Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Diamox

On these boards, there have been several who do this, among other similar peak-bagging/highpoint pursuits.

CaT

Understood. Perhaps I'm the oddball. However, it could probably be assumed that if one knew they'd been above 14,000 feet exactly 244 times, that person most likely kept a detailed written record. This conflicts with my own judgment of what is a good use of one's spare time. Just my opinion. I bet, if you added up all the time spent writing that stuff down, you could squeeze in another 14er.

Speaking for the record-keepers, I use a very straightforward Excel spreadsheet to track a few basic details of each hike I do. It takes just a few seconds to enter the trail, time, distance and elevation gain. Doing so helps keep me on pace for the goals I set at the beginning of each year for distance and gain. This year my two focused goals were 400 miles and 100,000 feet, both about 30% more than last year. I'm right at 280 and 70,000 through this past weekend, so the record-keeping tells me I'm on track for both.

I know there are others who track many more details of their hikes/climbs, especially in the California and Colorado regions, but living where I do the vast majority of my hikes fall into the "training" category. I track these as essentially workout progress against a fitness goal. For those special hikes or climbs, I'll enter more details and some narrative in a Nomad hiking journal, for the sake of posterity or future reference.

It's really just a matter of personal preference. I've never kept a formal tracking system of the number of times I've been above a certain elevation, but that's because I only get to spend 2-3 weeks each year in the higher elevations of the west - at this point I can pretty much speak from memory that I've been above 13,000 feet on 11 occassions, and above 14,000 on 6. Small but very memorable numbers, which is why I don't need to keep a record of them. If I lived in the reasonable vicinity of higher elevations, I'd almost certainly keep track of elevation as well. It would take virtually no effort or time. Some people are wired that way, some aren't - it's chocolate and vanilla.

Gary, What the hell are you talking about, Burchey and me were talking about women!!!!!

Haha, I've actually heard of people keeping a diary or list of partners. Like he said, some people are just wired to be more organized, I guess. I think with the mountains, even though I appreciate the air up there and the natural beauty of it all, perhaps I'm not putting as much weight to my accomplishment of getting up there as I should. It probably stems from me not taking myself too seriously - perhaps I should take this a little more seriously.

" perhaps I'm not putting as much weight to my accomplishment of getting up there as I should"

Or perhaps it is more of an accomplishment for some of us than it is for you...

Let's do the math here....from your photos, you look about 170lbs. I'm about 250lbs. So I weigh 1/3 more than you...so when I climb 14k it is like you climbing 21k. Do you know how many 21k peaks you have climbed?

On the other hand, I couldn't tell you how many times I have been above 10k which would be 1/3rd less elevation.


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and yes, I am kidding.

Steve,
I feel your pain. AMS is a strange thing. I've been fit as a fiddle on Whitney, and have stumbled around like a drunk on San Jacinto. I never know what's going to happen. Oddly enough, I've had multiple trips now where I started to get headaches as I go DOWN. I was fine on the way up. At first, I thought it was an unusual anomaly, but it happens more often than not now which baffles me, and is contrary logic.

You might be right. I've often looked with jealously at my 165 pound buddy scaling the hill compared to my 190 pounds (most of it is head).

21K peaks? I've climbed 244 of them.

To tell you the truth, I think the fun of hiking, the enjoyment of being in the mountains gets a bit lost when you hike with your goal being to "summit". My favorite Whitney hike as far as pure enjoyment was my first and I didn't make the summit. Just walking through the pines during a full moon, taking long breaks at several points, especially Trailside Meadow really made it fun. My partner, Karyn, a botonist/biologist, couldn't go 50 feet without pointing out types of plants, animal life, rock structures. Fun stuff.

That said, when I did summit, I cried at the top. This mountain we walk has a certain draw like no other.

Well, all of you can kiss my a**!!! I'm not even 150 lbs and slow as a tortoise AND gets AMS all the time. By the formula you guys use, I've never been above 10K.

Burchey, 190lbs? damn dood, and I remember your trip report from this past winter/spring on Mt Mallory where you had all your weight on the ice axe in a precarious situation. Impressed.

