Posted: 6/26/2016 3:40:43 PM EDT
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About to go on a trip that includes 9-12,000 ft elevations. The highest I've ever been is probably a little under 7,00ft.
People say altitude sickness is no joke, just wondering how folks deal with it, and what I can do for people in my group that are children. What are the signs, etc. Thanks. |
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Rule 1: STAY HYDRATED!! Altitude sickness and dehydration sneak up on you; be very careful of them! 9-12K ain't gonna kill you. Hell, Pike's Peak is 14K. That being said, it aint no fun. I went from FL to the top of a mountain (probably in your stated range) on a business trip to CO once. Holy hell I've never felt so bad. It was like the worst drunk binge ever. The bartender was trying to push water down me but it was too late. All I could do was lay down and be miserable. My boss's girlfriend finally convinced them to take me back down and I owe her. No sooner had we stepped foot off the gondola did they shut them down due to high wind. Folks were stuck on the mountain for hours waiting to get down by snowcat. The next day it was like a bad dream and I was completely fine. On my ID trip last year I was drinking water like a fiend on the flights out. We spent one night in Salmon, ID which probably also helped. Our hike topped out at 9K' feet and aside from being out of breath I was fine. |
I have everyone start doubling their normal intake of water a week before going and I stay on them while up there. One person seems to suffer more often than others but she does fine when she accepts male advice and hydrates according to my plan. 
Water, rest and Tylenol if it's too late. Or go back down the hill. Most feel better after a day or three at altitude. |
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I have had High altitude pulmonary edema and cerebra edema. I got them in the Seirra in CA while sleeping on a glaciar after a 7000 foot gain hike with a 70 pound pack in 12 hrs.
They can kill you in under 24 hrs if you do not get to a lower altitude. Look up the symptoms before you go on the trip. You can get it at those altitudes. The only treatment is to descend. There may have been drinking involved in my case. |
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As long as you're not doing silly stuff (like the dude above me), you'll be fine. In particular, lay off the alcohol.
Stay hydrated, don't overexert yourself, and even walk at a slower pace. You'll acclimate in a day or two. I lived in Denver for 10 years, and frequented the mountains. I spent many nights at those elevations and never had any problems (and I'm a fatty). |
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As long as you're not doing silly stuff (like the dude above me), you'll be fine. In particular, lay off the alcohol. Stay hydrated, don't overexert yourself, and even walk at a slower pace. You'll acclimate in a day or two. I lived in Denver for 10 years, and frequented the mountains. I spent many nights at those elevations and never had any problems (and I'm a fatty). Lol the place we are going has a ski lift up to 11,200ft and they offer you a beer for the ride up. How am I gonna refuse that? 
How do kids normally fae at those altitudes? Not so much worried we would die but concerned good times might not be had. |
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YMMV!! Everybody's body is different!!
1. Hydrate 2. Get a good nights rest 3. Dont exert yourself heavily until you have been at say 8-9k or higher for a night. I always drive and camp overnight at the 9k+ trailhead before I go into the sierras. 4. Hydrate 5. Eat something Unless something really goes wrong, you have to earn altitude sickness... like I did! The one and only time I did myself in I got off work at 10pm (@sea level) then drove 4 hours to a hotel that was at ~4000ft, slept for ~3hrs, then drove up to whitney portal and hit the trail at 5:30am with a full pack. I was in GREAT shape and just kept going all the way to trail camp(12,000ft), I normally stop for lunch and relax.. I didnt, I ate and walked. That was 0-12000ft with almost no sleep in less than 12hrs I got to camp feeling fine, but overnight I got an altitude headache.. that then triggered a migraine. I slept all day, drank water and threw up anything I tried to eat. I let my friends summit while I fought it(first bad decision). Then I spend the second night suffering as well(second bad decision).. oh and the temps dropped to 12-15deg and it snowed off and on.(early October). I had hallucinations that the hot girls camping near me were shoving hot spears through me all night long. The next morning, I packed up.. I did such a horrible job my pack was all jacked up weight wise. I couldnt even lift it on me, my friends had to put it on.. then I just put one foot infront of the next. I started feeling better below 10000ft (that seems to be the magic get below number if you need it). Stopped and did a full repack.. wet tent and all. I forced myself to eat a cliff bar too. I have not had a cliff bar since 2004 when this happened lol. When I got to whitney portal, I got a whitney burger and had about 2 bites and that was all I could do. I got in my car and headed home. About 1-2hrs later I was back to normal and I even finished the burger. |
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you can ask your doctor for a prescription for a drug called Diamox, it helps with reducing symptoms of and preventing altitude sickness. This, I'm a flat lander and don't have 2 weeks to acclimate so if I have a climbing trip coming up I'll get a script filled. Warning, it'll make any carbonated beverage taste like dog shit, including beer, it's a side effect. But you should be drinking water anyway. Hydrate and eat even when you don't feel you need to. |
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Lol the place we are going has a ski lift up to 11,200ft and they offer you a beer for the ride up. How am I gonna refuse that?
