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[pct-l] Mt. Whitney
Sorry, Dave. Even with acclimatization my body still performs substantially
better with Diamox. 26+ years of climbing & hiking in the Sierra informs me
so. YMMV. Even on the PCT, after hiking several hundred miles at various
altitudes, I still got symptoms around Crabtree, all the way to Forester
Pass. I'd thought that the gradual acclimatization & conditioning would
have done the trick, but my body thought otherwise.
Again, ymmv, hyoh, etc, etc.
Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija
"Never measure the height of a mountain, until you have reached the top.
Then you will see how low it was." Dag Hammarskjold
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave" <teamcourage@attbi.com>
To: "Christine Kudija" <cmkudija@earthlink.net>
Cc: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>; "dude" <dude@fastmail.ca>;
<jeoverton@sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2003 1:57 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Mt. Whitney
| all you need is acclimation when I do whit in august I won't have to
| worry about altitude because I live at altitude year round. So my body
| gets problems at low altitude but not high
|
|
| Christine Kudija wrote:
|
| >Dude,
| >
| >Absolutely great advice. I rely on Diamox but always tell people to ask
| >their doctors about its applicability to their circumstances/health
| >conditions. This is a reaction I'd never heard about and it's important
to
| >know.
| >
| >My husband's allergic to Cipro - got the 1 in a 1,000 very bad reaction
to
| >it, and was fortunate to be around people who recognized that he needed
to
| >get to a hospital. Cipro is _routinely_ prescribed for travellers'
| >diarrhea, urinary tract infections, etc, etc....but has substantial side
| >effects for the unlucky.
| >
| >Thanks for the info -
| >
| >Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija
| >
| >"Never measure the height of a mountain, until you have reached the top.
| >Then you will see how low it was." Dag Hammarskjold
| >
| >----- Original Message -----
| >From: "dude" <dude@fastmail.ca>
| >To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
| >Cc: <jeoverton@sbcglobal.net>
| >Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2003 11:43 AM
| >Subject: Re: [pct-l] Mt. Whitney
| >
| >
| >| This all sound slike good advice, but I have one thing to add:
| >|
| >| ****DO NOT take any medicine on the mountain that you have not
| >| previously taken at home with no ill side effects!!*****
| >|
| >| I once took a diabetic woman up whitney who was feeling the effects
| >| of altitude and decide dto "borrow" some Diamox from a fellow
| >| climber. Everyone has heard of Diamox and how it is suppose dto help
| >| with altitude sickness, so she figured "yeah! that's what I need. I
| >| will fell better in no time and be ready to race up the mountain!"
| >|
| >| WRONG! It turned out that diabetics cannot take Diamox and she
| >| almost died on the mountain! Her blood sugar went down to 19 (normal
| >| is like 80-120) and she passed out 17 times on the way down the
| >| trail. When she got to the hospital in Lone Pine, she needed 2
| >| liters of intraveinous saline solution to bring her back from severe
| >| dehydration. She is really lucky to be alive. I tell doctors that
| >| story and they are amazed that she was conscious with a blood sugar
| >| level of 19.
| >|
| >| this story is not meant to scare you or anyone who wants to climb
| >| Whitney or any other mountain. Its just meant to prove a point:
| >| don't take medicine that you are not familiar with on the mountain.
| >| It doesnt matter if its Tylenol, Tums, Imodium, or Sucrets. You
| >| never know if you will be the 1 in 10 million people who will be
| >| allergic to it and you do not want to find out at 14,000 ft and 10
| >| hours from a hospital.
| >|
| >|
| >| godo luck.
| >|
| >| peace!
| >| dude
| >|
| >|
| >|
| >| > You most likely will acclimate quite quickly to "altitudes above,
| >| > say, 9,000' "..
| >| > and since you are not going to have an extended stay above 10,000
| >| > feet there is naught to worry about for 99% of the people who go
| >| > there...any symptoms of high altitude sickness (which you should
| >| > read up on FYI) will not occur, typically, in the few hours you
| >| > are at alttitude. Appetite changes usually take 4-5 days AT
| >| > ALTITUDE to occur and you will be totally hungary for the mere day
| >| > you are there...
