Questions tagged [high-altitude]
Questions referring to everything related to mountaineering in higher altitudes (generally 10.000ft+/3000m+) like concerns about your health because of the thin air.
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What do mountaineers eat and drink on the day of an Everest summit?
I was watching Everest (2015) on the weekend and was wondering what the mountaineers do for sustenance on the day they attempt to summit. It appeared they left around midnight, aiming for a 2pm ...
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What can I do to prevent altitude sickness?
I will be going above 15000 feet (4500 meters) on a trip next month, and I've heard people will often get altitude sickness. Is there anything I can do beforehand to prevent sickness or take while I'm ...
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What makes certain mountains more dangerous than others?
Why do mountains like K2, Nanga Parbat and Annapurna (36 successful attempts, 47 failed) have higher fatality rates than, say, Everest or Cho Oyu (79 successful attempts, 28 failed)? (source)
Can I ...
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Can you get permanent brain damage by spending a day at 10,000ft (~3000m) altitude?
I read some articles that suggested that even moderately high altitudes can lead to some irreversible brain damage. Thus, I was wondering whether that is actually possible and what is its likelihood?
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A little bit of acclimatisation or no acclimatisation at all?
This summer I'm planning to mount my first 4000 m mountain in Switzerland. So far I only got around 3300 meters while hiking and had no problems. However 4000 meter an above is definitively a ...
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What are some proven methods of training for week long backpacking trips at high altitude?
I'm going to Colorado to visit a friend and we will be going on a week long trek across a couple of 14'ners. I'm looking for some ways to help prepare my body for trip.
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Should one remove their boots in an emergency bivvy situation?
Is there an argument for removing your boots to prevent frostbitten toes. Lets say you are at 4000m in the winter in a snow cave with no sleeping bag and frostbite is probable, but death is unlikely.
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What are the real dangers of climbing at high altitude?
I had a campfire discussion not long ago with a man that got pulmonary edema while attempting the summit of Aconcagua, and we got into the discussion of the effects of high elevation. I had always ...
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Altitude sickness when going from sea level to 14,000 ft (4,200m) in a single day
My sister lives at sea level -- Baltimore and Chicago. She is coming to visit me in Denver (5280 ft or 1600m). She wishes to climb Mt Bierstadt (14,065 ft or 4200m) the same day she arrives.
I have ...
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For how long afterwards do we benefit from acclimatization?
Consider we are trying to pre-acclimate for an expedition in Himalaya to shorten the actual timespan on site.
As an example, I am expecting a benefit if I go in the Alps for several days above 4000m ...
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Are headaches a bad sign at altitude?
Last weekend, we had a nice hike up Price Peak in the Sierras.
We went from sea level to above 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in about 6 hours. And I had a ROARING headache. I could hear my heart beat in my ...
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Does drinking tea cause problems at altitude?
I've heard from a tour leader that you shouldn't drink tea in high altitude because it makes you thirsty and cause problem in blood circulation. Is this true? Should'nt we drink tea in high altitude?
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What would be a safe ascent rate when mountaineering?
I'm training to climb large mountains. What kind of ascent should I train for at altitude. Let's say above 12000 feet and carrying up to 60 lbs?
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Is it normal for a compass to develop an air bubble at high altitude?
I live in Denver, Colorado. Going above 10,000 ft. (3,000 metre) always results in an air bubble large enough for me to want to tilt the compass to prevent the bubble from interfering with the needle....
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Does low blood pressure have an effect on Acute Mountain Sickness?
This question in some ways is related to this question asked by JollySin.
When I did my first Himalayan trek, my guide there had told me that those with a low blood pressure (BP) are more susceptible ...
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Is it safe to sleep for more than 16 hrs a day at altitudes above 6000m?
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 ...
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Training to prepare for oxygen deficiency in the high mountains
I would like to prepare myself for the climb in the high mountains (for now by "high mountains" I mean elevation 4000 m and more, but eventually eight-thousanders).
What can I do to improve my ...
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Managing the garbage over a lengthy trek at higher altitudes
Following the thread about Everest Base Camp related questions, its almost a globally known fact that the Everest Base Camp is very much crowded and consequently very much into garbage disposal ...
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Walking through a Thigh-high snow
I have far less experience in trekking where there is snow. I believe walking through snow and through ice are two different techniques.
Is there some sort of safe technique to walk on such snow ...
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Stove/fuel setup for harsh conditions
We already have topics on fuels here and here which give quite an overview. Also REI gives some info how to choose your stove and fuel properly.
Still I would like to know what are the best options ...
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Is there any evidence that the small canisters (10 liters) of 95% oxygen actually help with altitude sickness?
In Colorado outdoor stores its not uncommon to see these small canisters of 95% percent oxygen that's sold to help people cope with high altitude.
Is there any evidence that these actually help with ...
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Why would people descend to sleep while acclimatizing?
I am watching a video about a climb of Annapurna. To acclimate the climbers head up from base camp to another camp higher up, stay for a day or two, then return to base camp. They repeat this ...
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Does drinking alcohol cause problems at altitude?
If I'm going to be climbing a mountain, would drinking a small amount at altitude have any negative effects (besides general alcohol effects)?
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Case example on Altitude Mountain Sickness: How to detect and react properly?
I know the theory behind effects of high altitudes on the human body is not entirely understood and because of cross-influence it is a difficult topic. It's not an exact science.
Having said that I ...
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Acclimatization strategies
While reading Hermann Buhl's tour book* of the Nanga Parbat expedition in 1953 (yielding to the first ascent on third of July, Buhl did the final ascent solo) I got curious about the height difference ...
