If you have a problem with it high up, then you’re so not acclimatized your body has a much higher chance of literally just going into full-blown altitude sickness, like rapidly to where you could just die or pass out,” he added.
Carns told CNN he’s comfortable with the risks, as are the other members of the team — Garth Miller, Kevin Godlington and Anthony Stazicker — who have also had careers in the armed services.
“We’re all from a military background, very specialist elements in the military. Our whole careers have been built around the ability to balance risk, to take risk and mitigate it in the most effective ways.
“Xenon is only one small section of it that probably enhances our ability by five or 10% and particularly reduces the chances of high altitude sickness or edema, which are the big things that will catch us out,” he explained.
The team has been using hypoxic chambers as part of pre-altitude training, as well as following a diet and exercise plan.
“There’s no shortcuts in this space, we spent easy, over 500 hours sleeping in a hypoxic tent, (and there’s) a lot of exercise involved to make sure you’re ready and fit and capable,” Carns added.
Still, there are no guarantees the team will be successful, and Carns admitted that they can’t be sure that their training will reduce the impacts of altitude.
“I always say there’s a 30% chance of us doing this in seven days, and about 70% chance of us doing it under 21 days,” he explained.
Furtenbach is careful to note that this type of expedition — costing around 150,000 euros (around $170,147), is unlikely to become the main type that customers choose.
“We want to show what is possible in a week… It will always be very niche,” he said.
“Of course, the experience is different if you spend 10 weeks on an expedition, or seven weeks or seven days — but in the end, that’s a personal decision. We offer a long traditional expedition. We offer a medium-length expedition, and now a very short one.
“It’s not that I’m saying this is the only way to climb Mount Everest, and this is the future way. It’s one way to climb Mount Everest, and I think there should be a coexistence of different styles of climbing.