Caudwell Xtreme Everest - Background

In March 2007, the CXE core team left London Heathrow for Nepal for the start of their 2007 high altitude medical research expedition.

The core team set up laboratories in Kathmandu and along the Khumbu valley to Everest Base Camp (5300m) to test over 200 healthy volunteers. A climbing team of 15 then moved higher, climbing from the south, via the South East Ridge, setting up laboratories  in the Western Cwm
(6400m) and even doing some experiments on the South Col (7950m). The climbing team also sampled arterial blood on the Balcony at 8400m.

The climbers were confronted with temperatures down to -40°C, high winds, and critically low oxygen levels. Frostbite, exhaustion, hypothermia and high altitude illness (mountain sickness) were ever-present and potentially fatal risks.

In this pre-dinner talk, Kay Mitchell, Project Manager for the expedition, reveals what was involved in making the vision a reality and getting 250 volunteers up on Everest.