In early May 1978, two adventurous climbers, Peter Habler and Reinhold Messner, embarked on a daring mission to conquer Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain, without using supplemental oxygen. They had spent weeks acclimating to the high altitude, gradually moving up from the base camp. By May 8th, they reached nearly 8,000 meters, where the air was so thin that even sleeping was a struggle, as their lungs constantly gasped for air. Their goal was to become the first to summit Everest without extra oxygen, a feat many thought impossible.
Standing at 8,848 meters, Everest is not just a mountain; it’s a formidable challenge. Climbers face avalanches, hidden crevasses, sudden storms, and the notorious “death zone” above 8,000 meters, where oxygen levels are 40% lower than at sea level. Habler and Messner aimed to prove that humans could survive and return from the summit without suffering permanent or fatal brain damage.
On the day they ascended through the death zone, it took them nearly two hours just to get dressed. They could only move a few meters before collapsing to catch their breath, communicating through hand signals to conserve energy. Despite the harsh conditions, they persevered, reaching the summit after eight grueling hours. Their descent was perilous, with Habler sliding uncontrollably down the mountain, losing much of his gear. Fortunately, both returned unharmed, defying expectations.
Climbing Everest without supplemental oxygen is a rare achievement, accomplished by only 216 people. What makes these climbers capable of enduring such extreme conditions? Are they gifted with unique physiological traits, or is it something anyone can achieve with enough training and dedication?
Mount Everest and other towering peaks were formed around 40 to 50 million years ago when the Indian continental plate collided with the Eurasian plate. These mountains, including the Himalayas and Karakoram ranges, are relatively young compared to older ranges like the Smoky Mountains in North America. At the summit, temperatures plummet, and barometric pressure drops to a third of sea level, making breathing difficult. The oxygen concentration remains the same, but the lower pressure means fewer oxygen molecules reach the lungs, causing a cascade of physiological challenges.
Before reaching Everest Base Camp at 5,364 meters, climbers acclimate at lower altitudes to prepare their bodies. At base camp, they experience symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and breathlessness. The body responds by increasing breathing frequency, but this can lead to hyperventilation and respiratory alkalosis, limiting breath capacity. To adapt, the body produces more red blood cells, thickening the blood and increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Climbers use strategies like “climb high, sleep low” to acclimate better. This involves ascending to higher altitudes during the day and returning to lower altitudes to sleep, helping the body adjust more effectively. As climbers ascend, they face dehydration, muscle wasting, and a shrinking margin for error. Spending more than one night in the death zone is risky, as illustrated by two climbers who camped above 8,500 meters during their descent. One survived, while the other succumbed to the harsh conditions.
Are successful climbers endowed with superhuman fitness? Research has shown that high-altitude climbers don’t have significantly different anaerobic capacity compared to non-athletes. However, they may have a higher muscle capillary density, aiding oxygen transport. A study in 1985 revealed that oxygen transport is a limiting factor at high altitudes, suggesting that climbers like Messner and Habler might have superior oxygen transport capacity.
One notable exception to the norm is the Sherpa people, who have lived on the Tibetan Plateau for thousands of years. Sherpas have unique adaptations to high altitude, including lower hemoglobin concentrations, efficient muscle tissue, and a preference for carbohydrates in hypoxic conditions. These adaptations allow them to excel in mountaineering, as demonstrated by Tenzing Norgay and other record-setting Sherpas.
Understanding Sherpa adaptations has implications beyond mountaineering, potentially aiding patients in intensive care units struggling with oxygen utilization. However, these adaptations are the result of generations of evolution, not something that can be quickly acquired.
Climbing high mountains like Everest is possible but requires extensive training, financial investment, and the right gear. The human body is remarkably resilient, even in extreme environments. For those interested in the science behind such feats, exploring the physiological challenges and adaptations is a fascinating journey.
