DISORDERS CAUSED BY ALTITUDE - Medicine for Mountaineering and Other Wilderness Activities - page 343

Using“siegetactics,”climbersattemptingaveryhighmountainclimbtoahighercamp,
return to rest at base camp, carry supplies to a higher camp, and repeat the process, stock-
ing successively higher camps. After a few weeks, a summit attempt can be made from the
highest camp. Most accept the adage “Climb high, sleep low” and, after carrying a load to
a higher camp, prefer to go down for the night.
Other experienced mountaineers prefer “alpine style.” The individuals live at base
camp, each day climbing a little higher on a nearby mountain and returning to base. A
high degree of acclimatization can be achieved this way. After two to six weeks, when the
weather looks promising, the party can move up rapidly, sometimes straight through to the
summit unless the climb is technically very difficult. This approach has the obvious ad-
vantagesofminimizing thecarryingofloadsandconsumptionofsupplies,anditallowsan
attempt to be made whenever the weather is promising. Little altitude deterioration occurs.
Popular today is a modification of these two approaches: a small party, stocking camps
as it climbs, acclimatizing by occasional rest days, and then going to the summit at an aus-
picioustime.Anotherrefinement,whichisusefulinthecaseofveryhighbasecamps,such
asEverestBaseCampat17,500feet(5300m),isforthepartytospendafewdaysrecover-
ing at a lower level of13,000feet (4000m) orsofora few days. Very little acclimatization
is lost, while the body has time to recover from some of the deterioration of the higher alti-
tude.
Alltheseprotocolskeepclimbershighonamountainforrelativelyshortperiodssothey
are less likely to suffer from altitude deterioration and are less likely to be caught by bad
weather. However, if one or more of the party becomes ill or is injured in a pure alpine-
style climb, no stocked camps to which the group can retreat are available.
On modest mountains, acclimatization is not necessary, but to avoid mountain illnesses,
tourists, climbers, skiers, and other visitors sleeping above 8000 to 10,000 feet (2400 to
3000 m) should not exercise vigorously for a day or two after arrival. Highly susceptible
individuals would be wise to spend one or two nights at an intermediate altitude, perhaps
5000 feet (1500 m).
The customary advice to take one day to climb each 1000 feet (300 m) above 10,000
feet (3000 m) is conservative and does not apply to everyone. Above 12,000 feet (3700 m)
people should find their own pace. A good expedition leader should pace the party to take
care of the slowest—or perhaps send that person down.
Persons who have only a short time to vacation at a mountain resort are reluctant to ap-
portion any of their time to acclimatizing. Some experience mountain sickness, sometimes
quite severe; others notice little. Acetazolamide can be a safe and effective way to speed
acclimatization for those who cannot or will not take time, and perhaps that is wiser than
spoiling a short vacation.
Those going to bigger mountains usually need a number of days to walk to base camp,
gaining altitude en route. This is a goodway to acclimatize if heat, exertion, orthe diarrhe-