Navigating Risk in High-Altitude Climbing

In this episode, host Steve House sits down with Dr. Peter Hackett, a pioneer in high-altitude medicine, to discuss the potential use of xenon gas as a performance enhancer for mountaineers. Xenon, once used as an anesthetic, is a noble gas that may briefly stimulate erythropoietin (EPO) but lacks solid evidence of improving red blood cell count or performance. Dr. Hackett explains the risks of unsupervised xenon use and stresses the importance of controlled research before drawing conclusions. He shares skepticism around current anecdotal claims, especially without peer-reviewed data. The episode emphasizes safety, science, and honesty in altitude medicine. This is the first part of a two-part series on the use of Xenon in mountaineering.