Planning and advice; first trip for WI'er

[timboogeyman]

I stumbled upon this board doing research for a trip I am planning for CO in May/June. I have a good friend who is an endurance athlete who has done 10 x 14'ers and will be going on this trip with. This is a trial run to see how my body does at altitude because my goal is to do Rainier in 2015. My experience at altitude has been minimal; ironically enough the highest I've been has been on Pikes Peak at about 10,400 (Glen Cove) with no bothers (although this was about 9 years ago and drove up). I'm 25, in great cardio-vascular shape as a runner and ice hockey player. I'm already an avid hiker/camper throughout IL/WI/MI and feel I'm pretty well geared up.

The things I would like to get feedback on are the following:
-Should I change training regiment from current of running 13-20 miles/week/lifting weights/playing hockey?
-Should I try a fairly easy climb first to see how do at altitude and save something of moderate difficulty for later?
-Any tips/tricks to aclimatize better/faster? i.e. go for runs when I get to denver, spend a couple days in Denver first?

Thanks for everyone's help and I look forward to interacting with everyone on the board.

Thanks,
Tim from Milwaukee, WI.

[Scott P]

-Should I change training regiment from current of running 13-20 miles/week/lifting weights/playing hockey?

From a fitness standpoint, if you do that stuff then 14ers shouldn't be much of problem.

-Should I try a fairly easy climb first to see how do at altitude and save something of moderate difficulty for later?

It would be a good idea for sure.

-Any tips/tricks to aclimatize better/faster? i.e. go for runs when I get to denver, spend a couple days in Denver first?

Time is the best method of acclimatization. Denver is pretty low for acclimatizing. Something around 8000-10000 feet would be better.

[jdorje]

The biggest danger for people in good shape is that you can ascend too quickly, making you more likely to have altitude issues than those in worse shape. I'd recommend limiting yourself to 1000 vertical per hour, at least to start with.

[Bean]

The biggest danger for people in good shape is that you can ascend too quickly, making you more likely to have altitude issues than those in worse shape. I'd recommend limiting yourself to 1000 vertical per hour, at least to start with.

IMO, better to rush up and then get back down before altitude-related issues set in. Going slowly once on the hike only keeps one at altitude longer.

[JROSKA]

-Should I change training regiment from current of running 13-20 miles/week/lifting weights/playing hockey?
-Should I try a fairly easy climb first to see how do at altitude and save something of moderate difficulty for later?
-Any tips/tricks to aclimatize better/faster? i.e. go for runs when I get to denver, spend a couple days in Denver first?

Regarding the first question, I think you'll be fine with that type of training and won't miss a beat when you are actually here to climb.

Third question, regarding acclimatizing. Everyone is different, but I think that generally speaking, the better shape someone is in, the easier it is to adjust. I brought a friend up a 14er a few years ago (also from Milwaukee), who plays softball / volleyball, and stays in great shape, and I was super-obsessive about the "acclimatizing" plan while he kept telling me not to worry about it. Basically, he was only here for a weekend and I felt that doing the 14er on the first day was not an option; while he felt that he could literally hop off the plane and start climbing. We ended up doing the Manitou incline @ Pikes Peak on the first day, and the 14er (Lincoln) on the second day, and that worked pretty well, as he reported no issues with altitude throughout the weekend. I think he would have been fine doing the 14er on the first day, and you probably will too, but I'd always go conservative on something like this. Just do some type of physical activity at 8000 or 9000 on the first day and I think you'll be fine.

Regarding your second question, about difficulty, you'll get differing opinions on this. Some will say "aim high, challenge yourself"; others will encourage you to focus first on gaining experience on relatively easier peaks before moving on to those with more difficulty. I subscribe to the latter way of thinking. In addition to adjusting to altitude, you'll facing other issues for the first time, like learning how well you keep your balance on the rocks above tree-line, gauging the development of weather / storms, and a little route-finding. I'd always encourage someone to work through these "beginning" issues on an easy climb or two, before moving on to something of a more moderate difficulty level. A little seasoning never hurts. But again, others may encourage you to "jump right in to the deep water", and there's a lot to be said for that as well. Use your judgment based on what you are comfortable with. One thing to remember, since your trip will be in late May or early June - at that time of year, there still may be a good deal of ice or snow at the higher altitudes, which would be another good reason to start out with something on the easy side.

