From Everest with no oxygen to Lantau, Adrian Ballinger expects a different kind of suffering in Moontrekker ultramarathon
Adrian Ballinger is taking his first break from mountaineering in almost 20 years, and using his down time to run the Moontrekker ultramarathon
Over 4,000 people have reached Everest’s summit, but only 200 people have done so without supplemented oxygen – and for good reason.
Adrian Ballinger, 41, who climbed the world’s highest mountain without additional oxygen, said it was a “deeper level of suffering” than he could possibly have imagined.
“You’re much colder without oxygen,” he said. “The effects to the brain are much greater – memory loss and decision making becomes very hard. You’re working through this haze.”
Ballinger climbed the 8,848-metre mountain in April without supplemented oxygen. He has reached the peak six times with oxygen.
Most people use additional oxygen because above 8,000 metres there is not enough in the air. It’s known as the death zone because your oxygen-starved body begins to die. Time in the death zone is limited even at the best of times.
