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 Acclimatizing at 7500'
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 252
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OP
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 252 |
I recognize that this is a pretty subjective questions, as everyone is different and I'm sure we all acclimate to altitude differently. I'm just looking for opinions on how well this will work.
I'm trying to work it out so that I can add a summit of Mt. Whitney to the tail end of a six day vacation up on the June Lake Loop, approximate elevation of 7500'. I've had three failed attempts at Whitney in the past; one due to T-storms, one due to my inability to deal with the altitude, and one due to a partners inability to deal with the altitude. My failed attempt came after driving straight from 1000' elevation to the Portal, strapping on my pack and heading up the trail. I hit a road block on the switchbacks above Trail Camp.
So my subjective question is, in your opinions, does being at 7500' for almost a week sound like it might be an effective way for my body to start the process of acclimatizing? I will be hiking to almost 11,000' at one point, but only for a few hours. I plan to head up to Trail Camp and spend the night before pushing for the summit the following morning.
Thanks for any thoughts, opinions, or advice!
One day I'd like to hike the entire John Muir Trail and not leave a single footprint. -Randy Morgenson
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Re: Acclimatizing at 7500'
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 659
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 659 |
A week at 7500, with higher daytime forays, plus a night at 12,000 before going to the summit? Sounds like a pretty good plan. Even better if you can tuck in a night at 10,000 before your night at 12,000, but as is, what you are planning is better than most.
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Re: Acclimatizing at 7500'
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,572
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,572 |
G: the strict answer to you question is yes, but your question was framed as "to start the process". 7500 for a week is definitely a very good start. Whether it will completely prepare you for another Whitney attempt will depend on a lot of factors, especially your apparent susceptibility to AMS. ALso key is how much time you spend at what altitude. For instance. If you are at 7500 for most of the time, and there is a lapse of a day or two between your 11000 foot time and your start up Whitney, then that 11000 foot time isn't going to do you much good. If you start out at 7500, work your way to 11000, and go right from there to Whitney Portal the same day, then you will be much better prepared.
If after coming away from June Lake you can spend one night at Horseshoe Meadows (10k+) before hitting the trail, that would set you up even better than if you come from June Lake at 7500 and hit the trail at WP (8500) the same day.
Oh, and these are estimates: your mileage will vary.
Wherever you go, there you are. SPOTMe!
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Re: Acclimatizing at 7500'
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 252
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OP
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 252 |
Oh, and these are estimates: your mileage will vary. That's what I was hoping for, just some solid estimates from you guys that know your stuff better than I. I will be at 7500' the entire time, but we're planning on hiking up Carson Peak which sits at just below 11k', so I'm not planning on that altitude helping me adjust a whole lot. I will be going straight from the June Lake Loop to the Portal and leaving that same day for Trail Camp where I will spend the night before pushing up towards the summit. I've only dealt with AMS the one time, and like I said, it was kinda unrealistic for me to think that going from 1000' to 14500' was a viable goal. The last time I was on the MMWT, I had spent two nights at the Portal prior to departure, and I felt real good all the way to Trail Crest, where my buddy got sick. Thanks for the opinions and advice, I do appreciate it.
One day I'd like to hike the entire John Muir Trail and not leave a single footprint. -Randy Morgenson
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Re: Acclimatizing at 7500'
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,572
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,572 |
The later in your trip you can do Carson, the more it will help. At the very least, it will be a good indicator of how you will probably fare on the MW trail, at least as far as Mirror Lake or thereabouts. Trail Camp is just over 12.
Wherever you go, there you are. SPOTMe!
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Re: Acclimatizing at 7500'
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 742
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 742 |
Mt. Whitney: Determinants of Summit Success
and Acute Mountain Sickness
DALE R. WAGNER1, KIM D’ZATKO2, KEVIN TATSUGAWA3, KEN MURRAY4, DARYL PARKER5,TIM STREEPER5, and KEVIN WILLARD5
1Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Utah State University, Logan, UT; 2Department of Psychology,
Utah State University, Logan, UT; 3Recreation Administration and Leisure Studies Program, California State University,
Fresno, CA; 4Department of Family Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; and 5Department of
Kinesiology and Health Science, California State University, Sacramento, CA
ABSTRACT
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 40, No. 10, pp. 1820–1827, 2008.
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of summit success and acute mountain sickness (AMS) on Mt. Whitney (4419 m)and to identify variables that contribute to both.
Methods: Hikers (N = 886) attempting the summit were interviewed at the trailhead upon their descent. Questionnaires included demographic and descriptive data, acclimatization and altitude history, and information specific to the ascent. The Lake Louise Self-Assessment Score was used to make a determination about the occurrence of AMS.
Results: Forty-three percent of the sample met the criteria for AMS, and 81% reached the summit.
The odds of experiencing AMS were reduced with ...... number of hours spent above 3000 m in the 2 wk preceding the ascent
=========================================
So in this paper, we found a protective effect for every hour spent above 10K in the two weeks before the attempt. So, yes, what you are doing will help, probably a lot. I'd make every effort to spend some time on the top of the 11k peak.
Also, a trick I've adopted from Bob Rockwell, who has guided hundreds of people to the summit with little acclimatization: On your hikes on the mountain, stop every hour for 10 min and take a rehydration break. (I recommend sitting down, because if you are standing, your leg muscles are NOT resting, and that lack of rest for them builds up a fatigue factor that may only become apparent 8 hour out, when you can do little about it.) Others disagree with this, but I don't think you lose anything by doing this except time, and if you needed to do this, and didn't, you're screwed. Your mileage may vary.