For those who prefer learning from the comfort of home, platforms like Brilliant offer interactive lessons in math, data analysis, programming, and AI. Their hands-on approach fosters critical thinking through problem-solving, making learning engaging and effective. To explore Brilliant’s offerings, visit their website for a free 30-day trial and a discount on an annual premium subscription.
Participate in a virtual reality simulation that mimics the conditions of climbing Mount Everest. This activity will help you understand the physical and mental challenges faced by climbers. Reflect on how your body reacts to the simulated high-altitude environment and discuss your experience with peers.
Analyze the case of Peter Habler and Reinhold Messner’s ascent of Everest without supplemental oxygen. Examine their strategies, physiological adaptations, and the risks they faced. Present your findings in a group discussion, focusing on what made their achievement possible.
Conduct a research project on the physiological changes that occur in the human body at high altitudes. Investigate topics such as acclimatization, oxygen transport, and the role of red blood cells. Present your research in a written report or presentation, highlighting key findings and their implications.
Participate in a workshop that explores various acclimatization techniques used by climbers. Learn about “climb high, sleep low” and other strategies. Engage in role-playing scenarios to practice decision-making in high-altitude environments, and discuss the effectiveness of these techniques.
Engage in a debate on the ethical considerations of climbing Mount Everest and other high-altitude peaks. Discuss topics such as the environmental impact, the role of Sherpas, and the commercialization of climbing expeditions. Develop arguments for and against these issues, and present them in a structured debate format.
In early May 1978, two men struggled up the side of the world’s tallest mountain. Peter Habler and Reinhold Messner had been on Mount Everest for several weeks, slowly acclimating to the altitude as they moved up from base camp. For several days, they climbed thousands of vertical meters, going ever higher. By May 8th, they were at nearly 8,000 meters, and the air was so thin that even when they managed to sleep, they were regularly awoken by their lungs gasping for air. They wouldn’t be getting any more oxygen until they finished their grueling journey because these two were trying to become the first people to climb Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen.
As the highest mountain in the world at 8,848 meters, Everest presents an incredible challenge to mountaineers. Not only do they face avalanches, hidden crevasses, and sudden storms, but they also have to conquer the “death zone,” which is the part of the mountain above 8,000 meters where effective oxygen is 40% less than at sea level. Messner and Habler were trying to answer a big question: Is it even possible to survive standing on top of the highest mountain in the world without supplemental oxygen? Would it be possible to return without permanent or even fatal brain damage?
On the morning they made their way through the death zone, they took nearly two hours just to get dressed. They could barely make it more than a few meters before collapsing to catch their breath, communicating only using hand signals to save every breath. In these conditions, the human body rapidly deteriorates, but they pushed on. It took them eight hours to reach the summit, where they were capable of only an extremely brief celebration before it was time to descend. This descent is arguably the most dangerous part of the journey, where climbers are exhausted and mistakes begin to happen.
Before he realized what was happening, the snow crumbled beneath Habler, and he slid uncontrollably down, losing much of his gear. His descent back to the South Col near Camp 4 took him just an hour. Messner was able to take it more slowly; his descent took him one hour and 45 minutes. Besides painful snow blindness, they returned unharmed with no permanent damage to their brains. Messner and Habler achieved what certain doctors, specialists, and mountaineers thought to be impossible. Today, only 216 people have ever climbed to the summit of Everest without supplemental oxygen.
How do these climbers manage it? Beyond being arguably insane, are they gifted with some superhuman anatomical quirks that make them more capable of withstanding severe oxygen deprivation? Do they have extra strong muscles or exceptional blood, or is their physiology unremarkable—the type of fitness that anyone could achieve with enough time, money, and dedication? Can anyone be a world-class mountaineer?
Around 40 to 50 million years ago, the Indian continental plate slammed into the Eurasian plate, leading to the creation of our tallest mountain ranges. Today, Earth is home to 14 mountains that reach heights over 8,000 meters. Climbing them requires spending time in the death zone, and these mountains are all found in just two ranges: the Himalayas and the Karakoram. Compared to the Smoky Mountains of North America, which formed between 450 and 540 million years ago, the Himalayas and Karakoram ranges are very young, meaning they’ve had less time for erosion to scrape away at their jagged heights.
