Adrian Ballinger Leads Rapid Ascent Climb on Mount Everest

Elite climber and guide Adrian Ballinger is on the north side of Mount Everest, leading a team of climbers who employed Hypoxico tents in their summit bid.

Mount Everest North Side / Griffin Mims

Elite mountaineer, skier, certified mountain guide, and entrepreneur Adrian Ballinger tackles big mountains and challenges. For over 25 years, he has professionally guided teams to the world’s highest and most iconic mountains. Ballinger’s latest endeavor has taken him and his team to the north side of Mount Everest (29,0290 feet). He arrived at Base Camp on May 1, and the team will work the mountain utilizing Ballinger’s Alpenglow Expeditions style.

Ballinger founded Alpenglow Expeditions in June 2004. Based in Lake Tahoe, Alpenglow Expeditions leads international expeditions. Its mountaineering, skiing, and trekking expeditions are led by highly certified (IFMGA) guides.

Elite Mountaineer Adrian Ballinger on the North Side of Mount Everest

The North Ridge Route (Tibetan Route) starts on Everest's Tibetan (North) side. Base Camp sits at approximately 16,900 feet. Climbers ascend through the Rongbuk Glacier and battle high altitudes for a dangerously long period on the North Ridge and the challenging Second Step.

“The fine line between taking risk and mitigating risk is my passion. Climbing, skiing, and guiding on the biggest mountains on the planet is where I explore that line.” — Adrian Ballinger

Alpenglow employs a unique and innovative program designed for safer and faster climbing. This program utilizes Hypoxico tents and a tailored training program. They take the scientific program on climbs to 6,000m, 7,000m, and 8,000m peaks. For more than ten years, Aplenglow has perfected the technique of pre-acclimatization.

Acclimatization requires climbing mountains slowly, incrementally attaining higher and higher altitudes, then returning to lower altitudes to rest and prepare for rotations at elevated altitudes. The regimen results in climbing portions of 8,000-meter peaks several times before attempting the summit, which traditionally takes weeks and months to complete.

Through ‘acclimatizing’, the body produces red cells at an amplified rate and allows the body to become more efficient with less air. Ultimately, climbers can survive on the highest reaches of mountains, including Mt. Everest.

Some climbers have turned to technology to expedite the acclimatization process and the time in dangerous high-altitude zones. Endurance athletes have utilized hypoxic tents for years to improve performance. Now, climbers are using improved technology to start the acclimatization process in the comfort of their own homes, months before departing on expeditions.

Hypoxico Tent / Robert Kyte

The original ‘tents’ have evolved into bags that only cover the head and torso, connected to an air tube and motorized unit. The unit gradually mimics higher and higher altitudes by reducing oxygen levels while the climber sleeps. Teams using Hypoxico technology spend 30 to 50% less time away from home and arrive at base camp well-rested, energized, and prepared to take full advantage of every weather window.

With Hypoxico, acclimatization begins before climbers arrive at base camp by sleeping in the hypoxic tents and through specific training. The process results in acclimatization to altitudes of 17,000 to 19,000 feet in four to eight weeks. When the body is prepared, Alpenglow coordinates logistics to base camp, where the climbing begins.

With Hypoxico, expeditions to the world’s highest peaks typically take 30-35 days, as opposed to the traditional 50 to 60-day horizon.
“Our team knows the limitations and possibilities of Hypoxico more than any other. We were the first guide service to use hypoxic training at scale,” noted Ballinger.

Mount Everest from Base Camp North Side / Griffin Mims

Adrian Ballinger – Alpenglow Expeditions

Ballinger has led over 150 international climbing expeditions on six continents and has made 17 successful summits of 8,000-meter peaks, including nine on Mt. Everest, four on Manaslu, three on Cho Oyu, and K2 and Lhotse. In 2011, he became the first person to summit three 8,000m peaks in just three weeks, reaching the summit of Everest twice and Lhotse once.

Adrian is the only American to have made three successful ski descents of 8,000m peaks, including the first ski descent of Manaslu from its summit. He is the fourth American to have summited Mount Everest and K2 without supplemental oxygen.

Ballinger performs in all three traditional mountain guide disciplines—mountaineering, Rock Climbing, and Skiing. He is a certified IFMGA/AMGA mountain guide through the American Mountain Guides Association in rock, alpine, and ski certifications.

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