High Elivation Acclimation

Hey ya'll!

I live at sea-level and this summer I want to backpack in Rocky Mt. Nat'l Park. I would really like to do a 5-day backpacking trip and I am wondering how I should prepare for that in my low elevation home.

I will be going up about 8 days early so should I be hiking or can I just do an evening exercise routine?

Will we need more time than that to get acclimated enough for such a long trip?

Perhaps I can just take the first day of the trip slow as well?

Any advice would be great!

There is no way I know of to acclimatize to altitude other than being there. Being fit before you go will help, but some of it is genetic-big lungs, big heart.

Real acclimatizing takes time. I know this because I used to live at 11.5K ft. and regularly went up to 13.5ft. and higher on occasion.

I have no idea how high you will be, but I have been up to 7.5K in Yosemite skiing with no problems straight from low atlitude. Taking it easy is a good idea. I would also take along something for headaches, in case you get one from altitude. Be sure to drink plenty of liquids. Dehydration is one cause of altitude sickness.

btw, the only real cure for altitude sickness is going down to a lower altitude. There are some other threads here about altitude sickness, plus I am sure you can find more about it by doing a Yahoo or Google search.

It's all about genetics. Years ago I was selected to be a guinea pig for a study on altitude acclimation conducted by the USOC. We lived at 12K' and trained every day in a Colorado valley at 10K'. We all ate the same food and breathed the same air. Every few days we drove to a lab for blood tests. Our red blood cell counts were especially important. The higher the better. The results were all over the board. After one month some had improved way more than others. I never raced well at at altitude (> 5K') because my body just didn't adapt as well as others and there wasn't a darn thing I could do about it.

Pesonally, I feel acclimated within 5 days but YMMV. And I do think light exercise during the adjusting period is important. Just remember to start slowly. Eight days should give you at least a very good start.

And as a side note, a follow up study was done after our little experiment and all of the high altitude changes to our blood were gone within 5 days of returning to low altitude.

On another side note, Summer+altitude=usually dry air. You won't realize how much you're sweating because it will evaporate very quickly. Drink up.

TR- I saw a study on TV about altitude sickness-part of a show about climbing on PBS-that used college students as subjects.

Something to be aware of-after living for about a year at altitude, I went off to college and when I came back home, I woke up the next day with pulmonary edema or pneumonia (same basic symptoms) that almost killed me. No idea what caused it-probably a cold that just got worse quickly because of the altitude. So, the lesson here is make sure you are fit and healthy before going anywhere at altitude. A minor annoyance at sea level or so, can be very serious up high.

It's hard to tell how fit you are now - so I'm not sure what "evening exercise routine" would entail. It may or may not be enough. It sounds like you aren't experienced with altitude, but I can't tell if you have experience backpacking at lower elevations.

Ideally you should be in good aerobic shape and fit enough to walk long distances with weight on your back before you leave home. If this means working out on the stairstepper 30-40 minutes a day, and doing 8-10 mile hikes with 20 pounds in your daypack on the weekends, I'd recommend starting that. I think that 8 days at altitude before you start the backpack trip should be plenty of time to acclimate to the altitude alone, if you are already aerobically fit (I usually try to get one or two days at altitude before the backpack trip if I am already fit). It may help to do a few day hikes during the 8 days, especially if you can go up two or three thousand feet higher than the starting point. Even if you can drive up higher and hike there before coming back down to sleep, that helps with acclimation to altitude.

You still may want to take it easy the first day or so once you start the trip. Once you start to get that high-altitude headache and/or nausea, it's no fun, and it doesn't go away easily. If you prepare well for the hike, hopefully you can avoid any such symptoms. I once made the mistake of driving from sea level to 8000 feet, then going on a hike up to 10,5000 the same day, so I know whereof I speak <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Spent the evening in a fetal position in my car till the aspirin took effect. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I second the comment about keeping hydrated - the rule of thumb is to drink enough that your pee is clear (not yellow or darker).

Do make sure you're prepared, and you should have a wonderful time!

There are a few basic things you can do to acclimate more quickly:
1) as others have mentioned, drink LOTS of water. If you get thirsty, you are basically not drinking enough. You should be peeing often, and your urine should be clear or very light colored. My favorite trick is to start the day by downing a liter of water. I never want to drink that much, but it helps a lot. Make yourself drink more.
2) do a little more each day. If you are going to be there 8 days early, yourbest bet is to do some exercise every day, preferable going a little higher every day.
3) don't eat too much the first day and keep it bland. this helps avoid the slight nausea that some folks feel the first day or so at alitude.

