Altitude acclimization

[Ltdan]

<snip> And there should be some residual benefit with my CO visits.

Don't plan on it, unless you're planning to spend *weeks* in Colorado.

+1. If there is much of a gap between the 2 trips at all, you will likely lose most of the PHYSICAL benefits of your trip to CO.
However, I would still recommend the trip, because it will show you how your body handles altitude.
The more climbing you can do while you are in CO the better. If you are fit already (which is assumed if you are going to try Kili), I would start climbing the second or third day you are at altitude, and do as much as you can while you are in CO.
You might even try sleeping as high as you can, because for me sleeping at 10K-11K is sometimes more of an issue than climbing to 14K.

Don't discount your 500 mile trail hike. If you can do that, and if you can handle the altitude, I would imagine you can climb Kili. A lot of climbing (class 3 and below) is similar to hiking; just keep putting one foot in front of the other for a long time.

Sean Nunn

Exactly what I was thinking. Climb high and sleep lower. As I understand the days on Kili, they take you up to a particular level for the day and then retreat to a camp a 1000 ft + lower for the night. And sleeping issues crossed my mind as well. Gear check. Body check. Mental attitude check. It is all relative to me. Thanks!

[ClimbingFool]

Congratulations on planning this amazing trip. Lots of great advice already in this thread, so I'll add just a few more personal observations.

The trips to Colorado may not help you from an acclimatization benefit, but they will teach you mental fortitude. That said, don't be discouraged if you feel bad on Colorado mountains. The headaches and tired muscles are the norm for us Midwesterners. I would actually suggest you go easy the week before your trip to let your muscles crave the exercise when you begin.

The Kili trek is a completely different experience and is designed to give you as high a chance as possible to summit with its slower pace. Yes, follow the "pole, pole" mantra, and ask your guides to take you a bit higher from camp before coming down to eat and sleep.

Become friends with your guides and porters and treat them with the utmost respect. They work super hard for you and for their families.

If your schedule permits, find some time to explore Tanzania and Kenya, especially if you can hire a guide to take you out of the tourist areas. It can be a life changing experience.

[Kiliguide]

“Kilimanjaro is often considered a trek rather than a technical climb, and it's achievable for individuals with various levels of hiking experience.”

Beginner trekkers will find easier routes like the Marangu Route or Rongai Route are suitable for those with limited hiking experience. For routes like the Machame Route or Lemosho Route, which involve longer and steeper ascents, it's beneficial to have some prior hiking or trekking experience. If you plan to take more challenging and less traveled routes like the Umbwe or Western Breach routes, or if you want to do it in a shorter period of time, having significant hiking and high-altitude trekking experience is advisable.

For more information :
https://mountkilimanjaro.guide/

[mtnkub]

IMHO, the 8 day Lemosho Route offers a better (to much better) acclimatization option than any of the routes mentioned above.
(Yes, it may be a day or two longer; but that helps your summit chance).

[Ltdan]

I agree with all of you.

I am taking the Lemosho route. 8 days. Max group size is 15. Becoming friends with the guides and porters is of high importance. They want me to succeed, so any help and guidance they provide will be welcomed.

Perhaps I will see you in July on one of the Level 1 14ers. I will be the guy gear checking and popping Advil.

Thanks all!

[Woodie Hopper]

I agree that the acclimatization benefit wouldn't be much, but it might tell you how you react to 14K at least.

If you really do want extra acclimatization for Kili, climb Mount Meru (near Kili). It's around 15K.

Grays/Torreys might still be fun though, but be aware that they are crowded in summer.

Another recommendation for Meru here if you have the time. It's a great hike with giraffes, jungle and a great view of Kili. Like others said, although hiking here in CO is great for conditioning, you lose acclimatization as fast as you gain it, so a high peak very close to Kili (like Meru) would be most optimal. With that said, handling Kili in a few days will likely work well for you.

Also, I recommend Diamox if you aren't allergic to sulfa drugs. If you choose to use it, I would try it for a few days in CO before you go to ensure you're comfortable with it.

Regarding the Diamox recommendation, I am an MD and have climbed many peaks over 5k and 6k both with and without it, so my experience with it is robust.

BTW my Kili summit was with 3 Danes (none had any prior altitude or climbing experience). Personally I didn't use it. Two Danes took it and were ok. The third (also the strongest) did not and was a mess up high near the summit. You probably will be ok without it, so you just want to be comfortable with your decision either way. You will sleep better on it b/c you won't have high altitude apnea as well. I did use it above 15k on Aconcagua.

You are welcome to IM me.

