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What Oxygen System does Alpenglow use on 8,000m Expeditions?

Oxygen. It’s what keeps us alive; especially above 8,000m. When it comes to climbing the biggest mountains in the world, the oxygen system that you’re using is vital to success. As we get closer to our 8,000m peak climbing season, we figured we’d take a quick deep dive into the oxygen system that Alpenglow Expeditions uses on all our 8,000m peaks.

 

Summit Oxygen System

Oxygen system for 8,000m peakFor all of Alpenglow’s 8,000m peak expeditions, we use the Summit Oxygen System. The Summit Oxygen system is the lightest oxygen cylinder and regulator on the market, and we have been using the Summit Oxygen System since it first came onto the high-altitude mountaineering scene almost ten years ago. We use the Summit Oxygen System in its entirety, from the regulators to the cylinders, so that we’re not mixing and matching systems and can keep our systems organized. In our opinion, the Summit Oxygen System is the best system to maximize both success and safety.

We rent our equipment ensure that our systems are new, clean, tested, and ready to perform for each and every expedition. We also provide double of every piece of equipment needed in the event that a piece malfunctions. 10% of regulators/bottles/masks fail – that’s the reality of climbing above 8,000m. We make sure we are prepared for that inevitability by having extra parts ready to go.

 

Oxygen Flow

We find success and safety in oxygen, so we provide more cylinders and higher oxygen flows for our team members than many of the other teams climbing 8,000m peaks. For our Cho Oyu and Gasherbrum II expeditions we plan on using 5 cylinders for our summit bid, climbing on 4L per minute, and sleeping on .5L per minute. For Everest, we plan on using 9 cylinders of oxygen. For all of our expeditions we include an extra cylinder per client in case of a cylinder failure, in addition to additional cylinders for the entire team in emergency purposes.

All of our guides and Sherpa also climb with oxygen to be sure that the entire team is strong and climbing well.

 

After nearly 20 years of climbing in the high Himalaya, we have extensive experience with oxygen systems and are constantly looking to use the latest and best systems available. For us, that is the Summit Oxygen System. When the air gets thin, we can trust that their systems will keep us strong and help us push to the summits of the tallest peaks on the planet.