Getting Out: If you love the high country but live in the
lowlands, you have no doubt experienced some of the symptoms of
mountain sickness. Taking time to acclimatize is always the best
way to avoid mountain sickness, but we are often wedging a mountain
trip into a short vacation period and don’t have the luxury to
properly do so. On quick forays into the mountains, what can we
flatlanders do to minimize the affects of altitude?
If you love the high country but live in the lowlands, you have no doubt experienced some of the symptoms of mountain sickness. Taking time to acclimatize is always the best way to avoid mountain sickness, but we are often wedging a mountain trip into a short vacation period and don’t have the luxury to properly do so. On quick forays into the mountains, what can we flatlanders do to minimize the affects of altitude?
Susceptibility to symptoms varies among individuals and, even in the same person, from one occasion to the next in a way that has confounded researchers. Neither sex, nor age, nor fitness are factors. In fact, the young and the fit seem more susceptible because they generally travel faster. When I trekked to the Mount Everest area, an Australian woman — a highly conditioned runner — died of acute mountain sickness because she pushed beyond the recommended gradual ascent schedule.
I am highly susceptible to mountain sickness. Headache, nausea, loss of appetite and lassitude (weariness, indifference, fatigue) are the symptoms that usually affect me, sometimes seriously, when I go too high too quickly. I have never felt worse than I did on the summit of Mount Ritter and Mount Shasta — beautiful spots, but all I could think of was getting down. There is no magic bullet, but here are some ways to ease the affects of altitude on your next trip to the mountains.
It is best to climb slowly and take an occasional rest day. Above 9,000 feet, Peter Hackett, M.D. recommends climbing only 1,000 feet a day. While I suffer more than most if I go too high too fast, I reached 17,500 feet trekking near Everest with little discomfort because I followed the prescribed method of gradual ascent. If your trip is too short for this process, plan on arriving at the trailhead the day before so that you can at least breathe the thin air while you sleep.
Drink, drink, drink. Experts say you should have a “clear and copious urine” stream. This sounds simple and obvious, but once you get going on the trail, it is easy to push your pace too hard. Your water bottle may be packed out of reach requiring a stop or the help of a buddy to access your water. Since I purchased a bladder with a bite valve, water is easily accessible, and I drink far more water on the trail than I did before (Tip: Wrap your bladder in a fleece pullover and your water will stay cold).
Don’t overexert. Colin Fletcher, noted walking and backpacking guru, was religious about taking a ten minute break every hour. He stopped, took off his pack, and ate something to refuel. I like this structure because it stops the urge to make your hike an athletic event. We rush around in our daily lives, but in the wild, take time to enjoy every sight and every step.
If there is a magic bullet that reduces the severity of mountain sickness, it is Acetazolamide (Diamox). Diamox acidifies the blood which increases the amount of oxygen your blood carries. Altitude experts recommend 125-250 milligrams twice a day, beginning a day or two before you go high and during your time at elevation. Your fingers and toes might tingle and you will pee a lot, but the small side effects can avoid considerable agony.
It’s taking a little longer this year, but the snow is melting, and soon it will be time to head to the high country. If mountain sickness hits you hard, use these measures to fight back. It may be the difference between agony and ecstasy.
