[pct-l] Mt. Whitney

[dude at fastmail.ca (dude)]

to be honest, I am not sure.  she seemed to be very concerned about 
her diet.  I am not sure how severe her Diabetis was either.  She had 
to inject insulin, I know that.

I know that she ended up depleating her potassium/electrolytes and 
her condition was called "hypokalemia".  I asked a few doctors about 
diabetis, Diamox, and hypokalemia and several of them said that it 
made sense that she would have been hypokalemic due to the 
Diamox/Diabetis combo.

peace!
dude




> how much was from the altuatde and how much was from her not
> eating right. I have had plenty of disbteics take it with no
> problim. Nothing in my high altutde back country emergency tech
> books say a word about it.
> 
> dude wrote:
> 
>> This all sound slike good advice, but I have one thing to add:
>> 
>> ****DO NOT take any medicine on the mountain that you have not
>> previously taken at home with no ill side effects!!*****
>> 
>> I once took a diabetic woman up whitney who was feeling the
>> effects of altitude and decide dto "borrow" some Diamox from a
>> fellow climber.  Everyone has heard of Diamox and how it is
>> suppose dto help with altitude sickness, so she figured "yeah! 
>> that's what I need.  I will fell better in no time and be ready
>> to race up the mountain!"
>> 
>> WRONG!  It turned out that diabetics cannot take Diamox and she
>> almost died on the mountain!  Her blood sugar went down to 19
>> (normal is like 80-120) and she passed out 17 times on the way
>> down the trail.  When she got to the hospital in Lone Pine, she
>> needed 2 liters of intraveinous saline solution to bring her back
>> from severe dehydration.  She is really lucky to be alive.  I
>> tell doctors that story and they are amazed that she was
>> conscious with a blood sugar level of 19.
>> 
>> this story is not meant to scare you or anyone who wants to climb
>> Whitney or any other mountain.  Its just meant to prove a point:
>> don't take medicine that you are not familiar with on the
>> mountain. It doesnt matter if its Tylenol, Tums, Imodium, or
>> Sucrets.  You never know if you will be the 1 in 10 million
>> people who will be allergic to it and you do not want to find out
>> at 14,000 ft and 10 hours from a hospital.
>> 
>> 
>> godo luck.
>> 
>> peace!
>> dude
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> 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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>>>> 
>>>> 
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