Rod wrote:
I see it as a real and dangerous problem that people think they can short cut their physical preparation and acclimation
Rod, people are time-challenged. Most of us try to do the most we can with the least amount of time spent preparing. Aren't most things in life like that?
It is just a fact that serious altitude issues hit a small minority of people in the Sierra. Unfortunately, these people don't have any way of knowing before hand that they are so much more susceptible to the trouble than all the rest. If they did, they could either spend the necessary extra time acclimating or else avoid going to altitude. And since most people do ok at the altitudes, why would anyone expect themselves to be so much more susceptible than the average?
The reality is that these people do get themselves into the seriously dangerous situations. And if someone brought a medication along that could save their life, wouldn't that be a good thing?
