Altitude sickness risk - opinions

[Coffee]

I'm looking for input on a section hike that I've planned for July which is, in part, being done to prepare myself for my JMT thru hike later in the summer and also to test out all of my gear. The section hike is a loop going from South Lake over Table Mountain to Lake Sabrina, road walk/hitch to North Lake and then the popular North Lake-South Lake trip. I have all permits and booked travel a while ago.

My current schedule only allows for one night spent at elevation (about 8,000 feet at Four Jeffrey campground) prior to starting on the hike. My first night is planned for George Lake at 10,716 feet after climbing over table mountain which I believe is something like 11,600. I plan to take it really easy the first day out and I have all day to cover around 8 miles, but it is still 2,600 feet of total elevation gain at pretty high altitudes.

I realize that everyone is different and I do not recall having major issues in the past but it has been a long time since I did any hiking at higher elevations and I'm older (pushing 40 now although probably in better cardio shape than ten years ago).

I could change my plans to arrive a couple of days earlier but flight costs would be quite high to change, rental car cost would go up, etc etc ... cost of trip would probably almost double. But I also don't want to be stupid and get altitude sickness on the first day out. Any opinions would be great regarding my risk of going from Sea Level to ~8000 feet for the first night and then ~10700 for the second night after peaking at 11600 feet. Thanks.

[joshuasdad]

I know that my wife and I do not feel well at 10,000+ (e.g., Breckenridge) the first night after after skiing at altitude, but we do pretty well at 8000 (e.g., Vail). One night at 8000 might acclimate you enough for a second night at 10000+ but YMMV. I think that the fact that you are going to near 12,000 is not the most important factor, as altitude sickness is mainly controlled by where you sleep.

If you have become altitude sick in the past, you might want to consider getting a Diamox (makes you breathe more) or a steroid (prevents brain swelling) prescription. Both have side effects, but can be used for a "weekend warrior" type trip if needed. Dehydration is also your enemy, so make sure to get enough liquid.

Hope you have a great hike!

[Coffee]

I'm glad you mentioned Breckenridge because it reminded me of a ski trip there in 2008. We drove up from Denver right after landing and skied the next day. Other than a headache probably brought on by dehydration, I don't remember any issues. That trip was actually the last time I've been at a high altitude. For some reason, I forgot about how high up Breckenridge is ...

So I guess this is a good indication that my plan is probably OK. I feel like I'm in better overall physical condition today than five years ago.

[Wise Old Owl]

Weird huh? feel bad just turn around and hike back down... its tough to get to sleep too.

[eagleJ]

Sounds like a good plan. I think you should be fine. I did the South Lake to North Lake loop in 09 it is a great trip.

[Coffee]

Weird huh? feel bad just turn around and hike back down... its tough to get to sleep too.

Yeah, that would be the fallback. I'd rather not do the rest of a trip rather than risk severe problems. But obviously it would not be a great outcome either...

[Shutterbug]

I'm looking for input on a section hike that I've planned for July which is, in part, being done to prepare myself for my JMT thru hike later in the summer and also to test out all of my gear. The section hike is a loop going from South Lake over Table Mountain to Lake Sabrina, road walk/hitch to North Lake and then the popular North Lake-South Lake trip. I have all permits and booked travel a while ago.

My current schedule only allows for one night spent at elevation (about 8,000 feet at Four Jeffrey campground) prior to starting on the hike. My first night is planned for George Lake at 10,716 feet after climbing over table mountain which I believe is something like 11,600. I plan to take it really easy the first day out and I have all day to cover around 8 miles, but it is still 2,600 feet of total elevation gain at pretty high altitudes.

I realize that everyone is different and I do not recall having major issues in the past but it has been a long time since I did any hiking at higher elevations and I'm older (pushing 40 now although probably in better cardio shape than ten years ago).

