Badwater Forum

Usually the literature focuses on exertion during the climb as a factor in the development of mountain sickness, but I came across an interesting article by MDs Eric A. Nazziola and John Lafleur stating that overexertion within twenty four hours of ascent can lead to mountain sickness:

http://www.emedicine.com/aaem/topics314.htm

Looking back, I now see the mistakes I made trying to ascend Whitney the early morning after Bill's finish.  I hope this information helps inexperienced people from making the same mistakes I made:

1)  I overexerted within twenty-four hours of the ascent.    Letting myself get sleep deprived by staying up over two days without sleep in my mind counts toward overexertion even though physically the tasks I was carrying out did not overexert me in and of themselves.  The sleep deprivation was enough.  This is a clear message to get more sleep than I did this year before attempting to ascend after reaching the portals next year because of course there is no way not to "overexert" within twenty-four hours of my next summit attempt since I'll be attempting a solo;

2)  I ascended too fast because, strangely, I did not feel tired the morning after the race and the climb felt too easy.  Big mistake and I knew not to climb too fast but did it anyway.  I began menstruating a few hours before reaching the end of the race at the portals the day before and wasn't due to menstruate for two weeks...I should have taken that as a sign my body was rebelling and overexerted from the sleep deprivation. I remember feeling confused before we even began the ascent, come to think of it.   I opened my Cambelbak bladder to see if there was water in it even though if felt fully loaded and I remembered filling it to the brim.  I had two handhelds full of water; one in my backpack and one in my hand and I opened the lids of both of them as well thinking I forgot to put water in them!  If feeling confused and not all "there" it's probably not the best to try summit within one day; acclimate overnight and certainly go slowly.  The drawback is that I was with someone with no climbing experience, so he was relying on ME to guide him and I normally would have been able to do that but it wasn't obvious to either one of us at the time that I wasn't thinking clearly from the sleep deprivation.  It was so subtle and I just seemed "ditzy" at  times...

3)  If I had to do it over again, I would not have slept at Lone Pine the night before the ascent but instead ascended from the portals that same day, slept at no more than 1,000 ft. above portal elevation, and attempted the climb the next morning.  Going from portal level and then descending approximately 5,000 ft. to Lone Pine and then back up again to attempt the summit all at once in my mind is a factor.  I suspect I didn't allow myself enough time to acclimate at or slightly above portal level.   

I was very well hydrated.  I drank plenty of water ascending to the portals the day before knowing how important it was to do that from climbing in the Cascades the years before.  I was thinking of the climb the next morning and if I didn't stay hydrated the day before, there was no "catching up" the next day.  I drank several handhelds the day of the finish into the evening (kept one by my bed) but did not find myself drinking more than usual in the evening (a sign of dehydration) and did not get up in the middle of the night to drink at all, so I feel I was hydrated well. 

I also ate well, both during Bill's race, and afterward.  I made sure I wasn't glycogen depleted.  I had plenty of carbohydrate with me during the ascent.

This time I'm going to err on the side of caution and have a 2 day pass if needed to sleep at Trailhead Camp or lower if needed before ascending.

Hope this helps first-timers in their summit attempts.  Also, for those planning to crew/pace for the first time, be sure to get sleep and don't let yourself get as sleep deprived as I became.

Happy Trails,

Connie Karras
2006 Crew/pacer, Bill LaDieu - 54:50
2007 Solo

Marcia,

Thanks for this advice. 

I know you and John are very experienced climbers and I'd really appreciate more advice here and anything else you can add that you think will help me.

Question #1:  I know it's a basic mountaineer's rule to climb high and sleep low, but if I set out on the first day of my hike after sleeping near portal elevation and then sleep at Trail Camp (12,000 ft.), a climb of approximately 3,500 ft. in the first day, hiking slowly, do you think that sleeping at portal elevation rather than the 3,500 ft. elevation of Lone Pine might contribute to AMS if I allow for that night of acclimatization?  Of course the lower sleeping elevation of Lone Pine makes sense to me if I were to try to ascend in one day, but if I break it up into 2 days, shouldn't the overnight at Trail Camp be sufficient? 

And question #2: Regarding your hunch that sleeping high one night (and I'm assuming you mean somewhere between the portals and Trail Camp) might bring on AMS, I have been reading the "Whitney Portal Store Message Board" and in the section "Orientation Notes for Whitney First Timers" under "Before Planning a Hike" there is a link "Learn More about Altitude Sickness" and the consensus there among experienced mountaineers and hikers is that novices should spend at least one night, longer if possible, above portal elevation (most people suggest approximately 10,000 ft. which is approximately halfway between the portals and Trail Camp) to acclimate before attempting a summit, and not at the elevation of Lone Pine. Do you know why they recommend this?)