Q, my first time in the WZ I only made it to Trail Crest and it was a day hike. My subsequent trips have all been over night. And I expect that all of my future hikes in the eastern sierra will be overnight. And it isn't so much making the summit for me now. The eastern sierra is the only place other than Alaska where I have had that sense of overwhelming awe with nature.

2600FA, it sounds like we could hike together. Don't tell anyone, but a big part of why I like to hike alone is because I know that I am slow and I hate for anyone to be waiting for me. And the tortoise analogy is very apt for me as well. I can go forever and I will make my destination, but I do it at my own pace. (thank god I haven't had AMS since my first hike up whitney)

Okay.... this got me thinking. Don't any of us work?

Now, that was one of the best posts I've read in a long time!

You wouldn't be the first. In fact, I think that's probably a prerequisite for being part of this unique community.


But then you wouldn't be you.


LMHO!!! (no pun intended)


Boy, can I relate to that....


I largely feel the same way, but that feeling modified somewhat to include the Alps in Europe and coastal Norway, upon seeing both at different times. Oh, yeah ... and definitely Alaska, too!


On what?

CaT

These Diamox - AMS discussions are so fun! Here are a few thoughts, some relating to comments above:

Joe: No, I don't work, but Gary still does.

Burchey: Yes, I keep a log of every climb I do. I also keep logs of my running (almost nonexistent now), my cycling, and my horseback riding. I picked up the habit from the guy who got me started climbing. Look me up on summitpost.org if you're interested in the climbing log. There are 1,113 summits on 379 different peaks. The last time I failed to make a summit was when I got blown off Shasta in May, 2003. That was 271 summits ago.

Bee: I live at 5,000 feet. I think that helps a little, but it's not a big deal. I'm not climbing nearly as much as I did in the 90's, but I try to get up one of the nearby 10K peaks every week or two if I'm not doing something bigger. That helps acclimatization, but I don't think an hour or two above 10K makes a lot of difference. I have never spent extra time at a campground or trailhead just to acclimatize.

One controversial point is sleeping altitude. Some people try to misapply the "climb high; sleep low" mantra to short Sierra trips. "Climb high; sleep low" applies to climbing big mountains expedition style. You climb high to string fixed lines, establish a high camp, etc. Then you sleep "low" (which may mean 20,000 feet) before moving to the higher camp or making a summit bid. Nobody does Sierra peaks that way.

Everyone agrees that you can climb higher than you can sleep. However, the best sleeping altitude is the highest one at which you don't get sick. I didn't retire at 59 by spending $100 for a low-altitude hotel room every time I tagged a peak. I'm a cheap bastard, and I always sleep at the trailhead if I can. It helps me acclimatize, it saves money, and I can sleep later and still get an early start.

Take care of your body. Get enough sleep, food, and water. Eat what you like, but take it easy on greasy/fatty foods. I don't believe in frequent breaks. When you stop, your breathing may slow way down, promoting AMS. Try to keep moving at a pace you can sustain, eating and drinking as you go.

The last few years, "everybody" has been recommending taking Diamox before you go to altitude. You should probably do that if you have good reason to expect AMS. However, Diamox does work if you wait until symptoms develop. I had mild Cheyne-Stokes breathing high on Denali, and Diamox fixed it in a few minutes on both trips. It's better to climb without using drugs if you can, so you might want to bring some Diamox but not use it until you need it.

Finally, I want to tell a story that explains my original comment about being lucky with AMS. There were two guides and four clients on my first Denali trip in 1994. We carried some pretty heavy loads low on the mountain. I was by far the weakest member of the team. We traveled in two rope teams, and the guys ahead of me literally pulled my sorry ass up the glacier. Things changed as we got higher. I was about as strong as everybody else by 11K. At 12,800, I was the only one not taking Diamox. At 16K, I ate three dinners while some of the others couldn't finish one. At 18,360, I was feeling great and would have welcomed a much faster pace. We turned around because one of the guides and two of the clients were too slow and weak at altitude.

The point is that some people are just more susceptible to AMS than others. It's not just a matter of acclimatizing, being tough, drinking enough water, or whatever.

This was my experience the one time I got Cheyne-Stokes (last year while trying to sleep at the White Mountain trailhead). Less than an hour after taking a Diamox, the problem went away and I fell fast asleep with no further problems. Since then, I've started taking 62.5mg before going to bed at altitudes at 11,000 or more, and have had no recurrence. It seems so fast-acting, I have wondered why folks are recommended to start taking it a day or so earlier (something I no longer do).