One other thing - this is my standard routine for going to high elevation in the Sierra - I leave in the evening, drive to 7 or 8,000 feet, sleep in the car or by the roadside ar at the trailhead. In the morning, I either drive the rest of the way and then hit the trail, or hit the trail directly. I can comfortably go to about 11,000 feet my first night on the trail this way, and I live at sea level. I think I'm somewhat lucky this way, but I've done the same thing several years in a row with a friend who lives at sea level nad it works for him as well. I may have a slight headache the first night on the trail but no more than that. From what I've heard from other folks, it seems like most people I've talked to have little or no problem going to 6 or 8,000 feet directly from sea level as long as they drink plenty and take it easy the first day, and then they can go higher each subsequent day by 1-2,000 feet. SO if youare careful you are likley to have no problems. Still, you should read up on altitude sickness so that you know the signs that indicate you should descend IMMEDIATELY. A little headache is no big deal, pulmonary edema is a Big Deal.

As far as performance at altitude, having adequate iron levels in one's diet seems to be important. Iron supplements are something you may wish to discuss with your doctor after doing some of your own research by googling "altitude iron" or something similar.

During that 8-day period before your hike, do the "climb high, sleep low" pattern as much as possible. That means exercising at higher elevations and going back down to lower elevations to sleep. The reason for "sleeping low" is that while sleeping you are more apt to develop the dreaded pulmonary or cerebral edema.

Acclimatization varies a lot among individuals, though. Some years ago I took my youngest son and my daughter (17 and 18) on a car trip, first to Yellowstone, then to Denver to visit family and finally on a 5-day backpack in the Park Range near Steamboat Springs. I grew up in those parts and, even after living for many years at sea level, had no problems with the altitude. During the initial period (about a week) we hiked in Yellowstone, did lots of exercise walking around Denver and made a couple of trips into the Denver Mountain Parks, including an auto trip to the top of 14K Mt. Evans, where I made the kids scramble around the summit. Despite all this preparation, on the first night out on the trail, at about 10,500 ft., my daughter woke up in the middle of the night with shortness of breath. I gave her a couple of aspirin and lots of water and propped her into a relatively upright position, figuring that if she didn't improve in half an hour I'd pack up--even though it was midnight--and start down. Fortunately she went right back to sleep. However, we had to curtail the trip---we found a nicer and slightly lower spot to set up a base camp; my son and I dayhiked while she stayed around camp. Every time she tried to climb higher she started having troubles again. As long as she went no higher than about 10,200 ft. she was OK. Her brother, on the other hand, had no problems on an 9-mile dayhike in which we climbed to over 12,000 ft., although he was really tired (and took a long nap) when we got back to camp, while I felt just fine.

In other words, unless you've had previous high altitude experience, you don't know how you'll react until you get out there. Follow all the advice above about the period before the hike, extra hydration and taking it easy the first couple of days of the hike. If it's possible to sleep at lower elevations the first couple of days of the hike, do so. If you start getting a severe headache or breathing difficulties, descend immediately. You might consider a "plan B" for hiking at lower elevations, say 8,000-9,000 ft., just in case you encounter the same problems as my daughter. On the other hand, you may have no problems at all.

Thanks! I didn't know that Exercise High/ Sleep Low trick. I'll prolly be in Estes at night and I think that will work. I only have one person in the group who I haven't seen at high elevation, but I know the rest of us are fairly fast acclimators.

Thanks again!
(Since you're familiar, if you know any great backpacking trails then I wouldn't mind hearing them either!)

I'll research pulmina edima and alt. sickness then! And Estes is 7,500 ft so we can stay there beforehand! Thanks for the hint!

Water. Got it.
And I'll plan out a hike for each day beforehand (try to vary it a bit).
Thanks Paul!

I figure at least an hour a day before we get up there. I'll do hikes and exercise in the early morning or evenings because I'm training in southern AZ and its too dangerous to be out all day. But you've set my worries to rest. Its good to know that training hard and acclimating correctly should put us in the right time frame! Thank you for the advice!

You mentioned "big heart, big lungs". One of the people who wants to come has abnormally low blood pressure all the time. About 70. No, I'm not kidding. I know I would need a second opinion, but do you think it would be dangerous to take her to the Rockies?

I never would have thought of that. Thanks!

Very cool! Thanks for the facts!

While staying in Estes Park, one day hike I highly recommend is "Estes Cone". It is 6 miles r/t and the peak is at 11K. It starts at the Long's Peak Trailhead for 1/2 mile then follows the Storm Pass Trail for 1-1/2 miles or so. The trail is then marked with cairns and is relatively easy to follow to the summit. The last 50 feet requires some easy (non-technical) rock climbing. The summit is very panoramic and a great place to sit and have a snack or lunch while enjoying the 360 degree view of Long's Peak, Twin Sisters, and others.

Celsea

I don't believe this has been mentioned, but there is a strong link between edema and blood chemistry. Too much salt or sugar in your diet can make things worse. Stay on a low salt low sugar diet at altitude or you will start holding water. Any diuretic can help. Women know about teas and holding water. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />