Xtreme Everest 2
- Xtreme Everest 2 - two O2k-Network Labs collaborate in the expedition Xtreme Everest 2 (2013)
High-resolution respirometry at extremes
- High-resolution respirometry in two labs:
- Kathmandu (KTM)- 1,400 m: two O2k (March 03 to 15)
- Everest Base Camp (EBC) - 5,364 m: three O2k (March 14 to May)
- OROBOROS INSTRUMENTS with a Power-O2k approach (5 O2k) in the Xtreme Everest 2 expedition. OXPHOS analysis under hypoxia and high-altitude acclimation of muscle mitochondria in Sherpas and Caucasians.
- High-resolution respirometry in two labs:
- ยป General information: http://www.xtreme-everest.co.uk
Everest Base Camp - A Power-O2k Study of Mitochondrial Function
Everest Base Camp Lab
- Erich Gnaiger (Innsbruck, AT) at Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) where acclimation to high altitude was studied using three O2k (March to May 2013).
Kathmandu Lab
- In Kathmandu (Nepal) at low altitude (1,400 m), Andrew Murray (Cambridge, UK) operated high-resolution respirometry on human musle biopsies with assistance by Verena Laner (Innsbruck, AT).
- The participants from Innsbruck are supported by the K-Regio project MitoCom Tyrol, D. Swarovski Research Laboratory (Medical University of Innsbruck), and OROBOROS INSTRUMENTS.
Impressions from Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp
Everest Base Camp (EBC) - 5,364 m
Kathmandu Lab - 1,400 m
Namche - 3,440 m
Khunde - 3,840 m
Khumjung - 3,750 m
Khumbu to EBC
The Mountain
- Mount Everest - 8,848 m
- Khumbu Glacier from Kala Pattar - 5,545 m
People
- Sherpas and Sherpanis in the Khumbu Valley
- Kathmandu
Yak et al
- Yaks
- Musk deer and others
- Photography: Erich Gnaiger
Infos and Links
- Xtreme Everest 2 - the expedition website
- OROBOROS INSTRUMENTS - sponsor of Xtreme Everest 2
- Sherpa (East men) migrated around 1530 to 1600 from the province Kham (Eastern Tibet) into the Khumbu area. About 90% of the Sherpa in Solu Khumbu trace back to this migration (Kai Gildhorn: Nepal. Mount Everest Trek).
- Michael Kodas (2008) High crimes. The fate of Everst in an age of greed. Hyperion, New York (German edition: Der Gipfel des Verbrechens. Die Everest-Mafia und ihre dreckigen Geschรคfte. Malik, National Geographic).
Track record
- 2013-03-01: The teams fly from London and Innsbruck/Munich to Kathmandu (KTM).
- 2013-03-02: Arrival in KTM, where the equipment is unpacked at Summit Hotel.
- 2013-03-03: The two O2k are set up in the general lab: Sensor service, sensor test, calibration, instrumental background.
- 2013-03-04: Alex and James fly to Lucla to start the ascent towards Everest Base Camp (EBC). The first Sherpa volunteers come into the KTM lab. Another series of O2k performance tests.
- 2013-03-05: Biopsies of two Sherpa volunteers were analyzed with two protocols in the O2k - a successful start of the first functional mitochondrial study in Sherpas.
- 2013-03-06: The Sherpa biopsies are continued in the KTM lab. Erich flies to Lukla, to catch up with the EBC team.
- 2013-03-07: Erich meets the EBC team at the Namche laboratory.
- 2013-03-11: Power cut interrupts second experiment on this day. The team gets a short debrief before the last day of experiments gets started.
- 2013-03-12: Experiments finished today. Alltogether, 15 muscle biopsies were taken by Prof. David Howard. The KTM-team celebrates the successful run of experiments
- 2013-03-13: A last run of instrumental background for quality assurance of the data.