| >| >
| >| > Please do not be fearful of the negative implicaitons of those
| >| > comments as they truely don't pertain to someone hiking to the
| >| > top of Whitney and going back down in a few hours or so...most
| >| > sicknesses need several days for most people to occur (at altitude
| >| > above 10,000- 12,000) feet and at most if you stay overnight @ the
| >| > high camp (about 12,000) feet you will feel short of breath, a
| >| > little nausa perhaps but that is about it... I have spent entire
| >| > summers above 10,000 and after a few days most people acclimate
| >| > very easily. For 4 days just take what you like to eat, is easy to
| >| > prepare as per my other post, and is not too heavy.
| >| > But,additionally, most of your weight will be carried to trail
| >| > camp and u leave your tent and heavy bag there.
| >| >
| >| > Most people fare well..if you feel a lot of gurgling in your chest
| >| > or extreme lightheaded,severe headachey, drink several liters of
| >| > water..at leaast 2,
| >| > and wait 20-30 minutes. Maybe take 2-3 aspirin. If those
| >| > symptoms worsen head down to lower altitude
| >| > just about immediately...the symptoms will magically dissapear
| >| > around 8000-9000 feet in an hour. U can then rest there for a day
| >| > and try again, stopping
| >| > for half a day at 10,500 and proceed leisurely up to 12000 and
| >| > camp; then the summit the next day.
| >| >
| >| > As far as winds and delta temps, dont worry...during Aug it is
| >| > very very much late spring/ early summer above 9000', in 25 years
| >| > of hanging around Whitney area it does not fluctuate that much in
| >| > Aug...but be prepared for 40's F.
| >| > You have more to worry about with the bears at the Portal than
| >| > alititude loss of appetite, or wind or whatever!
| >| >
| >| > Check out my web site for a great pic (IMHO)
| >| > http://www.infolane.com/calliger
| >| >
| >| > If you want to discuss it more, I am considered somewhat of an
| >| > expert after several months of mountaineering schools and 25+
| >| > years of accident/event free mountaineering of quite a few peaks
| >| > (although I did fracture my foot in my driveway at home!!)
| >| > in the ice..but that don't count!!... please write me off-line.
| >| >
| >| >
| >| > Richard
| >| >
| >| > Ps-
| >| >
| >| > There are bold mountaineers, and there are old mountaineers.
| >| >
| >| > There are few,if any, old, bold mountaineers.
| >| >
| >| > PPS-
| >| >
| >| > An expert is defined as one who knows his and others limitations
| >| > and usually exceeds them-- cautiously!1 <smile>...
| >| >
| >| >
| >| >
| >| >
| >| >
| >| > At 10:02 AM 6/2/03 -0700, Christine Kudija wrote:
| >| >> Jane,
| >| >>
| >| >> A couple of questions for you: (1) are you accustomed to
| >| >> altitudes above, say, 9,000'/~3000m? Appetite changes at
| >| >> elevation, especially if going to high elevations is not
| >| >> something you usually do. (2) are you accustomed to an alpine
| >| >> environment, where temperatures and winds can fluctuate
| >| >> substantially, depending on where you are on the mountain?
| >| >>
| >| >> I'll have some suggestions after you reply....also, are you
| >| >> asking only about food, or about gear as well?
| >| >>
| >| >> Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija
| >| >>
| >| >> "Never measure the height of a mountain, until you have reached
| >| >> the top. Then you will see how low it was." Dag Hammarskjold
| >| >>
| >| >> ----- Original Message -----
| >| >> From: "Jane E Overton" <jeoverton@sbcglobal.net>
| >| >> To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
| >| >> Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2003 11:52 AM
| >| >> Subject: [pct-l] Mt. Whitney
| >| >>
| >| >>
| >| >> | I am climbing Mt. Whitney in August (permit in hand). I have a
| >| >> number of books, but not one has a sensible list of supples for
| >| >> the climb. Does anyone have a link, where I could hust get the
| >| >> grocery list fot a four day hike. I am not a picky eater.
| >| >> | _______________________________________________
| >| >> | pct-l mailing list
| >| >> | pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
| >| >> | http://mailman.hack.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
| >| >>
| >| >> _______________________________________________
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| >| >>
| >| >>
| >| >
| >| > _______________________________________________
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| >| > pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
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| >|
| >| _________________________________________________________________
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| >
| >
|
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