

#28

Post by jppittma »

meindnoch wrote: post #12

Xenon is used by athletes to increase their endogenous erythropoietin production. As it's a noble gas, it leaves no trace in their body, so post-hoc detection of this doping method is impossible. But as a recreational climber, why bother with xenon? Just inject EPO.

Why not both? Also detection?!? That’s crazy. Everybody should be doing this. The raison d’etre for these sorts of bans is their perceived negative health consequences.

You almost certainly safer using whatever PED you can get your hands on if you’re trying to climb Everest.

Re: They used Xenon to climb Everest in days – is it the future of mountaineering?

#30

Post by adwn »

> Himal Gautam, the director of Nepal’s tourism department, which is responsible for regulating expeditions on the nation’s mountains, said in an interview that using the gas was “against climbing ethics,” […]

Okay, but then be consistent and also ban bottled oxygen and the services of Sherpas.

> […] and that it would hurt the country’s tourism industry and the Sherpas who help climbers by reducing their time on the mountain.

Ah, okay, there's the real reason. "Climbing ethics" my ass.

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