Bob, I couldn't resist :

20,320 AK Mt. McKinley
14,494 CA Mt. Whitney (31)
14,433 CO Mt. Elbert
14,421 CO Mt. Massive
14,420 CO Mt. Harvard
14,410 WA Mt. Rainier
14,375 CA Mt. Williamson (5)
14,345 CO Blanka Peak
14,336 CO La Plata Peak
14,309 CO Uncompahgre Peak
14,294 CO Crestone Peak
14,286 CO Mt. Lincoln
14,270 CO Grays Peak
14,269 CO Mt. Antero
14,267 CO Torreys Peak
14,265 CO Quandary Peak
14,265 CO Castle Peak
14,264 CO Mt. Evans
14,255 CO Longs Peak
14,246 CO Mt. Wilson
14,242 CA White Mountain Peak (9)
14,242 CA North Palisade (12)
14,238 CO Mt. Cameron
14,229 CO Mt. Shavano
14,200~ CA Starlight Peak (11)
14,197 CO Mt. Princeton
14,197 CO Mt. Belford
14,197 CO Crestone Needle
14,196 CO Mt. Yale
14,172 CO Mt. Bross
14,165 CO Kit Carson Peak
14,162 CA Mt. Shasta (33)
14,159 CO El Diente Peak
14,156 CO Maroon Peak
14,155 CO Tabeguache Mountain
14,153 CO Mt. Oxford
14,153 CA Mt. Sill (17)
14,150 CO Mt. Sneffels
14,148 CO Mt. Democrat
14,132 CO South Massive
14,130 CO Capitol Peak
14,110 CO Pikes Peak
14,092 CO Snowmass Mountain
14,086 CA Mt. Russell (10)
14,083 CO Mt. Eolus
14,082 CO Windom Peak
14,081 CO Challenger Point
14,080+ CA Polemonium Peak (12)
14,073 CO Mt. Columbia
14,067 CO Missouri Mountain
14,064 CO Humbolt Peak
14,060 CO Mt. Bierstadt
14,059 CO Sunlight Peak
14,058 CA Split Mountain (5)
14,048 CO Handies Peak
14,047 CO Culebra Peak
14,042 CO Mt. Lindsey
14,042 CO Ellingwood Peak
14,040 CA Middle Palisade (5)
14,039 CO North Eolus
14,037 CO Little Bear Peak
14,036 CO Mt. Sherman
14,034 CO Redcloud Peak
14,027 CA Mt. Langley (5)
14,022 CO Conundrum Peak
14,018 CO Pyramid Peak
14,018 CA Mt. Tyndall (5)
14,017 CO Wilson Peak
14,015 CO Wetterhorn Peak
14,015 CA Mt. Muir (11)
14,014 CO San Luis Peak
14,014 CO North Maroon Peak
14,005 CO Mt. of the Holy Cross
14,005 CO Mt. Huron
14,003 CA Thunderbolt Peak (11)
14,001 CO Sunshine Peak
13,990 CA Mt. Barnard
13,986 CA Mt. Humphreys (7)
13,980 CO Obstruction Peak
13,977 CA Mt. Keith (2)
13,963 CA Mt. Stanford (2)
13,962 CA Peak .5 ESE N Palisade
13,960 CA Mt. LeConte
13,955 CO Fletcher Mountain
13,950 CA Trojan Peak
13,927 CA Peak .6 W Mt. Russell AKA Morgenson
13,920+ CA Norman Clyde Peak (9)
13,917 CA Disappointment Peak
13,913 CO Gladstone Peak
13,911 CO Mt. Meeker
13,904 CO Emerald Peak
13,891 CA Mt. Agassiz (2)
13,888 CA Junction Peak (2)
13,881 CO Iowa Peak
13,850 CA Mt. Mallory (2)
13,842 CO Mt. Spalding
13,832 CA Caltech Peak
13,830 CA Mt. Darwin (5)
13,828 CO Peak 1.2 N of Mt. Lindsey
13,804 WY Gannett Peak
13,803 CA Peak .5 SSW Split Mountain
13,799 CA Mt. McAdie
13,779+ CA Peak .8 SE Mt. Stanford
13,770 WY Grand Teton (3)
13,770 CA Mt. Irvine (2)
13,768 CA Mt. Winchell (3)
13,760+ CA Mt. Corcoran
13,753 CA Discovery Pinnacle (5)
13,748 CO Mt. Sheridan