At the top of these mountains in the death zone, temperatures can drop significantly, and barometric pressure falls to only a third of sea level. This drop in pressure makes it hard to breathe. The relative oxygen concentration in the atmosphere remains the same up to 11,000 meters at 21%. The problem for humans is that the lower barometric pressure means that the partial pressure of oxygen is lower, resulting in fewer oxygen molecules being pushed into the lungs. This triggers a cascade of issues for our bodies.
Before even getting to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, most climbers spend time lower down the mountain getting acclimated. The base camp itself is at an altitude of 5,364 meters, and people sometimes experience acute mountain sickness at just 2,000 meters. At base camp, climbers feel the altitude immediately, experiencing headaches, fatigue, breathlessness, and changes in appetite. Chemoreceptors called carotid bodies detect the decreased amount of oxygen reaching the lungs and brain, triggering the hypoxic ventilatory response, which causes increased breathing frequency. However, this can lead to hyperventilation, creating respiratory alkalosis, which limits how many breaths one can physically take.
To adapt, the body produces more red blood cells, but this thickens the blood, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. At its worst, this can lead to chronic mountain sickness, which is a risk for those staying at high altitude for extended periods. However, there are other risks that arise as climbers ascend the mountain.
With Mount Everest now having an entire tourism industry, most trails are laid out in advance, allowing climbers to focus on surviving rather than navigation. A new strategy has emerged: “climb high, sleep low.” This means that instead of going straight up the mountain and spending the night at the highest altitude reached that day, many climbers will ascend and then come back down to sleep. This helps the body acclimate better and stay more well-rested.
As climbers ascend, they face increased risks of dehydration and muscle wasting due to the high caloric expenditure and the GI tract’s struggle to absorb nutrients at high altitudes. The margin for error becomes smaller the higher one goes, and climbers hope to avoid spending more than one night in the death zone.
The case of two climbers who were forced to camp above 8,500 meters on Everest during their descent due to extreme weather illustrates this point. One faced frigid temperatures and high winds, while the other camped in milder conditions. The second climber survived, while the first ultimately died, attributed to greater hypothermic and hypoxic stress.
By the time climbers reach 8,000 meters and above, they contend with both the weather and the accumulated toll of high altitude. At any moment, they might experience pulmonary edema, cerebral edema, or a heart attack. As the Everest movie states, human beings are simply not built to function at such high altitudes. Yet, hundreds attempt to summit Everest and other 8,000-meter peaks each year, many successfully with supplemental oxygen. However, only about 200 have done it without.
Are those who succeed endowed with superhuman fitness? To understand the physiological differences between mountaineers and elite athletes in other endurance sports, researchers have conducted lab-based experiments. One study from 2015 compared 11 high-altitude climbers with 11 non-climber controls of similar age, gender, and fitness level. Both groups performed cycling exercises under normal oxygen conditions and while wearing masks that provided less oxygen. The hypoxic conditions reduced exercise performance and oxygen uptake in both groups, with few differences noted.
Another study from the 1980s looked specifically at Reinhold Messner and five other climbers who reached at least one of the four highest peaks without supplemental oxygen. Surprisingly, their anaerobic capacity was not substantially different from active non-athletes. The only notable difference was that the climbers had a higher muscle capillary density, but this did not account for their success.
In 1985, researchers developed a new test, placing eight male volunteers in an altitude chamber for 40 days, gradually lowering barometric pressure to simulate conditions at Everest’s summit. They found that oxygen transport within the body was a more limiting factor in high-altitude conditions than previously realized. This suggests that Messner and Habler may have had a superior oxygen transport capacity, potentially due to their higher capillary densities.
