Alexander Mitchell Kellas

Who was Alexander Mitchell Kellas?

Alexander Mitchell Kellas was a Scottish chemist, explorer, and mountaineer known for his studies of high-altitude physiology. He was born in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Himalayan Club Vice President Meher Mehta characterized Kellas' papers A Consideration of the Possibility of Ascending the Loftier Himalaya and A Consideration of the Possibility of Ascending Mt Everest as "key catalysts in driving scientific thinking into climbing big peaks. His studies included the physiology of acclimatization in relationship to important variables like altitude, barometric pressures, alveolar PO2, arterial oxygen saturation, maximum oxygen consumption, and ascent rates at different altitudes. He had concluded that Mt Everest could be ascended by men of extreme physical and mental constitution without supplementary oxygen if the physical difficulties of the mountain were not too great."

In 1978, Kellas' suggestion was verified by Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler when they made the first ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen.