Mt. Whitney: Determinants of Summit Success
and Acute Mountain Sickness

DALE R. WAGNER1, KIM D’ZATKO2, KEVIN TATSUGAWA3, KEN MURRAY4, DARYL PARKER5,TIM STREEPER5, and KEVIN WILLARD5

1Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Utah State University, Logan, UT; 2Department of Psychology,
Utah State University, Logan, UT; 3Recreation Administration and Leisure Studies Program, California State University,
Fresno, CA; 4Department of Family Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; and 5Department of
Kinesiology and Health Science, California State University, Sacramento, CA

ABSTRACT
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 40, No. 10, pp. 1820–1827, 2008.

Purpose:
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of summit success and acute mountain sickness (AMS) on Mt. Whitney (4419 m)and to identify variables that contribute to both.

Methods: Hikers (N = 886) attempting the summit were interviewed at the trailhead upon their descent. Questionnaires included demographic and descriptive data, acclimatization and altitude history, and information specific to the ascent. The Lake Louise Self-Assessment Score was used to make a determination about the occurrence of AMS.

Results: Forty-three percent of the sample met the criteria for AMS, and 81% reached the summit.

The odds of experiencing AMS were reduced with ...... number of hours spent above 3000 m in the 2 wk preceding the ascent
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So in this paper, we found a protective effect for every hour spent above 10K in the two weeks before the attempt. So, yes, what you are doing will help, probably a lot. I'd make every effort to spend some time on the top of the 11k peak.

Also, a trick I've adopted from Bob Rockwell, who has guided hundreds of people to the summit with little acclimatization: On your hikes on the mountain, stop every hour for 10 min and take a rehydration break. (I recommend sitting down, because if you are standing, your leg muscles are NOT resting, and that lack of rest for them builds up a fatigue factor that may only become apparent 8 hour out, when you can do little about it.) Others disagree with this, but I don't think you lose anything by doing this except time, and if you needed to do this, and didn't, you're screwed. Your mileage may vary.