The use of artificial oxygen at high altitude is an enormous subject and here is our viewpoint.
There is no comparison between a summit over 8000 meters climbed with oxygen and an 8000 climbed without and therefore cannot be considered in the same way.

In May 1978, Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler
were the first men to reach the summit of Everest without artificial oxygen.
They proved that it was possible to reach a summit on the roof of the world when science and the world of climbing were skeptical.
Since this date, the use of artificial oxygen should have been forbidden except in an emergency situation at base camp.

Jean-Christophe reacts well at high altitude; he acclimatizes easily and relatively quickly which has brought him to these very high mountains.
When the body reacts well physiologically at high altitude, why use oxygen to reach 8000 meters when there are a lot of summits ending at 6000, 7000 meters altitude on the planet and far less expensive than the famous 8000?


Jean-Christophe considers using artificial oxygen at high altitude is a drug as it enables the climber to reach a summit by artificial means which he couldn’t reach “naturally”.  Also there are risks due to a lack of oxygen as in the case on the very coveted routes like Everest… the waiting time at the “Hilary”overhang which is over 8600 m, can be long …



The supply of artificial oxygen reduces the individual around 1000m which means that the climber reaching 8000m with oxygen is in fact physiologically at 7000m … not the same in sportsman’s terms …
Also from an ecological point of view, the empty bottles of oxygen are mostly left behind.  There are different organizations that run the “cleaning up” operations at the base camp of Everest… What’s the point?

Katia Lafaille.