Re: [CDT-L] List discussion

> I have spent a lot of time at very high altitudes. I worked at various radio
> transmitter sites in the Andes in Colombia and Peru up to nearly 16,000. I
> have never heard of healthy people being affected by the "seroche" as altitude
> sickness is called in South America at altitudes below about 14,000 feet. I
> would think that the only places this would be a problem on the CDT would be a
> few peaks when one is working very hard and is dehydrated.

I have gotten altitude sickness below 14,000 ft on the CDT (and I was very
healthy).  And I know at least one other person who has also gotten attitude
sickness on the CDT.  (However, I don't live at 14,000 ft or above like some
people in Columbia and Peru.  At the time I lived at about a mile elevation.  Now
I live at almost sea level, so high elevation bothers me even more than it did
then.)  The fact is altitude sickness affects different people differently at
different times and for different reasons.  But I do agree that staying well
hydrated is the key on the CDT to preventing altitude sickness.  The only solution
I know is to carry plenty of water over dry sections and don't try to save the
water.  Drink it!  It does more good in your body than in your bottle even if you
might need to dry camp.  We used snow melt if we couldn't find water.  However,
snow seems to be a Catch 22 on the CDT.  Go early enough to find plenty of snow
melt and you may have trouble getting over some sections.  Go late enough so that
snow won't prevent you from hiking and you will have more trouble finding water.

Marilyn Dykstra
CDT Section Hiker

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