However, there is one significant exception to the physiological norm: the Sherpa. While media and pop culture often highlight Western climbers, Sherpas have demonstrated remarkable mountaineering abilities. Tenzing Norgay, for example, was the first to reach Everest’s summit alongside Edmund Hillary in 1953. Many Sherpas have since set records, such as Babu Chiri Sherpa, who stayed on the summit for a record 21 hours, and Apa Sherpa, who has summited 28 times.
The Sherpa people have lived on the Tibetan Plateau for at least 30,000 years, with permanent settlers appearing 6,000 to 9,000 years ago. The average elevation of this region is around 4,500 meters, meaning the people there are constantly at high altitude. The Sherpa, an ethnic group that migrated from the Tibetan Plateau around 600 years ago, have been studied for their unique adaptations to high altitude.
Sherpas have lower hemoglobin concentrations at high altitudes, reducing the risk of chronic mountain illness. Their muscle tissue is well-suited to hypoxic environments, with a greater number of capillaries and more efficient mitochondria for using oxygen. They also maintain high levels of phosphocreatine, an energy reserve that helps muscles contract without ATP. Unlike lowlanders, Sherpas do not experience a drop in phosphocreatine levels at altitude.
Additionally, Sherpas seem to prefer carbohydrates for energy production, particularly in hypoxic conditions, making them more efficient. They also do not accumulate free radicals in response to low oxygen, allowing their bodies to handle reduced oxygen levels effectively.
Research on Sherpas has implications beyond mountaineering. Understanding their adaptations may help patients in intensive care units who struggle to utilize oxygen effectively. However, the adaptations seen in Sherpas are the result of generations of evolution, not something that can be rapidly achieved.
If you want to climb a high mountain, it is possible, but it requires extensive training, financial investment, and the right gear. Even then, there is a significant risk involved. The human body is incredibly resilient, even in harsh environments.
For those who prefer learning about extreme athletic feats rather than participating, there are many fascinating aspects to explore. Understanding the science behind extreme conditions is crucial for achieving significant human accomplishments, whether in mountaineering or space exploration.
To delve into complex scientific subjects from the comfort of home, I recommend using Brilliant. Brilliant offers thousands of interactive lessons in math, data analysis, programming, and AI, making learning engaging and effective. Their hands-on approach helps build critical thinking skills through problem-solving rather than rote memorization.
To try everything Brilliant has to offer for free for a full 30 days, visit their website or click on the link in the description. You’ll also receive a discount on an annual premium subscription.
Human – A member of the species Homo sapiens, characterized by higher cognitive abilities and complex social structures. – In the study of anthropology, the evolution of the human brain is a key area of research.
Body – The physical structure of a living organism, including bones, flesh, and organs. – Understanding the human body is essential for medical students learning about anatomy and physiology.
Altitude – The height of an object or point in relation to sea level or ground level. – At high altitude, the reduced oxygen levels can significantly affect human physiology.
Acclimatization – The process in which an individual organism adjusts to a gradual change in its environment, such as a change in altitude, temperature, or humidity. – Climbers often undergo acclimatization to prevent altitude sickness when ascending high mountains.
Adaptation – A change or the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment. – The thick fur of polar bears is an adaptation to the cold Arctic environment.
Physiology – The branch of biology that deals with the normal functions of living organisms and their parts. – A deep understanding of human physiology is crucial for developing effective medical treatments.
Oxygen – A chemical element (O) that is essential for respiration in most living organisms and is a critical component of the Earth’s atmosphere. – Oxygen levels in the blood are a vital parameter monitored during surgery.
Climbers – Individuals who engage in the activity of climbing mountains or rock faces, often requiring specialized skills and equipment. – Experienced climbers are aware of the risks associated with high-altitude expeditions.
Sherpa – A member of a Himalayan people known for their skill in mountaineering and often employed as guides by climbers in the region. – The Sherpa community plays a crucial role in supporting climbers on their way to the summit of Mount Everest.
Evolution – The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the Earth. – Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is a fundamental concept in biology.
