Altitude Experience Successful Trekking And Climbing Above 8,000 Feet

by Farris, Mike

• ISBN13: 9780762743582
• ISBN10: 0762743581
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-09-16
• Publisher: Falcon Guides

Summary

The one-volume resource for any traveller who will be at high altitude for any period of time, this guide contains organized technical information from medical and science texts as well as anecdotes from real climbers who share their own experiences, in the body as well as the mind. This new book also lists preparation and training guidelines for ascending altitude, tips on how to acclimate, what to bring, how to "come down" after descent, and how to treat altitude sickness if it occurs. This is a practical guide for anyone new to such travel, as well as an up-to-date guide with new information for experienced climbers.

Author Biography

Mike Farris is a college professor who teaches upper-level seminars on high-altitude human biology at Hamline University in Minnesota. He is an experienced high-altitude climber who has climbed extensively throughout North and South American and the Himalayas. He is also the author of Rock Climbing Minnesota and Wisconsin (Falcon). He lives in Northfield, Minnesota.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xv
Introduction	p. 1
How to Use This Book	p. 2
For the Non-Scientist	p. 3
For the Scientist	p. 4
Recommended Reading	p. 4
The Altitude Challenge	p. 7
Human Responses to Altitude	p. 8
You Are a Unique Individual	p. 9
How High Is "High Altitude"?	p. 9
The Air, the Body, and Oxygen	p. 13
Altitude and Atmospheric Pressure	p. 14
Biological Differences	p. 15
The Quest for Oxygen	p. 19
Respiratory System	p. 19
Mechanics of Ventilation	p. 22
The Control of Breathing at Low Altitude	p. 23
The Control of Breathing at High Altitude	p. 24
Cardiovascular System	p. 26
The Structure and Function of the Heart	p. 27
The Flow of Blood through the Body	p. 28
Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Cardiac Output	p. 28
Blood	p. 29
Transport of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide	p. 29
Carbon Dioxide Transport	p. 29
Oxygen Transport	p. 31
The Oxygen Cascade	p. 33
The Cascade at Sea Level and at Rest	p. 35
The Oxygen Cascade at Altitude	p. 37
The Effect of Exercise at Low and High Altitudes	p. 37
Increasing Oxygen Delivery to the Tissues at Altitude	p. 39
The Biology of Exercise	p. 47
Skeletal System	p. 47
Muscles	p. 48
Types of Muscle Fibers	p. 48
Muscle Control and Strength	p. 49
Arrangement of Muscles, Muscle Actions, and Types of Contractions	p. 49
Concepts of Exercise Physiology	p. 51
Limits to Performance	p. 51
Factors That Determine Performance	p. 52
Maximum Oxygen Uptake and Muscle Limitation	p. 54
Oxygen Supply to Other Organs	p. 56
Muscle Fatigue	p. 56
The Brain	p. 56
Biomechanics and Economy of Movement	p. 57
Lactic Acid and Performance	p. 58
So, What Really Limits Performance?	p. 59
Fatigue, Will, and Performance	p. 60
Direct Environmental Stresses	p. 61
Physiological Stresses	p. 61
Indirect Psychological Stresses	p. 62
Will and Motivation	p. 65
Acclimatization	p. 71
Factors Affecting Acclimatization	p. 73
Changes That Occur during Acclimatization	p. 75
Acclimatization versus Deterioration above 5,500 m	p. 76
How Quickly Do You Deacclimatize after Return to Lower Altitudes?	p. 77
Age and Sex	p. 77
Sex	p. 77
Older Travelers	p. 78
Children	p. 80
Acclimatization Strategies	p. 80
Preacclimatization	p. 81
Practical Advice	p. 83
Specific Situations	p. 84
Day Hikes/Climbs	p. 84
Overnight Backpacking Trips	p. 85
Trekking	p. 85
Climbing Expeditions	p. 86
Drugs as Aids to Acclimatization and Performance	p. 88
Altitude Illness	p. 91
Encountering Illness at Altitude	p. 93
Physicians at Altitude	p. 93
A General Approach to the Potentially III	p. 94
Primary Symptoms of Altitude Illness	p. 95
Prevalence of Altitude Illness	p. 95
Risk Factors for Altitude Illness	p. 96
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)	p. 96
High-Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE)	p. 97
High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)	p. 97
High-Altitude Retinal Hemorrhage (High-Altitude Retinopathy, HAR)	p. 99
Treatments for Altitude Illness	p. 99
Other Medical Issues at Altitude	p. 102
Experiences at Altitude: Circulation, Respiration, Nervous System, and Immunity	p. 105
Circulatory System	p. 105
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning	p. 106
Respiratory System	p. 107
High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)	p. 108
Periodic Breathing	p. 108
Cough	p. 108
Pleurisy	p. 109
Smoking	p. 109
The Nervous System	p. 109
Behavioral Effects	p. 111
Critical Altitudes	p. 113
