6abc

On a whim I booked a flight to Denver for May 19. We have a week off and that was the cheapest airfare. We have never been to Colorado (except for a day trip to Durango and Mesa Verde). Both of us are in our young 60's.

I do tend to get very bad headaches when I hit any kind of high altitude. Have gotten them in places like the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Flagstaff etc. but I have always been able to get out of these places in a day. I have been reading that all of Colorado is very high. I can't imagine a week of headaches, fatigue and feeling like crap.

So any suggestions would be helpful. I know water is one of the main ingredients. I have also been reading that gingko helps - taking it 5 days before and while there. Anyone tried this or other products. Can't take the Diamax prescription for altitude it is sulfa based.

Any body else have some natural products or suggestions.

Has anyone any suggestions as to which area is the least affected by altitude. Would it be the southern part of the state. Would we be better off just sticking to that area?

Our trip will include several days of hiking so i really do need something.
Thanks

Bob_Palin

Obviously we don't know enough about your specific situation but water is almost always the key in these cases. The combination of altitude and very low humidity in the mountain west affects a lot of people. You have to drink a lot more than normal, if you don't need to use every rest room you find you aren't drinking enough!

6abc

Thanks Bob...

Gretchen

You need to basically "force" water. Just drink it all the time. Limit alcohol for a day or so and then moderation. Aspirin may help. Since you know it affects you quite adversely I'd ask your doctor for the prescription drug for it.

spirobulldog

Lay off the liquor and caffeine. Go up in elevation a bit each day. Denver is 6000 feet, Rocky Mountain National Park and Pikes Peak are 14,000-so save those places for late in your trip. Acclimate a bit each day. Ginger and peppermint help some people(perhaps). Avoid the really tough hikes if you don't feel well. If you have a headache that is just the beginning, some people get really sick at their stomachs if they continue on. Come back down if you aren't feeling well.

Drink water as the other two suggest. Start a day before you get there. Be well hydrated before and during your trip.
That first day, don't do that much hiking.

nytraveler

Denver and envrions are not that high and affect very few people. Start there and gradually increase altitude day by day. I fyuo make a big jump all at once the problems will be more noticable. Agree to drinks LOTS of water and avoid alcohol and caffeine.

If in the past you have found that even 6000 feet or so bothers you I would definitely see your MD for suggestions.

williamscb13

There was just a study suggesting that advil helps with altitude sickness just as well as taking prescription diamox. and yes avoid alcohol and drink lots of water and don't try to do too much especially the first day.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/27/he...inds.html?_r=1

Ackislander

If you or any of your party have heart disease, you must consult with your doctor before going to high altitude areas. The change from sea-level to 9000 feet was so stressful for a friend's elderly father that their dream trip of a lifetime had to be canceled so they could return to a lower altitude. Had they driven from the East Coast to Colorado he might have been fine as his body adjusted, bt flying into Telluride wasn't so good.

This was not altitude sickness in the ordinary sense, but as people with mountaineering experience know, incredibly fit people develop altitude sickness.

I don't think I would rely on any herbal remedy to get me through. Just follow the advice to go slowly and drink lots of water and not much else. In general, if your urine is not colorless, you aren't drinking enough water.

Nelson

This repeats what was said above, but:

The advice you've been given is spot on. I've spent a few months at high elevation (above 14,000'), much of that in my late 40's to early 50's, so have some experience. I've seen younger and fitter folks drop while us older guys kept chugging along. This is because we set a moderate and sustainable pace, not constantly pushing ourselves.

One mountaineer rule is "climb high, sleep low". Go to a higher elevation during the day, spend a few hours up there, and come back lower down to sleep. If you can arrange your itinerary to gradually gain elevation over a few days then that will be extremely helpful. Save higher elevation hikes for the end of your trip.

As mentioned stay hydrated, hydrated, hydrated! Force WATER down, several liters per day. Start this before you arrive, though I understand the difficulty this presents during a flight. As mentioned, monitor urine color. It should almost as clear as a Rocky Mountain spring!

The above two points (ascent gradually, stay hydrated) are the single most important things you can do to help ensure a good trip.

Good luck and have fun. Where are you planning to hike?

abram

As skiers, this is an issue that concerns us.

