high altitude hiking recommendations needed
Nov 10th, 2007, 04:14 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
high altitude hiking recommendations needed
I'm not a mountain climber--and yet I am dead set on climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. So I'm in need of some practice hiking at high altitudes--but I'm not a technical mountain climber, just a hiker--so I'm looking for standard hikes that will take me on as high a climb as possible. I've heard about all the "14ers," but aren't they mostly technical climbs (meaning, ropes, etc. required)? Where in Colorado should I look for standard hikes that will test my body's ability to adjust to high altitudes?
Nov 10th, 2007, 04:58 PM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
They're not all technical climbs. Hikes/climbs are divided into 5 main classes (1-5) with 1 and 2 being non-technical. 3 is the start of the technical stuff, but you wouldn't need ropes until you hit Class 4 or 5. Class 1 is basically walking, 2 usually involves some off-trail hiking and/or bushwhacking, and 3 uses basic technical climbing skills (meaning you might have to use your hands to help scramble up something).
Look at the list of CO 14ers on SummitPost here:
http://www.summitpost.org/list/17091...ado-14ers.html
You can also get a ranking of their relative difficulty here:
http://www.14ers.com/routes_2.html
If you look at that 2nd link, clicking on the mountain name will show you what class they are. Keep in mind that the class rating is only an indication of the technical difficulty, not the overall difficulty which would also take into account things like total mileage and elevation gain/loss along the way.
Look at the list of CO 14ers on SummitPost here:
http://www.summitpost.org/list/17091...ado-14ers.html
You can also get a ranking of their relative difficulty here:
http://www.14ers.com/routes_2.html
If you look at that 2nd link, clicking on the mountain name will show you what class they are. Keep in mind that the class rating is only an indication of the technical difficulty, not the overall difficulty which would also take into account things like total mileage and elevation gain/loss along the way.
Nov 11th, 2007, 03:18 AM
#4
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,880
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Where in Colorado should I look for standard hikes that will test my body's ability to adjust to high altitudes?
Mount Evans is over 14,000 but no tech climbing required (there's actually a road that goes almost to the top).
Mount Evans is over 14,000 but no tech climbing required (there's actually a road that goes almost to the top).
Nov 11th, 2007, 06:03 AM
#5
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,765
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
hi p, i searched climbing mt. k and found this: (as well as numerous other articles) http://www.georgefisher.com/Personal/Kilimanjaro.htm
of particular note is this portion:
To climb Kilimanjaro, you start over a half-mile above sea level, on the hot African equatorial savannah, and climb 3 miles straight up into the freezing cold of the glaciers around Uhuru peak. On average, ten people die on the mountain every year. Heart attacks are the leading killer but other problems can arise: severe storms - like all major peaks, Kili makes its own weather and proper equipment is necessary; altitude sickness is everyone's companion above 8,000 feet, although Acetazolamide (Diamox®
is helpful in accelerating acclimatization.
Edema - either pulmonary or cerebral - is a deadly possibility. The accepted orthodoxy about edema is that you must immediately descend if you show any symptoms, but the fact of the matter is that above 16,000 feet, getting down quickly enough simply may not be an option ... a response including Decadron® (the steroid Dexamethasone), O2 and a hyperbaric tent must be attempted.
(In January 2006, 3 American climbers and 1 Tanzanian porter were killed in their tents by a rock slide as they slept at the Arrow Glacier just below the Western Breach. Several others were seriously injured. This sort of thing is rare however.)
Excellent physical fitness is obviously required for a successful climb. The worst physical hardships result from the inability to breathe more than muscular fatigue, so intense aerobic training must be combined with anaerobic strength conditioning. Training at high altitude (>9,000') just prior to attempting Kili is a good idea (your first camp will be nearly 9,000' and that soon seems quite low as you proceed upward). Coming down, your quads and calf muscles take quite a beating.
Generally in the dry seasons the weather is clear through the night until after the sun is up and then things cloud up. Precipitation after 11AM is quite common; rain at lower altitudes and snow at higher. You soon learn to carry extra layers in your day pack and to change quickly.