I could change my plans to arrive a couple of days earlier but flight costs would be quite high to change, rental car cost would go up, etc etc ... cost of trip would probably almost double. But I also don't want to be stupid and get altitude sickness on the first day out. Any opinions would be great regarding my risk of going from Sea Level to ~8000 feet for the first night and then ~10700 for the second night after peaking at 11600 feet. Thanks.

My wife and I just hiked the Salkantay Inca Trail in Peru. It is mostly above 10,000 feet and crosses Salkantay Pass at 15,270 feet. None of our group experienced any difficulty with the altitude. Tips:

Drink lots of water.
Be in good physical condition before your hike.
Don't be too concerned about being "older." My wife and I are 69 and handled the steep climbs just fine.
2,600 feet of gain and 8 miles to cover in a day shouldn't be a problem if you are in good shape.
It would be better if you could arrive earlier, but one night at 8,000 feet should be enough.
Take your time, hike slower than your normal pace and remember to breath deeply. I found that breathing in through my mouth and out through my nose helped.

One more tip -- I wore Vibram FiveFinger Shoes. Since I started wearing minimalist shoes, I hike faster and find the uphill climbs a lot easier. I can't believe I wore those heavy hiking boots for so many years.

[Don H]

I live at sea level and will be backpacking in New Mexico at altitudes of 6 to 12 thousand feet in two months. From my research here's what I plan on doing to prevent problems:

Take two days to acclimate
Drink lots of water.
Sleep at lower altitudes when possible
Take Tylenol PM at night to help me sleep

Currently I'm hiking 6 miles a day to increase endurance
I know they symptoms of AMS and will adjust my itinerary if problem arise.

Am I missing anything?

[staehpj1]

I read that and age of UNDER 50 was a risk factor. Apparently our brains shrink a bit as we age and there is a bit more room in the noggin for us oldsters.

[Coffee]

Thanks for all the feedback - certainly helpful. I'm going to look into ways that I might spend one additional night at 8,000 feet just to put my mind at ease. I've actually been meaning to check out Parcher's Resort and they have a two night minimum ... but they are also at 9,000 feet which might be even better than camping in terms of getting used to the elevation. And I could spend the day prior to the hike kayaking on South Lake which would be an added bonus. However, if I can't make all of that work, I think that it is acceptable risk to start out after just one night assuming I take it easy the first day out.

[Snowleopard]

Stay very well hydrated.
As much as possible, sleep at lower elevations.
Read up on altitude sickness: http://www.altitude.org/altitude_sickness.php

AMS: acute mountain sickness -- you might feel sick but you won't die. Headache, nausea. Continue to drink water even if you're nauseous. I've had this at 4000 meters in Peru, felt lousy. We hitched a ride down; at a thousand feet lower I felt completely fine. With your acclimation schedule, I'd probably have headaches at night. If AMS is severe, go down in altitude immediately. Ask your doctor if you can be prescribed diamox.

Don't let the following scare you too much, but do read up on them. HAPE and HACE are pretty rare in the altitudes you'll be at.
HAPE: high altitude pulmonary edema. HAPE is life threatening! If you start having respiratory problems, go down immediately. You should probably get to an ER. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_al...edema#Symptoms

HACE: high altitude cerebral edema. HACE is life threatening! If someone starts acting mentally confused, it may be HACE. Get the person to an ER. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_al...cerebral_edema

[Another Kevin]

I live at sea level and will be backpacking in New Mexico at altitudes of 6 to 12 thousand feet in two months. From my research here's what I plan on doing to prevent problems:

Take two days to acclimate
Drink lots of water.
Sleep at lower altitudes when possible
Take Tylenol PM at night to help me sleep

Currently I'm hiking 6 miles a day to increase endurance
I know they symptoms of AMS and will adjust my itinerary if problem arise.

Am I missing anything?

Conditioning is good, but it's no subsitute for acclimation. My one episode of AMS (now over thirty years ago), I was in terrific shape.

About the only other thing I could recommend is talking to a doc about acetazolamide to speed acclimation. (You might decide not to have it prescribed, but make that an informed decision.)