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Re: Acclimatizing at 7500'
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 252
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OP
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 252 |
Mt. Whitney: Determinants of Summit Success
and Acute Mountain Sickness
DALE R. WAGNER1, KIM D’ZATKO2, KEVIN TATSUGAWA3, KEN MURRAY4, DARYL PARKER5,TIM STREEPER5, and KEVIN WILLARD5
1Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Utah State University, Logan, UT; 2Department of Psychology,
Utah State University, Logan, UT; 3Recreation Administration and Leisure Studies Program, California State University,
Fresno, CA; 4Department of Family Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; and 5Department of
Kinesiology and Health Science, California State University, Sacramento, CA
ABSTRACT
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 40, No. 10, pp. 1820–1827, 2008.
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of summit success and acute mountain sickness (AMS) on Mt. Whitney (4419 m)and to identify variables that contribute to both.
Methods: Hikers (N = 886) attempting the summit were interviewed at the trailhead upon their descent. Questionnaires included demographic and descriptive data, acclimatization and altitude history, and information specific to the ascent. The Lake Louise Self-Assessment Score was used to make a determination about the occurrence of AMS.
Results: Forty-three percent of the sample met the criteria for AMS, and 81% reached the summit.
The odds of experiencing AMS were reduced with ...... number of hours spent above 3000 m in the 2 wk preceding the ascent
=========================================
So in this paper, we found a protective effect for every hour spent above 10K in the two weeks before the attempt. So, yes, what you are doing will help, probably a lot. I'd make every effort to spend some time on the top of the 11k peak.
Also, a trick I've adopted from Bob Rockwell, who has guided hundreds of people to the summit with little acclimatization: On your hikes on the mountain, stop every hour for 10 min and take a rehydration break. (I recommend sitting down, because if you are standing, your leg muscles are NOT resting, and that lack of rest for them builds up a fatigue factor that may only become apparent 8 hour out, when you can do little about it.) Others disagree with this, but I don't think you lose anything by doing this except time, and if you needed to do this, and didn't, you're screwed. Your mileage may vary. That's awesome, thanks for sharing that study. I like the rehydration break idea too. Sometimes I'm not the best about drinking enough water while I'm on the trail. Mandatory breaks could make it easier for me to remember.
One day I'd like to hike the entire John Muir Trail and not leave a single footprint. -Randy Morgenson
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Re: Acclimatizing at 7500'
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,509 Likes: 103
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,509 Likes: 103 |
We have seen where people writing on this forum live at 4500 or 5000' elevation. It is a tiny sample, but of the few, I've not seen hardly any reporting AMS.
(Only there was a recent rescue of someone at Trfrom a higher-elevation Colorado residence who needed a rescue from Trail Camp. The thing we don't know is how much time he spent in CA before Whitney. I suspect he spent some weeks and lost his acclimatization before hiking Whitney.)
Since the above study was Whitney hikers, very few were those who actually lived around 5000'. However, there is very little AMS reported in the Colorado 14ers, and most residents there live at that elevation.
Bottom line, I am sure your week at 7k will have a marked positive effect.
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Re: Acclimatizing at 7500'
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Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 19
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Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 19 |
Longtime reader, first time poster here.
GandC, my wife and I (both mid-40s) summited AMS-free a few years back with a reasonably similar plan. We spent six nights averaging about 8,500 feet, then headed up to Trail Camp for the night before our summit attempt. We got a bit higher on day hikes (Mt. Dana - 13k, and Mono Pass - 12k, but didn't spend much time at peak elevation). Bottom line: We moved noticeably slower than our usual pace, but we summited with absolutely no symptoms of AMS. Neither of us had ever been much over 11k previously, and my wife had backpacked only once prior, but we both felt great. We drank and ate small amounts frequently, and took 600 mg of ibuprofen before leaving TC. I imagine that helped as well.
As said elsewhere, your mileage may vary, but I'm guessing you'll be in better shape AMS-wise than most. Good luck!
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Re: Acclimatizing at 7500'
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 252
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OP
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 252 |
Longtime reader, first time poster here.
GandC, my wife and I (both mid-40s) summited AMS-free a few years back with a reasonably similar plan. We spent six nights averaging about 8,500 feet, then headed up to Trail Camp for the night before our summit attempt. We got a bit higher on day hikes (Mt. Dana - 13k, and Mono Pass - 12k, but didn't spend much time at peak elevation). Bottom line: We moved noticeably slower than our usual pace, but we summited with absolutely no symptoms of AMS. Neither of us had ever been much over 11k previously, and my wife had backpacked only once prior, but we both felt great. We drank and ate small amounts frequently, and took 600 mg of ibuprofen before leaving TC. I imagine that helped as well.
As said elsewhere, your mileage may vary, but I'm guessing you'll be in better shape AMS-wise than most. Good luck! Thanks Dave, I appreciate the story and words of encouragement. Welcome to the forum!
One day I'd like to hike the entire John Muir Trail and not leave a single footprint. -Randy Morgenson
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Re: Acclimatizing at 7500'
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,256 Likes: 2
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,256 Likes: 2 |
GandC, my family and I have made a habit of spending 5 nights in Mammoth (8K') before heading to Whitney, usually doing some higher dayhikes in the area between 11K' and 13K'. It's worked great for us. If you really wanted to see how you're handling the elevation before hitting Whitney, I would suggest running up to the east entrance of Yosemite and hiking Mt. Dana. I believe this is the easiest, quickest way to get to 13K' in the eastern Sierra. It's a relatively short hike - maybe 4 miles each way - with about 3K' of gain, and you don't even have to enter the park (and pay the fee) to access it. The trailhead is just behind the eastern entrance station and there's plenty of roadside parking just outside the park entrance.
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