How do kids normally fae at those altitudes? Not so much worried we would die but concerned good times might not be had. Quoted:
Quoted:
As long as you're not doing silly stuff (like the dude above me), you'll be fine. In particular, lay off the alcohol. Stay hydrated, don't overexert yourself, and even walk at a slower pace. You'll acclimate in a day or two. I lived in Denver for 10 years, and frequented the mountains. I spent many nights at those elevations and never had any problems (and I'm a fatty). Lol the place we are going has a ski lift up to 11,200ft and they offer you a beer for the ride up. How am I gonna refuse that?
How do kids normally fae at those altitudes? Not so much worried we would die but concerned good times might not be had. If you aren't gaining elevation by foot doubtful anybody will have a problem. But everybody's body reacts differently. Just pay attention to the kids. look foe headaches, confusion, and rapid pulse and rapid shallow breathing. But if you are taking a ski lift and not hiking up doubtful anybody will have a problem. In my case I was on a strenous climb and was aittle hungover. Some people may think that is silly, but it is called climbing. |
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Many good comments here but these two mimic my experiences pretty well:
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YMMV!! Everybody's body is different!! 1. Hydrate 2. Get a good nights rest 3. Don't exert yourself heavily until you have been at say 8-9k or higher for a night. 4. Hydrate 5. Eat something Quoted:
YMMV!! Everybody's body is different!! 1. Hydrate 2. Get a good nights rest 3. Don't exert yourself heavily until you have been at say 8-9k or higher for a night. 4. Hydrate 5. Eat something Quoted:
If you aren't gaining elevation by foot doubtful anybody will have a problem. Just pay attention to the kids. look for headaches, confusion, and rapid pulse and rapid shallow breathing. But if you are taking a ski lift and not hiking up doubtful anybody will have a problem. Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) Unlikely you will have a problem if you are driving to the base of the mountain and riding a chair lift. I forget but you are something like 75% acclimated in the first 24 hrs. Sleeping high gets you most of the way there. Excerpt from Freedom of the Hills (Seattle Mountaineers) - Mountain Medicine Section: "forced deep breathing (over-breathing) to hyperventilate lungs. Nourishment in the form of simple sugars - oranges, candy or fruit juice" Sport drink is your friend..... I live at 5000 ft and have flat lander customers fly in from Houston on a regular basis. The main thing I see is they do not drink enough water, I'm constantly sticking a bottle of water in their hands.... |
Currently forcing water down my family's throat as I type  . We plan on doing a hike in addition to the chair lift, but still haven't figured out how hard we'll be taking it until we get there. It's going to be awesome for my kid to come home and say she got to climb on a dormant volcano.
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Are you doing Mt Humphreys(AZ Snow Bowl)? Which it sounds like you are... You just gotta use it LOL. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3706/19458327356_fdb3ff0d3c_h.jpg View from the bathroom.. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/400/19488718801_df8c5456d3_h.jpg View from the top of the lift towards Humphreys Peak.. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3698/18862104824_90e7789f7a_h.jpg Going down the lift.. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/437/19484608855_b881e0485b_h.jpg Wife's collage.. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3737/19298393999_c8fe3ea53f_b.jpg Yeah that's where we are going. We just discovered the place online doing some google map searches. The more I look at it the more excited I get, although when I think of Arizona, I don't usually picture Colorado in my mind lol. |
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There are no hikes from the top of the lift, so dont worry about exerting yourself there...
But, if you are going to do the hike from the parking lot to the summit or even half way up, that is a moderate-strenuous hike.. even more so once you get past the treeline. But, you should be OK if you are camping/staying anywhere in or around flagstaff for a day or longer before. Check out sunset crater if you get a chance.. it is a national monument and the newest volcano in AZ. It is near by the east side of Humphreys More photos!! 
This is some of the hike from the parking lot. Start of the summit trail. 
Rocky Mountain Red Capped King Bolete(edible if I am correct) 
the switchbacks switch back at the edge of the rockflow 
View from the saddle..which is about the height of the lift across the ski run valley 
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There are no hikes from the top of the lift, so dont worry about exerting yourself there... But, if you are going to do the hike from the parking lot to the summit or even half way up, that is a moderate-strenuous hike.. even more so once you get past the treeline. But, you should be OK if you are camping/staying anywhere in or around flagstaff for a day or longer before. Check out sunset crater if you get a chance.. it is a national monument and the newest volcano in AZ. It is near by the east side of Humphreys More photos!!