We drink lots of water, skip alcohol and caffeine for the first two days, take an aspirin every morning and every evening to thin the blood and improve oxygenation.

Even with all that, DH still has trouble over 8000'--so he takes prescription Diamox, which has made a huge difference for him.

Tomsd

Very good advice above and sometimes - the only solution is just to get to lower altitude.

And hey - as we get older - it just becomes harder/takes longer to acclimate. When I was in my 20's/30's, we would arrive for a ski trip - party all night and hit the slopes the next day and be fine.

Woaaaah Cowboy - no so once you get into your 40's and beyond.

6abc

Thank you all. What great advise. H2O seems to be the main ingredient. We don't drink or do Caffeine so we are good there. The Diamox is out for me since I don't do good on Sulfa drugs.

So I guess if we spend the first night in Denver that would be a good start. Do a walk in one of the parks.That seems to be the lowest at around 5200 ft.

We will then make our way down to around Colorado Springs or stay in Manitou Spring . Explore and then Hike around this area. Maybe stay a night or 2 there and then head down to the great Sand Dunes do a hike in the San Isabell National Forest stay in L Veta.

From there head back up to RMNP area with one overnight stop. ANY suggestions where to stop off for the night????

Then do one night around RMNP. Any suggestions for here also would help.

We are only here for 6 nights. Not really much time so we hope we aren't doing too much driving.

spirobulldog

Since you mention The Great Sand Dunes. The last couple of weeks in May, Medano Creek is usually at its best(although this year is going to be down as there isn't much snow melt). Anyway, you need a 4 wheel drive high clearance to do this road. It is spectacular. You might beg someone to let you ride with them. DO NOT even think about doing this in a regular car-you will get stuck.

I really like The Loch/Sky Pond hike in RMNP. I would have a meal at Stanley Hotel-just to see it.

Saving RMNP until the end will help.

martym

Where to stop for a night between La Veta (a charming little town--one of our favorites, BTW) and Estes depends on which route you want to take. If you opt for I-25 (La Veta-Walsenberg-through Denver-exit highway 34 up Big Thompson Canyon to Estes Park)--I wouldn't stop for an overnight and just go straight to Estes Park and spend two nights there.

If you decide to take a more scenic route--one choice would be to take highway 69 northwest from Walsenburg to highway 50 to highway 285 north and stay at Mt.Princeton Hot Springs Lodge south of Buena Vista. This would be about a 3 hour drive from La Veta. http://www.mtprinceton.com/

Or you could continue on highway 285 to Fairplay, then north on highway 9 and stay the night in Breckenridge. This would be about a 4 hour drive from La Veta.

To get to Estes Park from either Mt Princeton or Breckenridge you need to go north to I-70 E. You can take a scenic route to Estes--I-70 east--exit highway 6--then highway 119 north--highway 72 north--highway 7 north into Estes Park. For most of the way, you will be following the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway--it is a gorgeous drive. http://www.coloradodot.info/travel/scenic-byways

Or you can stay on I-70 east almost to Denver, north to Boulder, then highway 119 up Boulder Canyon to Nederland and pick up the Peak to Peak byway there.

Since you will be here in Colorado in about 10 days, please pay attention to the local weather forecasts. It still can snow in May--we had snow Sunday night in the higher elevations--but it melted quickly and today should be 80 degrees in Denver.

Nelson

Another option for getting to Estes from Breckenridge, per martym's excellent suggestion above. From Breck instead of going to the Peak to Peak byway, you can head north on Highway 9 through Kremmling-Granby-Grand Lake then up and over Trail Ridge Road. This should have just opened towards the end of your trip.

This way you'll see that spectacular drive on your way to Estes, and get a "climb high, sleep low" day thrown into the bargain.

You can still drive the Peak to Peak on your way back to Denver.

Have a great trip.

spirobulldog

Will Trail Ridge Road be open by then?

spirobulldog

http://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/road_status.htm

It's scheduled to open May 25(weather permitting)

Lookin_Glass

altitude sickness can be fun too.

I split a gut, crying laughing while driving thru Monarch Pass.

hydrate

Connie

To clarify, you don't need 4WD or a high clearance vehicle to GET TO Great Sand Dunes N.P.

Gretchen

Denver is wonderful, but if you are just going to walk in the park, head on down to the Springs and acclimate.