Way back in the story has the mention of HALLUCINATION. If that is true, then there was more than AMS going on.
Possibilities include:
1. electrolyte disturbance (such as sodium imbalance, HACE high altitude cerebral edema -even on a moderate mountain like Whitney it can happen,
2. rarely on Whitney, severe hypoxia (unlikely unless there was HAPE or HACE),
3. drugs
4. other medical conditions,
5. etc
I do not know if the report was an exaggeration, but if there were true hallucinations, then someone was more than just slow.
There was no exaggeration in the story. What would be the point as then I would not learn anything from my experience or from any of you. It took 16 hours to ascend. We were awake for 7 hours prior to that. So by the time we reached the summit we had been up for 23 hours. I had drank 3 1/2 liters of water and was empty by the time I got to Trail Camp. Refilled but used all of my water up, another 2.5 liters on the switchbacks and hydrating the partner I was with) after we hit the 1.9 marker. My water was all we had at that point. I had used cliff shots, blocks, crackers and almonds, etc all the way up. I was eating up until we summited which is when I got severely ill. I used ibuprofen and aspirin only, no diamox during the hike. I did not have a pounding headache heading to the summit. I was not out of breath, I felt strong but I was thirsty. I was exceptionally thirsty and I was more concerned hydrating the partner because she had no water! It wasn't until I started vomiting, had shortness of breath, and could barely stand (I could not drink when I was offered water) did the hallucinations begin. They started roughly around 8-9 pm which would have been a little less than 30 hours straight being awake. I saw snakes, cats, a baby laying in the trail, jellyfish, patchwork quilts, white granite rocks, to name a few of the hallucinations. Exaggerating what happened? No need.
It was terrifying enough as it was. The 12 hours down felt like days. I've never been more scared In my life. I didn't feel any better until we reached the lone pine lake area. The hallucinations did not go away completely until I slept for a few hours when we finally got back to our hotel. 29 hours in the trail. 35 hours awake.
