Dealing with / avoiding altitude sickness (Utah)

As a point of reference, if you took an aiplane on your way to Switzerland, the cabin's air pressure during most of the flight was equivalent to a bit less than 8,000 ft. At that altitude almost nobody has any difficulties while sitting still. Driving your car at 8,000ft was not much of a test.

One question: would it make any sense for the OP to bring a small oxygen bottle for his hike? Just in case? Just wondering. A down-the-road dream for me is to ascend 14Ks in the western US, so this set of issues is in the back of my mind. Excellent, interesting discussion.

Driver8 said:

One question: would it make any sense for the OP to bring a small oxygen bottle for his hike? Just in case? Just wondering. A down-the-road dream for me is to ascend 14Ks in the western US, so this set of issues is in the back of my mind. Excellent, interesting discussion.

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Absolutely not needed at 14k, not to mention in Utah you are not even getting to 14k, or even 13,500 unless you are going way out of your way. People that would require oxygen at a mid range elevation (Keystone for example) should not be attempting to climb 14k+ peaks anyway.

Driver8 said:

One question: would it make any sense for the OP to bring a small oxygen bottle for his hike? Just in case?

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Any bottle that would carry a significant amount of oxygen would be too heavy for someone having trouble. They're much better off carrying extra water or lightening their load. The treatment for AMS is to go lower; a small amount of oxygen allowing you to remain where you are for a short period of time doesn't help that. And there's not enough to keep you supplied for a descent.

Acclimatize properly, take precautions, and only go as far as you body will allow.

Like anything mountaineering, the more educated/aware/prepared you are, combined with physical shape and being in tune with your body, the better chances you have as a successful summit.


Plus, here in Colorado you can drive to the summit of two 14ers, run around, and see how you feel.


In all seriousness, the bigger concern(ie cause of most accidents/deaths around here) at being 12k-14k+ feet is weather, common sense, and people not knowing their route, not altitude.

A couple of points to add to the good advice here:
1. If you are a regular coffee drinker, there is no reason to forgo your normal daily dose when you are hiking/climbing. Doing so will almost certainly result in a rager of a headache, which you don't want to confuse with altitude sickness. (I'm happy to provide a comprehensive, journal-referenced review of the evidence showing that caffeine is a very mild diuretic and does not negatively affect fluid and/or electrolyte balance or hydration state, if anyone is interested)
2. Headache, slower pace, easily winded, a little bit of light headedness - these are all very common and not NECESSARILY cause for concern.

Another consideration is how well you maintain your energy level. Hydration is absolutely key, but eating is also very important. Some people new to altitude tend to have less of an appetite. Id bring along foods that you could eat on a somewhat upset stomach. I swear by Gel-Pacs made by Cliff and Power bar.

hikerbrian said:

2. Headache, slower pace, easily winded, a little bit of light headedness - these are all very common and not NECESSARILY cause for concern.

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These are symptoms of mild AMS and are pretty common for people pushing their current state of acclimatization. If they get worse (particularly without ascending) then you may be progressing to more severe AMS and should descend.

Doug

I once left San Fran. at 6.00pm and summited Mt. Dana ( 13,003ft) the next morning at 10.00am. When I bent over to get my canteen, I almost sailor dived into the summit! By the time I started to descend I was fine, but whew it was funky.

sierra said:

I once left San Fran. at 6.00pm and summited Mt. Dana ( 13,003ft) the next morning at 10.00am. When I bent over to get my canteen, I almost sailor dived into the summit! By the time I started to descend I was fine, but whew it was funky.

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I had a somewhat similar experience when I summited Mt Shasta (14,179 ft) after being at 7K-9K feet for several days. I was fine on the way up, but became slightly dizzy after we stopped at the summit. It continued until we had descended ~2K ft. It appears that the heavy breathing on the way up kept my blood oxygen levels up but the reduced breathing after stopping was inadequate. Another member of the party developed a headache ~12K on the way up.

Keeping this in mind on another trip (Boston -> Denver (1 night, 5Kft) -> Rocky Mtn Ntl Pk (12K)), we drove up to 12K and took a short uphill walk. I was ok on the drive, but used conscious hyperventilation on the walk and was ok. My companion, who lives at 5K ran out of steam and turned back. (I don't recall if I had any problems before starting the hyperventilation.)

On yet another trip, I was in a roped party that was moving uphill a bit too fast for me at ~13K. I developed tunnel vision until I could only see in the center of my visual field. After a short rest, my vision returned to normal. (Loss of peripherial vision followed by greying out or blacking out (total loss of vision) are symptoms of anoxia.)

Doug

As stated above, hydrate a lot before and during. I'd also recommend constant light eating during exercise rather than bigger meals. Just makes breathing easier. Else should not be a huge deal .I was working at 10,000 swinging a pick-axe for lift maintenance at a ski area within a short time of moving out and, other than a little shortness of breath that I could take care of by simply slowing down, there were no real problems at that altitude. And I brought my coffee with me every morning.

I've seen HACE and HAPE mentioned but not HAFE. That can take people by surprise. What is it? High Altitude Flatulenc-E. It's a bloating feeling, and then the resulting expulsion. I've brought tums to help me there. I've been at high altitude (above 15K) several times and only one time was it enough to send me down. And I nearly didn't care that I didn't get to set my feet on the new Everest Base Camp but spent only one night at the old EBC. Nearly. Cried just a little.

Have you noticed taking, say, a container of yogurt to a 4,000 footer? What happens when you open it?

Would it be smart to start tapering off coffee before you leave for a higher altitude climb?

erugs said:

Would it be smart to start tapering off coffee before you leave for a higher altitude climb?

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For what reason would you want to taper off coffee?

hikerbrian said:

For what reason would you want to taper off coffee?

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http://www.altitudemedicine.org/index.php/altitude-medicine/stay-well-at-altitude

skiguy said:

http://www.altitudemedicine.org/index.php/altitude-medicine/stay-well-at-altitude

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Wait, that doesn't answer my question. Except to support NOT tapering off of coffee. From the link you posted:

Myth # 1 - Don't drink caffeine at altitude.
We don't know where this false assumption came from, but likely from the fact that caffeine is a mild diuretic (makes you pee). The concern is that it could dehydrate you and contribute to altitude sickness. This concern is unfounded unless you drink pots of black sludge coffee a day and little else. In reality, caffeine stimulates your brain, kidneys and breathing, all of which are helpful at altitude. And for those people who drink several caffeinated beverages a day, stopping abruptly can cause a profound headache.

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hikerbrian said:

Wait, that doesn't answer my question. Except to support NOT tapering off of coffee. From the link you posted:

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Exactly. One must read between the lines on this one.

Vitamin C and Motrin, along with breathing deeply, has always helped me in CO at altitude.

Hi guys, original poster here.

So I got back from my 48 hour cross country hiking trip to Utah and I'm happy to report that while the thin air kicked my ass a little, my body did not act adversely to the altitude. I definitely felt more winded than usual and I had to slow my pace down a bit (especially once I hit 10k feet) so that my lungs could keep up with my legs. I never got to the point of feeling ill, and I never had to consider turning around. I want to thank the guys on this site for all the helpful info and tips on AMS. Because of the posters in this thread, I knew what symptoms to look out for, knew to hydrate diligently, and avoided the morning caffeine.

If anyone is interested in seeing my trip report with pictures, you can check it out here:

http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/my-cross-country-weekend-adventure-in-utah.3667/

Thanks again...

Oh and if Matt from Boston runs into this - PM me. I met Matt (a member of this forum on the trail and we had the same connecting flight back).

Thanks,
John