Have fun, and enjoy your trip.

- Jeff R

[kansas]

The biggest danger for people in good shape is that you can ascend too quickly, making you more likely to have altitude issues than those in worse shape. I'd recommend limiting yourself to 1000 vertical per hour, at least to start with.

This plus lots of water. I've got a friend here in Kansas who can easily do 2k vert an hour, but when he does, he gets sick from the altitude. If we back the pace off to around 1200 he seems to do great and have no issues at all.

[Wish I lived in CO]

The biggest danger for people in good shape is that you can ascend too quickly, making you more likely to have altitude issues than those in worse shape. I'd recommend limiting yourself to 1000 vertical per hour, at least to start with.

This plus lots of water. I've got a friend here in Kansas who can easily do 2k vert an hour, but when he does, he gets sick from the altitude. If we back the pace off to around 1200 he seems to do great and have no issues at all.

The famous "pole, pole" on Kilimanjaro that the guides say to their clients to get them to slow down (so I've heard many times). Makes sense; if your in a low oxygen environment then climbing less strenuously will lower your body's demand for oxygen. Though I suppose not lingering on a summit too long would help as well.

[asbochav]

Anecdotal reports seem to support this technique:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19052788" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Scott P]

Third question, regarding acclimatizing. Everyone is different, but I think that generally speaking, the better shape someone is in, the easier it is to adjust.

That's not necessarily true.

[colokeith]

-Should I change training regiment from current of running 13-20 miles/week/lifting weights/playing hockey?

From a fitness standpoint, if you do that stuff then 14ers shouldn't be much of problem.

-Should I try a fairly easy climb first to see how do at altitude and save something of moderate difficulty for later?

It would be a good idea for sure.

-Any tips/tricks to acclimatize better/faster? i.e. go for runs when I get to denver, spend a couple days in Denver first?

Time is the best method of acclimatization. Denver is pretty low for acclimatizing. Something around 8000-10000 feet would be better.

All great advice. Aside from drugs there is not really a way to speed up acclimatization. 14K isn't that big of a deal and if you just take a little time to acclimitize you will likely have no issues with the altitude (except for sucking wind) I would spend at least one night below 10K before going higher. Raise your sleeping altitude by no more than 1K per night. climb as high as comfortable during the day. If you are trying to mimic an emmonds or DC route on rainier, spend a night near 10K then ascend to 14K.

A couple of other tips regarding altitude
* Don't take a headache higher to sleep under any conditions
* Be especially concerned if a headache comes on during the asscent and gets worse as you go higher
* Stay hydrated, and expect to move slower. (the 1K vert per hour kansas suggested is a great target)

[Bean]

.

[Scott P]

Third question, regarding acclimatizing. Everyone is different, but I think that generally speaking, the better shape someone is in, the easier it is to adjust.

That's not necessarily true.

generally speaking

OK, fine. Generally speaking, that is not true. Is that better?

Fitness and acclimatization don't usually correlate well. Many, many high altitude studies, dating back decades prove this.

From the UIAA:

Does physical fitness prevent altitude sickness?

Although it is a good idea to be fit when going to high altitude, there is no evidence to show that physical fitness protects a person from altitude sickness. In fact people who are very fit (marathon runners, for example) seem to be more susceptible to altitude sickness as they may “challenge” themselves much more than the common man at altitude. Excessive exertion is a risk factor for altitude sickness.

http://www.theuiaa.org/medical_faq.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Of course there are exceptions and certain ailments which are exceptions, but generally speaking acclimatization and physical fitness aren't correlated to each other that much, other than for the fact you can descend faster if you are fit and get sick.