Peripheral Nervous System	p. 113
Sleep	p. 113
Practical Advice	p. 114
Daytime Somnolence (Excessive Sleepiness)	p. 115
The Immune System	p. 117
Practical Advice	p. 118
Experiences at Altitude: Food, Digestion, Hydration, and Hygiene	p. 121
Appetite, Digestion, and Weight Loss	p. 121
Appetite	p. 122
Digestion	p. 123
Cellular Respiration and Fuel Supplies for the Cells	p. 124
Insulin and Other Hormones	p. 127
Energy Expenditure by the Body	p. 128
Fuel	p. 129
Practical Advice	p. 130
Diet and Supplements	p. 132
Performance-Enhancing Aids	p. 134
Oral and Gastrointestinal Experiences	p. 134
Mouth and Throat	p. 134
Gastrointestinal Issues	p. 135
Dehydration and Thirst	p. 136
Pathways of Water Loss	p. 137
Effects of Dehydration on Performance	p. 138
Thirst	p. 139
Electrolytes	p. 139
Practical Advice	p. 141
Food and Water Safety	p. 143
Practical Advice	p. 146
Alpine Climbs, Hikes, and Backpacking Trips	p. 146
Less-Developed Countries	p. 146
Treks and Expeditions	p. 146
Away from Base Camp or the Kitchen	p. 149
Garbage	p. 150
Heat and Cold	p. 153
Cold	p. 155
General Effects of Cold	p. 155
Maintaining Temperature Homeostasis	p. 156
Nonfreezing Peripheral Cooling	p. 157
Frostbite	p. 158
Practical Advice	p. 158
Hypothermia	p. 161
Practical Advice	p. 162
Heat and Solar Issues	p. 165
Peripheral Heat Injury	p. 166
Sunburn	p. 166
Canker Sores, Cold Sores, and Fever Blisters	p. 168
Snowblindness	p. 168
Overheating the Core	p. 169
Glacier Lassitude	p. 170
Heat Exhaustion	p. 171
Heat Stroke	p. 172
Interpersonal Relations	p. 173
The Team	p. 173
Friends versus Strangers	p. 175
Guided Trips	p. 176
Experience	p. 177
Relationships Among Team Members	p. 180
Choosing the Team	p. 180
Interactions within the Team	p. 182
Women and Men	p. 185
Interactions with Teams or Individuals from Other Cultures	p. 186
Leadership	p. 187
Local Cultures	p. 189
Theft	p. 191
Gender Issues	p. 191
Communication Issues	p. 192
Other Advice	p. 193
Extreme Altitude	p. 195
Basic Questions	p. 195
How Long Can You Stay in the Death Zone?	p. 195
What Factors Influence Your Ability to Function in the Death Zone?	p. 195
Supplemental Oxygen	p. 198
Is Oxygen Ethical?	p. 198
Style and Ethics on 8,000 m Peaks	p. 200
Crowding	p. 200
Fixed Ropes	p. 200
Parasitism	p. 202
Speed Climbing	p. 203
Rescue at Extreme Altitude	p. 203
I'll Rescue You If You'll Rescue Me	p. 205
Practical Advice	p. 205
Family, Friends, and "Why?"	p. 206
Mental Outlook at Extreme Altitude	p. 209
Decision Making and Accidents	p. 213
Decision-Making Issues	p. 213
Direct Effects of Hypoxia	p. 213
Emotional Infrastructure	p. 214
Indirect Stresses	p. 216
Group Dynamics	p. 216
Danger versus Effort	p. 217
Intuition	p. 218
Practical Advice	p. 218
Accidents and Tragedy	p. 219
Causes of Accidents	p. 219
How Accidents Happen	p. 221
Inadequate Equipment	p. 221
Passion	p. 221
Fatigue	p. 222
Poor Decision Making	p. 223
Luck and Fate	p. 223
When Accidents Happen	p. 223
After an Accident	p. 224
Death	p. 224
Your Responsibilities	p. 225
After a Death	p. 225
Preparing for Altitude	p. 227
Limits to Performance	p. 229
Response to Training	p. 230
Developing a Training Program	p. 232
Determine Your Goals	p. 232
Determine Your Weakest Link	p. 233
Musculoskeletal System	p. 233
Cardiovascular System	p. 236
Metabolic/Physiological System	p. 237
Psychological System	p. 237
Construct Your Training Program	p. 237
Training	p. 238
Debriefing	p. 238
Practical Advice for Training	p. 239
Where to Train?	p. 239
General Pitfalls	p. 240
Strength Training	p. 240
Aerobic Training	p. 241
Training the Ventilatory Muscles	p. 243
Overtraining	p. 244
Pretrip Body Weight Management	p. 244
Before, During, and After Your Trip	p. 247
Before Your Trip	p. 247
Planning	p. 247
Organizing the Trip	p. 249
During the Trip	p. 251
After Arrival	p. 252
Techniques for Backcountry Travel	p. 252
The Importance of Rhythm in Movement	p. 253
Typical Ascent Rates during Climbs	p. 255
Getting Up in the Morning	p. 255
Enforced Inactivity	p. 256
Dealing with Altitude, Stress, and Emotional Issues	p. 258
After the Trip	p. 259
Physical Issues	p. 260
Immune System	p. 261
Some Scientific Background	p. 263
The Atmosphere	p. 263
The Behavior of Gases	p. 264
Biological Concepts	p. 266
Homeostasis	p. 266
Getting Work Done in the Body	p. 268
How Do Substances Move from One Place to Another?	p. 268
How Do Molecules Get Assembled and Taken Apart?	p. 272
Lake Louise Scoring System for Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)	p. 275
Children's Lake Louise Scoring System for AMS	p. 277
Literature Cited	p. 279
Recommended Reading	p. 297
Index	p. 301
About the Author	p. 311
Feet and Meters Conversion Chart	p. 312
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