This is some of the hike from the parking lot. Start of the summit trail. https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3105/2718093220_e86b5a5044_o.jpg Rocky Mountain Red Capped King Bolete(edible if I am correct) https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3218/2717276579_b9d45f777a_o.jpg the switchbacks switch back at the edge of the rockflow https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3296/2718093388_45e6daf86f_o.jpg View from the saddle..which is about the height of the lift across the ski run valley https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3275/2717276719_94e7f0702f_o.jpg Amazing. We are actually staying at the Snowbowl cabins. Only staying there a day before we head to the Grand Canyon, so we aren't sure exactly what to do, but we want to do some hiking. Will definiately do the chair lift and then most-likely a hike. After we reserved the hotel, I got to looking around on Google Maps and found Lockett Meadow Campground on the other side of Humphrey's Peak. Man that place is gorgeous! We will have to remember that if we ever get to come back and visit. There's literally too many things to see/do in the West.
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cool!
Aspen nature loop USFS Page and the Hike AZ Page, more info, photos... MAPS!!!! Large Topo of the are and trails for other trail options. No joke, there is so much! Every time I or me and my wife do something off our list we add 3 more things. |
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cool! Aspen nature loop USFS Page and the Hike AZ Page, more info, photos... MAPS!!!! Large Topo of the are and trails for other trail options. No joke, there is so much! Every time I or me and my wife do something off our list we add 3 more things. This is great. Do you think kids will have a hard time hiking the trails? We're probably going to try the Aspen trail, considering it's the shortest and less elevation gain. If it were just me and the wife, we would try to reach the summit. We thought the cabins at Snowbowl were up at the higher elevations and would give us time to aclimate, but it looks like they are around 7,000 ft. One of my objectives for this trip (this is the first stop of many in the area) is to spend some time in an Aspen forest. This might fit the bill perfectly. |
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Just take your time going up and take breaks to sight see, have lunch, maybe even stay overnight.
I went from sea level to over 13,800 ft. in Hawaii at Mauna Kea. The visitor center is at 9,000 ft. and they recommend you stop there for at least a half hour to help acclimate. We hung out there for about an hour before going to the top. There was a short walk from where we parked at the observatories area to the summit and boy I really had to take my time, but it was incredible up there. From 80 degrees on a tropical beach to barren rock and snow in one day! Of course I went back down the same day and didn't spend the night up there. Just take it slow and easy. You're on vacation, after all
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This is great. Do you think kids will have a hard time hiking the trails? We're probably going to try the Aspen trail, considering it's the shortest and less elevation gain. If it were just me and the wife, we would try to reach the summit. We thought the cabins at Snowbowl were up at the higher elevations and would give us time to aclimate, but it looks like they are around 7,000 ft. One of my objectives for this trip (this is the first stop of many in the area) is to spend some time in an Aspen forest. This might fit the bill perfectly. Quoted:
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cool! Aspen nature loop USFS Page and the Hike AZ Page, more info, photos... MAPS!!!! Large Topo of the are and trails for other trail options. No joke, there is so much! Every time I or me and my wife do something off our list we add 3 more things. This is great. Do you think kids will have a hard time hiking the trails? We're probably going to try the Aspen trail, considering it's the shortest and less elevation gain. If it were just me and the wife, we would try to reach the summit. We thought the cabins at Snowbowl were up at the higher elevations and would give us time to aclimate, but it looks like they are around 7,000 ft. One of my objectives for this trip (this is the first stop of many in the area) is to spend some time in an Aspen forest. This might fit the bill perfectly. yall will be fine!!! Aspens are gorgeous!! |
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Thanks a lot. I've honestly had some amazing advice from folks on ARF having to do with my trip out West. We've based a good portion of our trip off these tips.
I even had an Arfcommer (won't say the name) offer his land to camp out on if we chose to. Unfortunately, we couldn't take him up on the offer, but it was impressive to say the least. I ask a lot of questions mainly because I'm excited to go, and secondly it's new territory for me. Thanks for all the help guys. |
| From AZ and spent a few days in Cusco, Peru(11K altitude). Wow, that got me sick. Spent a lot of time at the 8000 range here in AZ and spent a week at that range in Arequipa, Peru but once we went up over the 10k mark, it got me. Felt tired, almost buzzed like and not well at all. They had us drink the coca tea and it helped. But hydration is key and rest till your body acclimates. |
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Drugs.
I don't smoke, drink, nor use recreational drugs. To prevent altitude sickness, the recommended dose of acetazolamide is usually 125mg or 250mg twice a day. You should begin taking the medication several days before you start to ascend and continue to take it while ascending. See your doctor for a prescription. Altitude sickness can hit some people between 8k to 10k feet. I don't leave big trips to chance. (Big trips involve an investment of time, money, gear, coordination, and more.) Train, acclimate, hydrate, and trake the right drugs. |