13,748 CA Mt. Morgan S (2)
13,715 CA Mt. Abbot (2)
13,714+ CA Peak .65 ESE Mt. Barnard
13,713 CA Bear Creek Spire (6)
13,711 CO Twining Peak
13,711 CA Mt. Gabb
13,704 CO Glacier Point
13,694 CO Kismet
13,691 CA Mt. Mendel (5)
13,680 CA Peak .8 NW Junction Peak
13,665 CA Birch Mountain
13,659 CA Mt. Williams
13,652 CA Mt. Tom (2)
13,648+ CA The Shark Tooth
13,632 CA University Peak
13,608 CA Mt. Ericsson
13,600+ CA Mt. Dade (3)
13,590 CO Matterhorn Peak
13,576 CA Peak 1. N Mt. Bolton Brown
13,570 CA Mt. Brewer
13,568 CA Mt. Goddard
13,565 CA Tunnabora Peak
13,559 CA Mt. Dubois
13,553 CA Palisade Crest
13,552 CA Mt. Carillon (5)
13,540 CA Peak .8 WSW Mt. Tyndall
13,538 CA Mt. Bolton Brown
13,528 UT Kings Peak
13,524 CA Mt. Fiske
13,523 CO Browns Peak
13,521 CA Peak .4 SSE of Jumpoff and Jumpoff (2)
13,510 CA Mt. Marsh
13,510 CA Mt. Gayley (5)
13,501 CA Cloudripper
13,495 CA Mt. Pinchot
13,494 CA Mt. Thompson (2)
13,494 CA Mt. Hale
13,485 CA Mt. Pickering (2)
13,480 CO Iron Nipple
13,470 CA Mt. Versteeg
13,468 CA Mt. Mills
13,441 CA Montgomery Peak (2)
13,435 CA Mt. Haeckel
13,417 CA Mt. Lamarck (3)
13,410 CA Mt. Newcomb
13,404 CA Peak .8 NW Mt. Lamarck
13,397 CA Cardinal Mountain
13,390 CA Mt. Jepson
13,388 CA The Thumb
13,385 CA Peak .5 NW Mt. Mendel
13,377 CA Mt. Wallace
13,364 CA Peak 1.4 SE Mt. Wallace
13,364 CA Mt. Powell
13,361 CA Mt. Hilgard
13,356 CA Pk 1.1 ENE Chocolate Pk
13,355 CA The Cleaver
13,332 CA Peak .5 SE Mt. Darwin
13,330 CA Black Giant
13,329 CA Mt. Prater
13,327 CA North Guard
13,326 CO Storm Peak
13,325 CA Joe Devel Peak
13,323 CA Ski Mountaineers Peak (3)
13,320+ CA Courte-Echelle
13,298 CO Pecks Peak
13,289 CA Mt. Bradley
13,289 CA Black Mountain
13,281 CO Mt. Lady Washington
13,278 CA Picture Puzzle Peak
13,273 CO Mt. Merriam?
13,271 CA Mt. McDuffie
13,270 CA Peak 1.0 NE of Mt. Morgan S
13,268 CA Pipsqueak Spire (2)
13,267 CA Clyde Spires
13,265 CA Deerhorn Mountain
13,265 CA Aperture Peak
13,264 CA Mt. Goethe
13,259 CA Peak .6 S Striped Mountain
13,253 CA Royce Peak (2)
13,248 CA Peak .9 NE Mt. Darwin
13,242 CA Feather Peak (2)
13,241 CA Gendarme Peak
13,240 CA Basin Mountain (2)
13,231 CA Mt. Warlow
13,225 CA Mt. Emerson (4)
13,224 CA South Guard
13,224 CA Peak 0.9 WSW of Basin Mountain
13,211 CA Mt. Carl Heller
13,198 CA Ruby Peak
13,198 CA Peak .7 ESE Mt. Lamarck
13,196 CA Mt. Julius Caesar
13,184 CA Mt. Hitchcock
13,183 CA Acrodectes Peak
13,179 CA Striped Mountain
13,179 CA Mt. Wynne
13,177 CA Mt. Young
13,169 CA Mt. Chamberlin
13,165 CA Peak .9 NNE of The Thumb
13,164 CO Kelso Mountain
13,163 CA Red Slate Mountain (2)
13,161 NM Wheeler Peak
13,160+ CA Peak .6 S Bear Creek Spire
13,157 CA Mt. Ritter (2)
13,140 NV Boundary Peak (4)
13,126 CA Diamond Peak
13,125 CA Mt. Baxter
