Entries By walter hailes
January 11, 2014
Posted by: Billy Nugent, Walter Hailes, Katrina Bloemsma
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 13,800'
January 11, 2014
Posted by: Billy Nugent, Walter Hailes, Katrina Bloemsma
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 13,800'
On The Map
January 9, 2014
Posted by: Billy Nugent, Walter Hailes, Katrina Bloemsma
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 13,800'
Jeff-We are watching your progress, keep up the “pings!” I am praying the wind and weather are your friends. Love Deb and kids
Posted by: Debbie on 1/11/2014 at 8:35 am
Meredith - Looks spectacular. We’re following you and hoping for great weather…
Posted by: Rachel on 1/10/2014 at 10:04 pm
January 8, 2014
Posted by: Billy Nugent, Walter Hailes, Katrina Bloemsma
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 13,800'
On The Map
Go Team!! Shannon - you are my hero! Love, M
Posted by: Betsy Brand on 1/9/2014 at 10:04 am
January 7, 2014
Posted by: Billy Nugent, Walter Hailes, Katrina Bloemsma
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 10,550'
On The Map
I love reading your updates! Wishing you all a happy, healthy, safe and harmonious expedition. Thank you for these postings! Sending lots and lots of Love, BB
Posted by: Barbara Lynn Bloemsma on 1/8/2014 at 9:19 pm
Mountain river swimming? What could be better! I hope you brought your snorkel gear for such opportunities.
Thinking of you with pan flutes playing. Jealous of your sunshine and glad to hear about the breezy weather. -k
Posted by: Kendra & Rocky on 1/8/2014 at 8:05 pm
January 7, 2014
Posted by: Billy Nugent, Walter Hailes, Katrina Bloemsma
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Hi Mer, this is so great to be able to follow you. Sounds wonderful! Love Mom and Dad
Posted by: Delese and Steve on 1/8/2014 at 5:00 pm
Good Luck, Patrick and all you climbers. We’ll be following you every day!
Love, Mom and Dad
Posted by: sheila on 1/7/2014 at 5:50 pm
January 7, 2014
Posted by: Billy Nugent, Walter Hailes, Katrina Bloemsma
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
We are all thinking about you and send our love and prayers for a safe climb! Erle, Erle, Donald, Djr. and John
Posted by: Erle Broughton on 1/12/2015 at 11:41 am
June 22, 2013
Posted by: Brent Okita, Walter Hailes, JJ Justman, Win Whittaker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
What an awesome journey you have just completed. Walking by the full moon in the wee hours of the day to stand on top of the world must have been exhilarating and inspiring. Your hard work was admirable as you put your energy into reaching your goals. I bow gently in respect for all of you. Now…What’s next?
Posted by: Jan Alexander on 6/22/2013 at 5:45 pm
Outstanding pic! Can’t wait to se the videos.
Posted by: Tom Buser on 6/22/2013 at 1:25 pm
June 19, 2013
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos, Walter Hailes
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Adjusting to the low oxygen of high altitude environments is a natural process that we will all experience if we travel or live at high altitudes. Like all things in life, some people are better at adjusting to high altitude than others. Fortunately, there are ways that each of us can prepare at home and in the early stages of mountain travel before going to the big peaks.
We all experience the low oxygen of high altitude a little differently, but the most prominent symptoms of going to high altitude are categorized as the condition Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). AMS is composed of a group of symptoms that can present themselves after spending some time at high altitude. Symptoms of AMS include headache, fatigue, anorexia, nausea and insomnia. While the severity of these symptoms can vary, AMS does not have to end your climb but should be used as an indication that your body is struggling to acclimatize.
The most important aspect of performing well and staying healthy in the mountains under the stress of low oxygen is by being physically fit. If you have been following a rigorous training program then you are well on your way to being physically fit for your climb. Fitness cannot prevent the symptoms of AMS but if the daily physical tasks of climbing are easier due to your high fitness level, then you have more energy reserves to battle the stress of the low oxygen environment.
Proper nutrition and hydration are also important variables leading up to and during your climb. While you may avoid simple carbohydrates during daily life, at altitude simple carbohydrates are the most efficient and most preferred form of energy for your acclimatizing body. Don’t be afraid to eat those high glycemic foods while working hard at altitude!
Dehydration can certainly be detrimental to your performance and health at high altitude, but you do not need to constantly consume water. Listen to your body, specifically your thirst, it has been finely tuned over many generations to keep you hydrated.
The prescription medication acetazolamide (Diamox) can help with acclimatization to high altitude, but it is not a magic pill that will solve all your high altitude problems. Diamox has repeatedly reduced AMS symptoms and hastened acclimatization during multi-day clinical and laboratory studies. It can work and is a great tool to use if you are not acclimatizing during an expedition even though you are using a standard acclimatization schedule, but its efficacy is less known for a quick overnight summit attempt such as Mt. Rainier. Remember: all medications have side effects that you need to understand before using and Diamox will not make up for a lack of fitness when headed into the mountains.
The bottom line is make sure that your body is fit enough to handle the stress of a high altitude mountain trip, and listen to your body while you are at altitude. If you pay attention, your body will tell you what fuel you need to keep going and how well you are adjusting to the high altitude environment. Have fun and climb safe!
_____
Walter Hailes is a senior guide at RMI and has guided extensively in North and South America. He also works as an exercise physiologist at the University of Montana, primarily studying the human capacity to endure/excel in difficult environments including high altitude, extreme heat and cold.
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts on the RMI Blog!
hey
Posted by: natalie on 4/27/2018 at 9:03 am
It was rally useful for me. I am going to improve the level of my mountaineering with the use of this methods.
Posted by: hossein bakhtiarzadeh on 2/27/2014 at 9:02 pm
When you have worn out your shoes, the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber of your body. I measure your health by the number of shoes and hats and clothes you have worn out.
Posted by: Ralph W. on 1/12/2014 at 6:24 pm
Billy Nugent.. Be safe and enjoy the climb, always thinking about you! Love from all of us here on the ground! Pam, Jim Jack and Abby!
Posted by: Pam Wenzel on 1/11/2014 at 11:13 pm
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