Woodie

[Woodie Hopper]

Guides don't tell you to stop taking diamox because it's ineffective or bad for you, they want to keep you clean from it so they can use it as a rescue medication. They're not interested in helping your performance, they're trying to keep you predictable and "by the books."

Diamox is not suitable as a "rescue medication" for anyone in HAPE or HACE. In that case steroids are used as well as immediate descent.

For a great discussion about preventing (and treating) HAPE and HACE as well as a discussion of related drugs including Diamox, I refer anyone who might be interested to read the brief updated guidelines from the Wilderness Medical Society which was printed in an edition of American Family Physician:

https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/20 ... /p505.html

Woodie Hopper

[nyker]

The closer to your African trip you can be in CO the better for acclimatizing and the longer you can stay at altitude the better up to a point (i.e. a week better than 3 days, two weeks better than one, etc.). Worse case you'll see how your body reacts (up to at 14k at least), though agree with others that recommend being fit, specifically having a solid aerobic base. Also, exerting yourself higher up typically yields better results, quicker than just sitting around (but even sitting around at 12-13k is better for acclimating than sitting around at 5k).

All things equal, you'll be better off with a good base behind you. Also I've found in my own experience, any underlying stress your body is under will, all things equal, hinder your efforts at properly acclimatizing and recovering; such as prolonged lack of sleep, emotional stress, nerves, an illness, etc. It may sound obvious, but the fitter and healthier you show up on game day the better you'll be for it. I've had multiple trips to high altitude (>16k ft) ruined by a bad stomach that came on suddenly day before and dehydrated me and otherwise wore me out.

On one trip to Mexico, after a long overland trip in, I didn't sleep for two nights in camp had a weird stomach, then got extremely cold in my tent the night before our summit attempt, unable to shake the chills, I could barely walk that morning. Two days later after getting more rest, warming up and spending two days at 10k ft (vs 13.5k) I was a new person and summited with little to no rest on the way up. So build in some extra time if possible for those unforeseen events.

[Ltdan]

The closer to your African trip you can be in CO the better for acclimatizing and the longer you can stay at altitude the better up to a point (i.e. a week better than 3 days, two weeks better than one, etc.). Worse case you'll see how your body reacts (up to at 14k at least), though agree with others that recommend being fit, specifically having a solid aerobic base. Also, exerting yourself higher up typically yields better results, quicker than just sitting around (but even sitting around at 12-13k is better for acclimating than sitting around at 5k).

All things equal, you'll be better off with a good base behind you. Also I've found in my own experience, any underlying stress your body is under will, all things equal, hinder your efforts at properly acclimatizing and recovering; such as prolonged lack of sleep, emotional stress, nerves, an illness, etc. It may sound obvious, but the fitter and healthier you show up on game day the better you'll be for it. I've had multiple trips to high altitude (>16k ft) ruined by a bad stomach that came on suddenly day before and dehydrated me and otherwise wore me out.

On one trip to Mexico, after a long overland trip in, I didn't sleep for two nights in camp had a weird stomach, then got extremely cold in my tent the night before our summit attempt, unable to shake the chills, I could barely walk that morning. Two days later after getting more rest, warming up and spending two days at 10k ft (vs 13.5k) I was a new person and summited with little to no rest on the way up. So build in some extra time if possible for those unforeseen events.

Yes, emotional stress and proper mental health is so very important and underrated. I have a highly stressful job and anytime I was out on the AT, I worried about job and family. It was a distraction and distractions suck. Knocked me off the trail a couple of times, but I think I have that under control now. Learned that some things you can't control and every time I ran back, hey, everything was good. Family and job support when we go off on adventures like this is so very important. I will be fine in that regard. What did Brady say (in the Netflix special)? "laser focus" "Laser focus". lol.

Thanks so much.

[greenonion]

Yes, emotional stress and proper mental health is so very important and underrated. I have a highly stressful job and anytime I was out on the AT, I worried about job and family. It was a distraction and distractions suck. Knocked me off the trail a couple of times, but I think I have that under control now. Learned that some things you can't control and every time I ran back, hey, everything was good. Family and job support when we go off on adventures like this is so very important. I will be fine in that regard. What did Brady say (in the Netflix special)? "laser focus" "Laser focus". lol.

Thanks so much.

Huge. So agreed.

[Kiliguide]

Climbing Mount Meru is a popular way to acclimatize for a Kilimanjaro trek because Meru's summit (14,980 feet) is similar in altitude to Kilimanjaro's high camps, allowing climbers to adjust to reduced oxygen levels before tackling the higher peak. Learn more at https://Climbmountmeru.com