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Climbing Mount Teide from sea-level
Is it possible to climb Mount Teide from sea-level in 2 days for a reasonably fit person? Essentially, I was thinking of walking up to the Altavista mountain refuge on the first day (can that be done ...
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How to begin in alpine tours
I know it's probably too risky to make alpine tours alone, especially when you go over glaciers. I joined DAV to be insured while in the mountains and to be able to use the offerings like courses and ...
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Can overexertion cause AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness)?
Recently I did a trek in the Himalayan region and one of the group members was affected by what we believed was AMS at around 4600m.
We had to evacuate the person from there and get to around 4100m ...
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Can you pre-identify the risk of severe Altitude sickness?
This BBC news article Mount Everest: Altitude sickness claims third death in four days caught my attention.
From what I understand the best cure for Altitude sickness is to get lower, fast. This is ...
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Does the altitude you live at influence the time required for acclimatization?
Let's say that two persons are going to attempt to climb a mountain that is 6 000 metres high. These persons are equal in every way, except that one lives at sea level and one lives at 2 500 metres ...
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Is there a breathing technique to conserve bottled oxygen?
We all know when people run out of O2 up there, trouble follows.
Is there a breathing technique to get more mileage out of bottled oxygen?
Let's stick to the basic scenario of the need of bottled ...
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Acclimitization: Would 20 min at an "oxygen bar" deliver more than an ephermal boost to a healthy person?
My last trip was just a hiking trip, so I stayed at a hotel. For $35, the hotel offered 20 min at their "oxygen bar". I was tempted, but did not succumb. I didn't have a headache, or feel nauseated,...
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How high can one go from sea level without having to worry about altitude sickness?
If you're an average-healthy person from (near) sea level, how high may you climb a mountain before needing to stay at the altitude to acclimatise? Is it alright to go/drive up a 9000 ft (2750 m) ...
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During high-altitude lengthy expedition: To shave or not shave? [duplicate]
"Should one be shaving on a lengthy high altitude trek?" shall be the question that I'd like to ask to great mountaineers with wisdom in high-altitude mountaineering.
If you have observed, there are ...
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Does body need to re-acclimatize after a few days out of altitude?
We will be in Peru visiting Machu Pichu (altitude 7,972 ft or 2,430 m). Then we'll go down to the jungle (essentially sea level) for 4 days and then to Cuzco (altitude 11,152 feet or 3,399 meters). ...
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Donating blood at higher altitudes and Acclimatization
While I was re-reading this question where there is a lot discussed about impact of higher altitude on the physiology, acclimatization and things around it. Though, I have had put in an answer in the ...
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Sizing up high altitude boots
I currently use La Sportiva WildCat Trail Running Shoes size 43 for trail running/light hiking and Nepal EVO's size 44 for Ice Climbing and Alpine adventures. The Nepal EVO's fit me perfectly with a ...
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Are nutrition bars/energy bars good for high altitude treks?
In this question Suitable food for high altitude trekking Wedapashi asks about food for high altitude trekking. Also, in this question, there is a discussion about engergy bars. One of the answers ...
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Can I use ear plugs while ascending or descending a mountain?
Can I use ear plugs to block out noise or will my ears need to pop because of the altitude? I don’t want to get sick by using the ear plugs.
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Why do Everest climbers go up, down and up again, instead of acclimatizing by simply staying in a camp longer?
To acclimatize to extreme altitude oxygen levels, why do Everest (Chomolungma) climbers go first up and then back down before going up again, instead of staying at say Camp II (21,000 ft; 6,400 m) for ...
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How do you diagnose severe altitude illness?
If someone is feeling bad at high altitude, how do you tell if their condition is so severe that it threatens their life unless they descend immediately?
user2169
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Has Joe Simpson ever explained why he did not cut the rope himself?
I have just watched the docudrama "Touching the void" for the umpteenth time. I am a climber and mountaineer and have a great deal of respect for Simon Yates and his efforts to save Joe Simpson and ...
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Fine tuning the Warm-up routines at Higher altitude
Warm-up routines are very important for most of the activities that involve rapid and/or vigorous body movements. Trekking too is not an exception to that.
I am planning for a trek which goes through ...
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Is there any measurable effect on acclimatization rate for people living in middle mountains?
Do people living in middle mountains (500-1000 m.asl) have any measurable advantage against lowlanders when it comes to acclimatization?
Are there measurable differences in blood cells density?
I'...
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What is the impact/risks of high altitude walking on individuals suffering from High Blood Pressure?
Setting aside the benefits of cardiocavascular exercise in general, what are the risks to hikers/climbers with high blood pressure at various altitudes?
Is there an upper ceilling/threshold that ...
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Is there really no way to rescue a climber from the death zone?
I have watched many documentaries about accidents on Everest and what I learned is, that it is impossible to rescue anybody from the death zone. It is simply too hard for the sherpas, or anybody else ...
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Covering up ears at higher altitudes
Recently I went on a trek to a placed named "Har ki Doon". The trek took us around an altitude of 3500 meters(15000 ft). When we were there, our guide advised us not to cover up our ears. According to ...
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When is first light when you are far above the terrain?
Normally you would just look it up for your location--but I'm thinking of a peak where the horizon will be at least a mile lower and I would think that would have some effect.
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Does sleeping with liner shoes make you feel colder?
While reading this article about mountaineering boots I found following quote by Ian Nicholson quite interesting:
"When climbing in a double boot, bring the liner in your sleeping bag at night to ...
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Is acute mountain sickness repeatable?
Several month ago me and my climbing partner were climbing a mountain over 7000m. In first few day my climbing partner got AMS. It was high-altitude pulmonary edema (he felt very bad, he had strong ...
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