Privilege and high-altitude training

[Recursion]

Any high-altitude athletes among you?

Anyone?

I'm starting a Himalayan stint next week. Mostly above 10,000 ft. I'm training with 3 men and 2 women. Any predictions?

[elleng]

1. GOOD LUCK!

[Recursion]

7. Thank you!

We're just trying to fit it in in front of the monsoon...

[elleng]

8. Sounds like a good idea!

[2naSalit]

2. Hmmm

I live at 7K ft. and am rather active (ski, hike, cycle), know a lot of athletes who come here to train. A lot depends on where you started from - elevation at which you normally function. That will be a major factor in how long it will take you to acclimate to elevation change and elevation sickness potential. Especially if you are gaining over 4k ft. elev. in a really short period of time. It may take a couple days for the sickness to hit you at lower elev. than 10K ft., above that, it can happen in an hour or less.

Considerations in general, drink plenty of water, and don't gulp it down, take sips often. Also, you might find you need more animal protein than you normally eat, but you will also need more greens. Magnesium/potassium level needs are really important. You'll have, as you know, less O at your disposal and headaches along with a strange indigestion can occur quickly so beware of that. A quick fix is pepto products and water, the cleaner the better.

Tourists who come here, 7-9K ft elev., often have heart troubles and the indigestion/headache problems and don't have a clue about what, why, or how to deal with it... especially those from sea-level locations. (headache may be due to brain swelling from lack of oxygen...?)

The key to remedial action for varying degrees of elev. sickness are to rest when fatigued and if illness persists, get to lower elev. at least until you stabilize. HB chambers are only good as a temporary fix to stabilize you until you can relocate to lower elevation, you probably can't continue to climb upward after you get to that point. Subsequent organ damage will shorten your life and can permanently damage your health.

If you are in really good shape now, proper precautions should reap you many awesome rewards.

Have fun, be careful and safe... hope you post some pictures of your adventure.

[Aerows]

4. I went to Reno

and the first day I was there (I was coming from New Orleans which is below sea level) I was deathly ill. I had a headache and I'm pretty sure I barfed up everything I have ever eaten and possibly my shoes, too.

[2naSalit]

5. THat's quite the

elevation change. I lived in the desert at about 100ft below sea level before moving up to 5,000ft for a long time. It was a hard first few months... even though I spent much of my adult life driving cross-country over mountain passes and to the shores.

That kind of vomiting is what I call "puking your guts out" kind sick. Cause that's what it feels like.

Elevation is something few consider when traveling like that and when the get sick they blame it on the water!

[Aerows]

10. I was pretty certain I was going to die

but I did recover . As an aside, we visited a silver mine and went to the bottom of it and that was the best I had felt that entire trip.

It was a great trip, and I enjoyed the sights (I've never been into gambling, so the casinos were lost on me) but LORD, I was sick as a dog that first day.

[Downwinder]

3. Chew Coca leaves.

[Recursion]

6. Sadly, my wife works for the State Department

I wish that were allowed. Coca leaves are amazing, particularly at high altitudes.

[Downwinder]

9. Willow bark will help but not as good.

Can carry an Oxygen bottle like a hockey team.

I found the first sign of deprivation to be tunnel vision.