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NATURGAS HORNBEIN 09
 Mikel Zabalza.  From the hypoxic chamber to the Everest

Mikel Zabalza We talked about her new experience: a domestic preaclimatación hypoxic chamber. Something that recommends, for example, if you go to Aconcagua with only three weeks' time.
They were aware that time is running posmonzón in more and worse than in spring and going through Tibet that lets the car too high. So they decided preaclimatar at home. Mikel Zabalza, Juan Vallejo and Alberto Iñurrategi placed in their homes hypoxic tents that allowed them to reduce without reducing the oxygen pressure, as do the hypobaric chambers, and simulated altitude during sleep in the month prior to the expedition. Meanwhile, there were several medical tests.
The hypoxia chamber, even rooms of hypoxia, high-level athletes use to improve the training high following the concept Lives / Trains low. What I was in this sense?
I think the use of hypoxic chamber for a month will hardly improve the performance, it takes longer to notice results. In our case it is difficult to measure because there was no comprehensive monitoring. The sensations were trained during this period of tiredness and heaviness.
How did you use a "treatment" of hypoxia and what kind of "training" at a time?
The idea was to shorten the time of issuance. For Tibet is reached around 5000 meters and a ground preaclimatación can save several days. We do not follow any specific training. John and I as always running, climbing and hiking in the Pyrenees as possible. Alberto is more disciplined and methodical training, followed by a planning insurance.
How you preaclimatación What worked? Is it advisable?
 The result was quite satisfactory. We got that we were looking preaclimatación in order to shorten the period of acclimation. One can say that we save from 5 to 7 days. This would make no sense if we were to Baltoro or any other mountain that requires a week of approximation.
I think this is highly recommended to climbers with a few vacation days raised up a high mountain just in time. The Aconcagua going with 3 weeks to 10 days with Kuilimanjaro eg
As I got to say that data base camp (5.500m) on 8 September and on 18 we were sleeping at 7550 m.
What advantages and disadvantages have?
The advantages and disadvantages are obvious two: the high cost of equipment and the hassle of having to sleep for a month in a tent at home and have space to place. If you already put in the instructions! "The use of this device can be detrimental to their relationships, do not say that did not warn you, thank you.
Do you see any unethical aspect in their use?None. Many athletes use it. This is not a miracle, you have to train well.
On the mountain, they say they live under the Hornbein true north face of Everest. It's true?
Under the north of Everest as it is a tingling feeling in my stomach. Climbing this route in alpine style seems a fascinating challenge.
Access to Hornbein corridor on the north face is, I think, three possibilities: Japanese, Loreta / Troillet / Beghin and Luis Fraga and Fernando Garrido, with Luis Barcenas (among others) that joined Beghin. What you used and what advantages and disadvantages have to each other, if any?
Loretan and Troilet used the Japanese, like us. It's the most obvious. The variant of Fraga and Garrido has no meaning except that as they go in August and try to avoid the danger of avalanches monsoon since this variation is partly a little edge.

Was the Hornbein especially dangerous? How you passed that night in the snow I smashed the shop, where the you had?
The road conditions were very good. We were about 7,200 or 7.300m on a shelf that had cut into the slope to shovel and ax blow. Taking into account the place you could say it was a good area. The problem was that the weather that night failed and fell from 30 to 40 cm of snow. In that wall that's too much snow and we feared most happened. We spent some anxious moments until we could take refuge under some overhanging rock that protected us from the avalanches. The rest of the night was spent joking and kicking the wall and your feet not to freeze, the shelf was 30 or 40 cm.
You have made two attempts this year in alpine style, the West Pillar of Makalu and now Everest Hornbein. Would there have been more likely in heavy style?
 In style more options are always heavy and it's much safer. It takes a lot of luck to climb the West Pillar in Horbein Alpine but I see many more possibilities. It takes less days and it is rare for postmonzón not give you a good opportunity. Honestly I think we had bad luck this fall. I do not know if we had been able to reach the summit but I'm sure we come up enough.
What is your conclusion from these two activities?
I f the goal is hard, it is difficult to reach the top but that is the grace of mountaineering, the uncertainty of knowing whether we can get. It is remarkable how easily we have acclimated to the 7,500 m in normal and we have not reached this benchmark in any objective way. For the moment, and if the sponsor will still find it, we do not lower our standards.

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