From: Lou Schwing (lou@troop288.org)
Date: Wed Jan 29 2003 - 11:18:44 CST
At 10:55 AM -0600 1/29/03, Allen Corzine wrote:
>What suggestions do you folks have for us low landers?
I live at 2200 ft., in the Foothills near Los Angeles. But, we often
go to 10,000 - 12,000 when we hike the Sierras, and we have a weekend
campout we love to do only about an hour or so away that starts at
8300. I've only had one scout ever get altitude sickness (at 8300)
and while we tried to wait it out, because it was a snow camp we
called his folks to get him. The only real cure is to get out of the
elevation.
There are ways you can prepare, however. Training is the most
important. Go up to elevation and stay there for a couple of days.
If you find that you get ill, go up slowly. Driving from 0 to 10,000
in one day can really mess you up. Go to 4,000 then 6,000 and then
8,000+. (If you're not sick at 8,000, you stand a pretty good chance
of being ok. But you'll never really know until you 12,500!) Spend
the night at a middle range, 5,000+, then make the next night at or
near your starting elevation. You should be ok by day 3 to start.
Rest, water and sometimes aspirin will help. Many people who do get
sick can work through it, or train through it. The last thing you
want to do is never find out. Know your limits before you get to
elevation - at least one of your shakedowns should be at 8,000.
Most kids are very resilient, its the adults you might need to worry
about. The advisor that got "altitude sickness" at Philmont doesn't
really sound like that was the cause, he'd have been very headachy
and perhaps even vomiting. Huffing and puffing and being beet red
sounds like he wasn't prepared the thinness of the air, (a by product
of elevation, no doubt!) but it's not true altitude sickness.
--
Lou Schwing Scoutmaster - Troop 288
lou@troop288.org La Crescenta, CA
...A good ol' Buffalo....
http://www.troop288.org
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