13,120+ CA Picture Peak
13,120+ CA Ericsson Crags
13,120+ CA Broken Finger Peak
13,117 CA Mt. Huxley
13,114 CA Mt. Lyell
13,112 CA Checkered Demon (4)
13,103 CA Mt. Gilbert (10)
13,092 CA Mt. Goode (4)
13,091 CA Charybdis
13,081 CA Peak 1.1 E Mt. Goddard
13,077 CA Merriam Peak (2)
13,075 CA Seven Gables
13,070 CA Peak .6 N of Diamond Peak
13,063 NV Wheeler Peak (2)
13,061 CA Peak 1. W of Mt. Prater
13,060 CO Middle Mountain
13,058+ CA Pinnacle Ridge
13,055 CA Mt. Genevra
13,053 CA Mt. Dana (9)
13,051 CA Mt. Mary Austin
13,046 CA Peak 1.2 SSE Black Giant
13,040+ CA Peak .6 WNW Mt. Thompson (2)
13,040+ CA Peak .6 E Shepherd Pass (2)
13,040+ CA Peak .4 W Mt. Goode
13,040 CA Mt. Barcroft (5)
13,030 CA Peak 1.1 SSW Caltech Peak
13,020 CA Wheeler Peak
13,016 CA Peak 1.2 SW of Lone Pine Peak
13,016 CA Mt. Solomons
13,005 CA Mt. Morgan N
13,005 CA Mt. Gould
13,002 CA Kuna Peak
13,000+ CA Peak 1.3 ESE Mt. Wallace
13,000+ CA Peak 1.0 NNE Mt. Thompson
12,999 CA Temple Crag (5)
12,984 CA Peak .65 WSW of Mt. Morgan N
12,960+ CA Mt. Maclure
12,959 CA Arrow Peak
12,945 CA Banner Peak
12,944 CA Lone Pine Peak (2)
12,937 CA Muriel Peak
12,936 CA Mt. Clarence King
12,928 WY Mt. Owen
12,911 CO Cross Mountain
12,907 CA Mt. Gardiner
12,900 CA Cirque Peak
12,871 CA Mt. Johnson
12,851 CA Mt. Stanford N
12,850 CA Red and White Mountain
12,804 WY Middle Teton (2)
12,799 MT Granite Peak
12,790 CA Goodale Mountain
12,770 CA The Miter
12,764 CA Mt. Gibbs (2)
12,760 CA Center Peak
12,720+ CA Four Gables
12,662 ID Borah Peak
12,652 CA Columbine Peak
12,633 AZ Humphreys Peak
12,614 CA Mt. Baldwin
12,605 WY Mt. Moran
12,598 CA Kearsarge Peak
12,590 CA Mt. Conness (14)
12,567 CA Peak .4 S. of Simmons Peak
12,564 CA Piute Mountain (2)
12,561 CA Mt. Tinemaha
12,552 CA Bloody Mountain (2)
12,522 CA Peak .95 E of Mt. Stanford N
12,503 CA Simmons Peak
12,497 CA Sheep Mountain (2)
12,480+ CA Peak .8 S. of Simmons Peak
12,446 CA Excelsior Mountain
12,374 CA Dunderberg Peak (2)
12,355 CA East Vidette
12,352 CA Mt. Morrison
12,325 WY Teewinot Mountain
12,311 CA Mt. Davis
12,307 CA Notre Dame Peak
12,300 CA Thor Peak
12,281 CA Clyde Minaret
12,276 WA Mt. Adams
12,268 CA Mt. Morrison
12,264 CA Matterhorn Peak (3)
12,255 CA Eichorn Minaret
12,242 CA North Peak (22)
12,240+ CA Michael Minaret
12,226 CA The Humpback
12,200+ CA Peak .4 N. of Simmons Peak
12,160+ CA Rice Minaret
12,126 CA Peak .7 NNW of Excelsior Mountain
12,123 CA Olancha Peak
12,117 CA Mammoth Peak
12,100~ CA Kuna Crest
12,080+ CA The Dragtooth
12,080+ CA Parsons Peak
12,080+ CA Bedayan Minaret
12,033 CA Whorl Mt.
12,000+ CA White Mountain
12,000+ CA Adams Minaret
11,982 CA Amelia Earhart Peak
11,920+ CA Dawson Minaret
11,915 NV Charlston Peak
11,812 CA Laurel Mountain (2)
11,760+ CA Ken Minaret