I certainly don't want to break any rules.  I went back and reviewed the rules and now see that if I obtain a 2 day permit, my exit from the trail must be on the second day. 

I am certain I will be in no hurry to summit if in fact I complete a solo.  If anything, my feet will be extremely sore (I'm sure you can fill me in on this) and I'm sure I'll be tired as hell.  I'd like to take my time and do whatever it takes to prevent mountain sickness and summit. 

I'm intending to enter the trail with a backpack the first day of a 2 day permit and then sleep overnight (at what point, I'm not sure, but I'm just guessing Trail Camp would be okay unless something unforeseen happens).  I'd like to go very slowly this time and take most of the day to get to where I camp overnight, enjoying the scenery.

Even if I feel okay once I arrive at Trail Camp, I want to spend the night there just as a prophylactic measure to ensure that I safely summit.  Plus, I can ascend the rest of the way from camp with minimum gear the next morning and then pack up all my gear on my way back down.

If I again develop AMS symptoms on the first day, I will descend and sleep overnight and attempt a summit the next morning if I am okay.

Yeah, if you hear of how to not overexert within the 24 hours of the ascension, let me know too!

You know, it's obvious that sleep deprivation affects everything we do, isn't it?  We don't need empircal studies to tell us that.  I knew that the morning before we even arrived at the portals to ascend.  Heck, the day before when the world sounded like, "Wa wa wa wa wa wa " I said to myself  "I should probably not try to do this being as tired as I am."  LOL!  But I did it anyway.

I think it's a given we're all going to be dog tired. 

What has me concerned is that the sleep deprivation is going to be there next time...in addition to a battered body that I didn't have this year.  So, sleep deprivation is one factor that I cannot eliminate.  Heck, if we were well-rested, manicured, and pretty with new haircuts...it wouldn't be the extreme event of endurance and guts that it is.

I just want to be sure I don't repeat the mountain sickness experience, though, at all costs - which boils down to being smarter and more patient this time (getting acclimated and resting as much as possible). 

I'd love and would greatly appreciate the company of you and John if I get to a place where I feel confident that I can safely climb in one day.  Of course, who's to say that I can't just summit in one day if I'm physically able and then descend, sleep at Trail Camp, and spend the next day hiking?  I'll be that's been done before, right?
So much is unknown and I won't know till I'm in the moment what is in store for me...all I can do is get as much sleep as I possibly can before, during and after the solo and then take it from there. 

I haven't a clue as to what I'm doing but the *doing* will teach me all I need to know, I'm sure.   :) 

Do you know of anyone...or is there anyone on this forum...who has summited without stopping after finishing the 135 miles at the portals without developing mountain sickness?  I know the race finish used to be at the summit rather than the portals and I'm curious how those individuals fared to the summit.

Happy Trails,

Connie Karras

2006 Crew/pacer, Bill LaDieu - 54:50
2007 Solo

Thanks so much for all of this advice, Marcia.

If I decide to ascend in two days, I had intended to have crew carry most of my gear.  I won't go up there without at least two people accompanying me, whether that means one crew member and another runner or two crew members.  We could either get a tent that sleeps all of us to share body warmth and not require the carrying of several tents, or I could simply have someone carry gear and then descend, leaving two other people to stay with me.  I'm sure I won't feel like lugging heavy stuff at that time.

I've been reading several studies that claim people who have experienced acute mountain sickness are three times as likely to experience it again, but I certainly agree with you that it's a crap shoot in that I could do everything by the book this time and STILL get it and make some mistakes and not get it.  Afterall, my climbing partner this year ascended quite rapidly and still summited with I believe little else than a mild headache and had never been over 6,000 ft.

I also found a study just recently that claims being overweight is a risk factor for AMS...not sure but it appears the implication there is that being overweight means being out of shape.  I put on a lot of weight the couple months before the race and now have now taken it off, but I was still in very good cardiovascular condition even though I wasn't in as good a shape as I was before the weight gain and that I am in now.  Hey...it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack...I'll drive myself crazy trying to figure this out and I'll never have the answer.  There's no way to know exactly what happened and why in 99% of life really...gotta be God to know why.

I can just hope the next time around will be my day to summit and don't mind getting a little help from the pharmaceutical industry in the form of Diamox. 

Been reading about gingko biloba in the use of AMS prevention.  Do you know anything about that?

Happy Trails,

Connie :)