thx123, it doesn't last very long. I can't find it right now, but there was an article I read that it's within a day or two. It will affect even the Sherpa.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/04/19/experienced-sherpa-guide-dies-at-everest-base-camp/You cannot "train" for it, or deal with it better the second or third or fourth time from my personal experience. The worst case of AMS I had was my first time up Whitney. I went straight from Lone Pine to the summit. I've since always acclimated at the Horseshoe Meadows at least one or two nights prior to the hike. Since then, there have been numerous times where I'm practically skipping up and smiling on the summit with no issues. My last time, even with two nights, it was so bad I was stumbling down like a drunk. I had lost my appetite at Iceberg Lake, and failed appreciate the gravity of the sign.
You should rest at the Horseshoe Meadows or the Portal. Don't do it in Lone Pine or that time at White Mountain will probably be for naught. Since you have two days, go to the Cottonwood Lakes. It's six miles, but mostly flat. You'll enjoy really beautiful scenery and a look at Langley. Trust me, it'll make you want to go to Langley ASAP.
