[pct-l] Mt. Whitney

[teamcourage at attbi.com (Dave)]

> How high of altiatude do you live at. so far going to the top of whit 
> and also beiing on the hiest moutain in the us and at everst base camp 
> to help out at ane xpedations I have never once got any altatude 
> relsted ilness



Christine Kudija wrote:

>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.
>| >| >> | _______________________________________________
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>| >| >>
>| >| >>
>| >| >
>| >| > _______________________________________________
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>| >|
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>| >
>| >
>|
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