Why xenon and the noble gases have a noble mountaineering pedigree

February 12, 2025 History acclimatisation, albert mummery, alexander kellas, cuillin ridge, everest, furtenbach adventures, himalayas, inaccessible pinnacle, isle of skye, john mackenzie, nanga parbat, norman collie, scotland, sgurr alasdair, sgurr nan gillean 0 Comment

There’s been some controversy in mountaineering circles about the noble gas xenon after mountaineering operator Furtenbach Adventures announced that they’ll be offering it to their Everest clients. It’s entirely appropriate that somebody has got around to using a noble gas to aid in mountaineering, for reasons I will explain.

BREAKING NEWS: Climbers to scale Mount Everest in a weekend by inhaling helium

January 29, 2025 Humour acclimatisation, bottled oxygen, breaking news, commercial mountaineering, everest, first ascents, media sensationalism, mountaineering ethics 12 Comments

Which of us hasn’t spent at least one night of our lives at a party sucking helium from a balloon in the hope of talking like Mickey Mouse? We marvelled how those balloons, containing a gas lighter than air, rose to the ceiling. What we didn’t realise was that what works for a balloon also works for people.

Christmas in Glen Coe III: the Hillwalk Terminator

January 15, 2025 Trip reports aonach eagach, beinn a bheithir, britain, glen coe, hill walking, meall dearg, munros, scotland 5 Comments

It was the third year in a row that we’d chosen to spend Christmas in Glencoe in the hope of bagging some winter hills. But, as we’ve discovered, hoping for good weather in Glencoe over Christmas is a forlorn hope. Still, you’ve got to put your chin up and get on with it. With an unpromising weather forecast, would we manage get up any Munros?