Bob R, Harvey - great stuff, and very informative reads. I was not aware of the prophylactic benefits of aspirin at altitude. My wife is a poster child for AMS, especially with abrupt ascents without acclimation. We're heading to the Sierra in less than a month for her first real taste of serious hiking above 10K', and I've been a bit concerned about how she'll handle it since she's sulfa-sensitive. Aside from obvious acclimation time, the points you two raise give me a little more ammunition for the AMS war chest. Having dex on hand just in case sounds like a great plan B, after acclimation, ginko and ASA as plan A.
