june 10 tram to peak hike

[veronique]

Hi,

I am planning to take a friend from the top of the tram to the peak on June 10 :
This is a test about how we tolerate altitude. We have bigger plans for September.
Any advice ? Is the trail well marked ?
Can we do something about the altitude factor ?

Thank you in advance for your reply.

[passinthru]

The most important thing re. altitude acclimation is HYDRATION. Drink lots of water, even when you aren't thirsty. Also, eating some carbohydrates helps your body assimilate the water into your system. In ideal conditions, you can only assimilate a liter of water per hour, so don't overdo it either. Enjoy your hike.....................steve

[Pilgrim]

The trail is very well marked. It's better to get an early start to avoid climbing during the heat of the day. I find that heat tires me out more then altitude though lots of water helps with that.

[Spook]

Hey, Veronique!

Some Outdoors Club members and I will be arriving early enough to take the first tram up tomorrow. You are more than welcome to join us. I will be sporting a camouflage Camelbak pack.

[zippetydude]

If you have been at altitude before, you'll probably experience very much the same results. If this is your first time, then it will be a very valuable learning experience.

There are some medications that are supposed to help with altitude, but I wouldn't recommend them. Ginkgo Biloba is purported to help, but studies are coming back with mixed results, so the jury's still out on that. I've heard that even moderate alcohol consumption can make the symptoms much more severe.

One word from my personal experience - I don't really notice anything 'til I'm above 10,000, but then I can feel just a little light headed. Everything changes when I get above 12,000 (which is not uncommon in the Sierras). I wake up short of breath in the night, and even on day hikes (like doing Mt. Whitney) I find that I suddenly slow down above 12000 feet, but then seem to pick up again when I'm either going downhill or I get back below 12,000. It appears that uphill above 12,000 is much harder than uphill above 10,000, so be prepared on your later adventures just in case you run into this.

z