The whole trek involves walking about 50 - 60 miles. As you climb, you go through five distinct climate zones:
Savannah
Montane Forest
Heather
Alpine Desert
Glacial Plateau
The Lemosho Route (pioneered by Scott Fischer of Into Thin Air fame) over the Shira Plateau and up the cliffs of the Western Breach begins at a trailhead that is already in the montane forest, so you drive from dry, blistering heat with very little vegetation up into a lush, wet jungle. The road conditions were so bad the day we arrived on the mountain that our Land Rover couldn't make it to the trailhead so we added several miles to the hike through sopping mud interlaced with tree roots.
good luck with your plans.
my suggestion for colo is to go spend about a month in leadville (alt. 10,312') just before you climb. there is a perfect road to run on around tourquoise lake for training - it is closed in snow months. several of the 14ers are nearby.
of particular note is this portion:
To climb Kilimanjaro, you start over a half-mile above sea level, on the hot African equatorial savannah, and climb 3 miles straight up into the freezing cold of the glaciers around Uhuru peak. On average, ten people die on the mountain every year. Heart attacks are the leading killer but other problems can arise: severe storms - like all major peaks, Kili makes its own weather and proper equipment is necessary; altitude sickness is everyone's companion above 8,000 feet, although Acetazolamide (Diamox®
is helpful in accelerating acclimatization.Edema - either pulmonary or cerebral - is a deadly possibility. The accepted orthodoxy about edema is that you must immediately descend if you show any symptoms, but the fact of the matter is that above 16,000 feet, getting down quickly enough simply may not be an option ... a response including Decadron® (the steroid Dexamethasone), O2 and a hyperbaric tent must be attempted.
(In January 2006, 3 American climbers and 1 Tanzanian porter were killed in their tents by a rock slide as they slept at the Arrow Glacier just below the Western Breach. Several others were seriously injured. This sort of thing is rare however.)
Excellent physical fitness is obviously required for a successful climb. The worst physical hardships result from the inability to breathe more than muscular fatigue, so intense aerobic training must be combined with anaerobic strength conditioning. Training at high altitude (>9,000') just prior to attempting Kili is a good idea (your first camp will be nearly 9,000' and that soon seems quite low as you proceed upward). Coming down, your quads and calf muscles take quite a beating.
Generally in the dry seasons the weather is clear through the night until after the sun is up and then things cloud up. Precipitation after 11AM is quite common; rain at lower altitudes and snow at higher. You soon learn to carry extra layers in your day pack and to change quickly.
The whole trek involves walking about 50 - 60 miles. As you climb, you go through five distinct climate zones:
Savannah
Montane Forest
Heather
Alpine Desert
Glacial Plateau
The Lemosho Route (pioneered by Scott Fischer of Into Thin Air fame) over the Shira Plateau and up the cliffs of the Western Breach begins at a trailhead that is already in the montane forest, so you drive from dry, blistering heat with very little vegetation up into a lush, wet jungle. The road conditions were so bad the day we arrived on the mountain that our Land Rover couldn't make it to the trailhead so we added several miles to the hike through sopping mud interlaced with tree roots.
good luck with your plans.
my suggestion for colo is to go spend about a month in leadville (alt. 10,312') just before you climb. there is a perfect road to run on around tourquoise lake for training - it is closed in snow months. several of the 14ers are nearby.
Nov 11th, 2007, 06:48 AM
#6
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 27,868
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mountains outside Telluride - Wilson and Wilson are 14+; there are others [Sunshine, Telluride Peak, St. sophia] that are not 14'ers but are close. They are not technical but are beautiful and should allow for you to judge how altitude will impact you.
Not sure where you reside, but take into consideration general high altitude adjustments if you are coming from sea level or significantly lower altitude:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34865407
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34935779
Deb
Not sure where you reside, but take into consideration general high altitude adjustments if you are coming from sea level or significantly lower altitude:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34865407
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34935779
Deb
Nov 12th, 2007, 10:01 AM
#7
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 216
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Very few 14ers in Colorado require technical climbing, but Kilimanjaro isn't a technical climb, either.
High altitude runners like to camp at around timber line for days on end to get better acclimated. Pikes Peak has a camp (log cabin with the option of staying there or pitching a tent outside) at around 10,000 feet. It's called Barr Camp, but I don't believe it's open over the winter.
I recently read an article on the hazards of Kilimanjaro in Outside or one of those type magazines. One interesting thing they mentioned is to avoid camping out on the summit overnight, which is apparently a fairly common and popular thing to do. At least in the opinion of the writer and the medical experts he consulted, that is just too high for many people to be exposed to for long periods of time. On the climb the writer made, they encountered one person who died of heart attack and had to rush a member of their own team down the mountain because he was suffering from edema.
High altitude runners like to camp at around timber line for days on end to get better acclimated. Pikes Peak has a camp (log cabin with the option of staying there or pitching a tent outside) at around 10,000 feet. It's called Barr Camp, but I don't believe it's open over the winter.
I recently read an article on the hazards of Kilimanjaro in Outside or one of those type magazines. One interesting thing they mentioned is to avoid camping out on the summit overnight, which is apparently a fairly common and popular thing to do. At least in the opinion of the writer and the medical experts he consulted, that is just too high for many people to be exposed to for long periods of time. On the climb the writer made, they encountered one person who died of heart attack and had to rush a member of their own team down the mountain because he was suffering from edema.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
J_Correa
United States
15
Aug 24th, 2007 03:56 PM
