Backpacker Magazine – January 2013

Peakbagger Skills

Tips for overcoming jetlag, gathering beta, and getting your summit gear to foreign peaks in one piece.

by: Rachel Walker

Tags:
• Skills
|
• Adventures
|
• Mountaineering
|

---

Adjust to Altitude
>> Ascend slowly
You’ll need about 10 days to become 85-percent adjusted to reduced oxygen at elevations above 8,000 feet. That’s a long time for most schedules, but you can minimize risk by moderating your ascending pace. Above 10,000 feet, limit increases in your sleeping altitude to 2,000 feet per night and be alert for signs of altitude sickness (headache, nausea, dizziness) while making daytrips to higher elevations.
>> Consider taking Diamox
For quick trips where your objective is above 10,000 feet, talk to your doctor about a preemptive prescription of acetazolamide (aka Diamox). The drug increases your blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity and allows you to adjust more quickly to low oxygen levels at high altitudes. 




Subscribe to Backpacker magazine
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter