[pct-l] Mt. Whitney

[calliger at infolane.com (Richard)]

You most likely will acclimate quite quickly to "altitudes above, say,
9,000' "..
and since you are not going to have an extended stay above 10,000
feet there is naught to worry about for 99% of the people who go
there...any symptoms of high altitude sickness (which you should
read up on FYI) will not occur, typically, in the few hours you
are at alttitude. Appetite changes usually take 4-5 days AT ALTITUDE to occur
and you will be totally hungary for the mere day you are there...

Please do not be fearful of the negative implicaitons of those 
comments as they truely don't pertain to someone hiking to the 
top of Whitney and going back down in a few hours or so...most sicknesses
need several days for most people to occur (at altitude above 10,000-
12,000) feet and at most if you stay overnight @ the high camp (about 12,000)
feet you will feel short of breath, a little nausa perhaps but that
is about it... I have spent entire summers above 10,000 and after a
few days  most people acclimate very easily. For 4 days just take what
you like to eat, is easy to prepare as per my other post, and is not too
heavy. But,additionally, most of your weight will be carried to trail
camp and u leave your tent and heavy bag there.

Most people fare well..if you feel a lot of gurgling in your chest or
extreme lightheaded,severe headachey, drink several liters of water..at
leaast 2,
and wait 20-30 minutes. Maybe take 2-3 aspirin. If those 
symptoms worsen head down to lower altitude
just about immediately...the symptoms will magically dissapear around
8000-9000 feet in an hour. U can then rest there for a day and try again,
stopping
for half a day at 10,500 and proceed leisurely up to 12000 and camp; then the
summit the next day.

As far as winds and delta temps, dont worry...during Aug it is very 
very much late spring/ early summer above 9000', in 25 years of hanging 
around Whitney area it does not fluctuate that much in Aug...but be prepared
for 40's F.
You have more to worry about with the bears at the Portal than alititude
loss of appetite, or wind or whatever!

Check out my web site for a great pic (IMHO) http://www.infolane.com/calliger

If you want to discuss it more, I am considered somewhat of an expert after
several months of mountaineering schools and 25+ years of accident/event free
mountaineering of quite a few peaks (although I did fracture my foot in my
driveway at home!!)
in the ice..but that don't count!!... please write me off-line.


Richard

Ps-

There are bold mountaineers, and there are old mountaineers.

There are few,if any, old, bold mountaineers.

PPS-

An expert is defined as one who knows his and others limitations
and usually exceeds them-- cautiously!1 <smile>...





At 10:02 AM 6/2/03 -0700, Christine Kudija wrote:
>Jane,
>
>A couple of questions for you: (1) are you accustomed to altitudes above,
>say, 9,000'/~3000m?  Appetite changes at elevation, especially if going to
>high elevations is not something you usually do.   (2)  are you accustomed
>to an alpine environment, where temperatures and winds can fluctuate
>substantially, depending on where you are on the mountain?
>
>I'll have some suggestions after you reply....also, are you asking only
>about food, or about gear as well?
>
>Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija
>
>"Never measure the height of a mountain, until you have reached the top.
>Then you will see how low it was."  Dag Hammarskjold
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Jane E Overton" <jeoverton@sbcglobal.net>
>To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
>Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2003 11:52 AM
>Subject: [pct-l] Mt. Whitney
>
>
>| I am climbing Mt. Whitney in August (permit in hand).  I have a number of
>books, but not one has a sensible list of supples for the climb.  Does
>anyone have a link, where I could hust get the grocery list fot a four day
>hike.  I am not a picky eater.
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