British Team Summits Everest in Record Time

The ascent of Mount Everest (8,848 m) by Team Xenon, officially known as Mission Everest 7 Days, reached its pinnacle today as the team successfully summited the world’s highest peak. British climbers Garth Miller, Anthony Stazicker, Kev Gondlington, and Al Carns stood atop Everest just five days after departing their homes in the United Kingdom.

At the time of reporting, the team was in the midst of their descent, aiming to return to base camp by the end of the day. Once there, a helicopter evacuation will transport them directly to Kathmandu airport, allowing them to complete the round trip from the UK and back in under a week.

The four former British military personnel began their journey on Friday, May 16, flying to Kathmandu. The following day, May 17, they were flown directly to Everest Base Camp. Prior to the expedition, the climbers underwent a specialized 30-minute xenon gas treatment in Germany, designed to aid rapid acclimatization to high altitude.

Wasting no time upon arrival, the team launched their ascent later that same afternoon, moving swiftly through the high camps. Throughout the expedition, they made use of supplemental oxygen and were supported by a robust team of eight experienced Sherpas from the expedition company Furtenbach Adventures: Pasang Tendi Sherpa, Pemba Rinji Sherpa, Nima Nuru Sherpa, Gelu Sherpa, Pemba Rickchhen Sherpa, Karma Sherpa, Mingma Chhiri Sherpa, and Phu Dorji Sherpa.

On Monday, May 19, following a busy weekend on the mountain that saw hundreds of climbers reach the summit, Team Xenon reached Camp 3. By Tuesday, May 20, they had ascended to Camp 4 at 8,000 meters. This morning, Wednesday, May 21, they successfully reached the summit.

According to GPS tracking data, the team was descending between Camp 3 and Camp 2 at the time of this report. Their goal is to arrive at base camp today or early tomorrow morning, setting them on track to return to the UK by Friday — exactly one week after their departure.