Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Altitude sickness changes

Hi all, I am wondering about people's experience with AMS changing over time.

How many of you have had successful completely AMS-free hikes, but later went to a similar altitude and felt symptoms?

Were your conditions different? (e.g. were you recovering from a cold)
Were you able to help your symptoms with water, etc?


Just curious. I have never felt AMS, even when arriving without acclimatization such as arriving in Colorado and immediately driving to peak of Pike's, or driving 4 wheel trails in Breckenridge and running about at 12K ft totally out of breath, but headache-free.

So I wonder if it is still out there waiting for me someday, or if I somehow have the innards that can deal with it (at least to 14,500 feet, which I've reached about 1/2 dozen times).

Also, has anyone heard of a link between iron intake/ anemia and AMS effects?

Curious for myself and also for the whole family as we prep for our July hike (still hoping for walk-in permits!)

Lucky you, to be able to fully enjoy the mountains without having to acclimate. There are lots of threads here about AMS, but your questions are a little different. A doctor will be with you shortly, I'm guessing.

Yes, SN, I'll give it a go

the bible on AMS says it is unpredictable.

I have had AMS headaches and Mountaineer's Foot (can't put one in front of the other) at 8,000 ,10,000, 15,000, and 19,500 ft.... but.....plenty of time (by far most of the time) not at all. The lower altitude ones were more or less expected - only one or two days acclimatization. The worst time was at the highest even after 10 days getting that high, but heavy workload and weather contributed. The interplay is not well understood, altho complications of AMS are more common with those factors. As asked, yes illnesses can raise the risk.

Sir Edmund Hillary himself developed a high altitude stroke on Makalu in 1961. Recovered but did not go that high again. That complication is extraordinarily rare at Whitney altitudes.

The most important factor is time allowed to stage oneself higher slowly and let natural acclimatization occur. This beats Diamox. Everyone has a different pace of change, even within the same family. Only experience can tell.

Genetics are important. There are tons of studies now coming out of China. We know now for sure that some (not all) Tibetans really are superior to even other high altitude dwellers like in the Andes. We are not all created equal.

Question about iron and making hemoglobin: it is now thought that the making of extra hemoglobin over weeks of staying high is actually counterproductive. There are much better ways the body adjusts. As an example, the aforementioned superior ( to altitude) Tibetans do not have high hemoglobin levels. The other famous high altitude dwellers, Andeans, have runaway hemoglobin production and develop CMS ( Chronic Mountain Sickness) that is far different than AMS.

Bottom line - just go slow. Rule of thumb is advancing sleeping altitude 1,000 ft per day above 10,000 ft, some would say 7-8,000 ft where the actual definition of AMS begins.

Hope this lengthy reply helps.

Harvey,

I can confirm the 7,000' to 8,000' thingy. I have had AMS while staying at June Lake. Just an overnight headache that went away with some drugs and coffee in the morning. Just as it does at 10,000'.

Every trip is different.

Thanks very much for the info!

We plan on a slow acclimatization to make for best chance of success, but reading all the posts always leaves me with a nagging worry that this time we'll get hit.

When we did Elbert (14,400) we had 3-4 days above 8K including most of a day at 12K on the Rocky Mtn NP drive and sleeping at 9K. But, as I said, the first day of that was a drive up Pike's - but no effort there.

I ask about the iron because I'm typically low, and I take supplements and was curious if forgetting to take them might make things worse.

So thanks for the info!