Hullfox Posted 18 May 2009 Posted 18 May 2009 Bloody hell. Mental. Thanks for the post HF. I would PM but this might be of interest to the rest of the forum... Which route did you go up and how many days did it take? From my understanding altitude sickness is as much about the time taken for the ascent as it is the actual height you go to. Our trek is a very gradual one which will hopefully ease the effects.Did you take Diamox? Seems to have some side effects but I reckon it's definitely worth a go. Speaking to the girl at the charity and she said she took it and barely suffered any symptoms of altitude sickness. Obviously it will vary massively from person to person. We took the slower route but the final ascent came at midnight after a full day's walking. People are on auto pilot at this stage. The people who took Diamox invariably fared better though I know of someone who has not made it to the top twice despite taking it on the second attempt. The conditions are abysmal, the sleep is non existent, feeling your heartbeat increase with altitude is scary and it's fooking freezing at night. Would I do it again? Absolutely.
ozleicester Posted 19 May 2009 Posted 19 May 2009 My work sponsors certain charities each year and this year it's CHICKS which is how I found out about it. They set a minimum fundraising target and a total cost and you just raise as much as you can. We may end up paying for our flights and insurance but then trying to fundraise the rest, i.e. the cost of the actual trek.The company that CHICKS use to run it is Charity Challenge who provide all the stuff you'll need in terms of guides, porters, transpot links, etc. Apparently 96% of people who use the Lemosho route make it to the summit - very encouraging. This is the thing. Fitness obviously plays a part but altitude sickness can affect anyone, regardless of their health. But yeah I'd hope that I can match that fat ****er. and the other 4% ???
shen Posted 19 May 2009 Posted 19 May 2009 and the other 4% ??? ...Are kidnapped and eaten by local cannibal tribes, obviously! Pff...
Monk Posted 19 May 2009 Posted 19 May 2009 CHICKS Good luck James, it sounds like an awesome challenge - something I would like to do one day, so I will keep an eye on this story and take note of how close to death the experience takes you
Finnegan Posted 19 May 2009 Posted 19 May 2009 CHICKS Good luck James, it sounds like an awesome challenge - something I would like to do one day, so I will keep an eye on this story and take note of how close to death the experience takes you Not close enough. <_<
James. Posted 29 May 2009 Author Posted 29 May 2009 Oh shit. Girlfriend and I are now officially booked. We've decided to self fund it so all money we raise actually goes to the charity as opposed to paying for our trip (happy now Finners?!). I'm scared and excited. If anyone missed this thread first time round and has any experiences to share please go for it... keen to have as much knowledge as possible before February.
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.