Is it safe to sleep for more than 16 hrs a day at altitudes above 6000m?

Question

I am planning for a trek at the Advance Base Camp or if possible up to Camp II of Saser Kangri. The region is so deserted of people and expeditionists/mountaineers that there are usually only two to three odd tents at the Base Camp of the mountain, and it's a known fact that once you are beyond the Base Camp, yours is the only team at campsites en-route the summit.

The weather is very harsh, and the mountain does not allow much area to take a walk on a day when you are not going up the mountain. All you have is a deserted campsite and solace to enjoy. And this goes on for days, worst case for a week. In such cases, you are stuck at higher camps with absolutely no way to roam around or move up the mountain. All you can do is to hope and wait for the weather to get suitable for further progress.

I don't like to read for hours or sit around idle. I usually tend to doze off when I am not doing anything.

• In such a case if I sleep for more than 16 hours a day, does that put me in a trouble by any means?

• What are your tricks to stay up?

Answer 1

Anecdotally, the only three factors which may cause you problems are:

• supplies running out
• losing fitness
• boredom

And these are really only an issue if you are stuck for extended periods of time. Your solutions are:

• exercises you can do in your tent, or just outside - stretches, press-ups, sit-ups, basic cardio - will help you maintain a level of fitness while potentially recovering from any stresses encountered in getting to camp
• planning your supplies to take account of enforced downtime, and being prepared to contact emergency services of some kind before it's too late
• you could try writing, rather than reading. A wild and isolated environment can provide a good muse
• depending on your circumstances, you could take a small musical instrument (this will annoy fellow travellers after a while...) or a hand- or solar-powered radio.

Update - to answer the specific point about sleeping:

Sleep itself is not a problem, however if you are on your own, you should take certain precautions - eg if snow is heavy, an alarm set every hour so you can check you aren't getting buried or having your oxygen cut off is a good idea

Answer 2

The weather is very harsh, and the mountain does not allow much area to take a walk on a day when you are not going up the mountain.

This sounds like two points mixed up. Is it the bad weather what keeps you on the camp or is it the lack of routes or ideas? For the last part I would suggest to at least go up and/or down on the route you are planning to do. You could explore the route, search for other (better) routes, enjoy the nature you are pleased to attend or even do some team trainings like possible crevasse scenarios or mountain rescue in general.

If you stay in the camp for several days without really doing something, this could yield to bad physical shape. Doing a several-hour walk every two days will fasten your acclimatization and increase fitness. The day between will be great for regeneration including eating, sleeping, gear preparation and so on.

Another point I could imagine while being a week or more stuck in a camp are social issues. Even if you stay there with people you know for years and who are good friends of you, this might be difficult. Especially if you are under harsh conditions and there is only that limited room in the tent.

If the weather is so badly that you have a very limited visibility and/or the cold/wind won't let you out for a longer walk, you might be really lucky to be even able to sleep properly. Most will be frightened. Indeed this is a situation where you should be concerned not getting snowbound or cut off supplies.