11,760+ CA Jensen Minaret
11,760+ CA Cleaver Peak
11,760+ CA Blacksmith Peak
11,760+ CA Black Mountain
11,755 CA Tower Peak
11,711 CA Waller Minaret
11,680+ CA The Doodad
11,680+ CA Dyer Minaret
11,673 CA Mt. Patterson
11,663 CA Wheeler Peak
11,658 CA Chocolate Peak
11,600+ CA Turner Minaret
11,600+ CA Leonard Minaret
11,565 CA Mt. Aggie
11,543 CA Campito Mountain (2)
11,516 CA Vogelsang Peak
11,512 CA Starr Minaret
11,501 CA Volcanic Ridge
11,459 NV Sonora Peak
11,440+ CA Kehrlein Minaret
11,408 CA Fletcher Peak
11,278 CA Blanco Mountain
11,239 OR Mt. Hood
11,233 NV Stanislaus Peak
11,229 CA County Line Hill
11,120 CA Rafferty Peak
11,120+ CA Echo Ridge
11,070 CA Johnson Peak
11,040+ CA Echo Peak #9
11,040+ CA Echo Peak #8 (2)
11,040+ CA Echo Peak #5
11,040+ CA Echo Peak #4
11,040+ CA Echo Peak #3
11,040+ CA Echo Peak #2
11,040+ CA Echo Peak #1
11,040+ CA Cockscomb
11,004 CA Gaylor Peak
10,960+ CA Pridham Minaret
10,960+ CA Echo Peak #7 (2)
10,960+ CA Echo Peak #6 (2)
10,960 CA Charlotte Dome
10,940 CA Cathedral Peak (54)
10,935 CA Highland Peak
10,912 CA Ragged Peak
10,886 CA McGee Mountain
10,881 NV Freel Peak (2)
10,880+ CA Unicorn Peak (2)
10,823 NV Job's Sister (2)
10,776 NV Mt. Rose (208)
10,772 CA Silver Peak
10,633 NV Job's Peak
10,601 NV Church Peak (5)
10,560+ CA Tresidder Peak
10,560+ CA Riegeluth Minaret
10,483 NV Mt. Houghton (139)
10,457 CA Mt. Lassen
10,381 CA Round Top
10,324 NV Relay Peak (4)
10,280 CA Tenaya Peak (2)
10,243 NV Snowflower Mountain (2)


I fully understand why you keep a log. A quick calculation shows that, on average, you've successfully bagged a peak of at least 10K' almost once per week over the 24 years since 1987. Just damn . . .

Okay Gary, I can't resist either.....

14,507 Mt Whitney (3)

tdtz, I'm planning on heading up Russell the first week of October if you're interested. If I have any strength left, I'll head up the Mountaineer's Chute and sleep on the summit. The recent trip reports with the night shots have inspired me. Of course, all of this is dependent on the weather. I hate hiking heavy, so if it's too cold, it'll be Russell only. I don't want to carry a tent, more clothing, etc. You're welcomed if interested, but my plans are always changing. (You too if inclined Burchey).

Bob, you're awesome!

quillansculpture, I only post during lunch hours while at work.

Atari, it will be cold as hell. I appreciate the invite, but I think I'll have been up Russell twice by then, so we'll see. You and I have to tackle something new. Also, think about sleeping on the summit - if you have a history of funk higher up, that might be a miserable night.

Bob, thanks for all the insight on climbing high. Your experience provides invaluable info for the newbies in the group ( me ).