High Altitude Camping

[wanghoeby]

This August I am going backpacking in the Bighorn mountains doing a 53 mile tour. One of my stops is going to be Cloud Peak which is 13 thousand some odd feet tall. How rough on me would it be to sleep at that altitude or around it, after 3 or 4 days in the back country? I have never had altitude sickness except for when I went from sea level to 14K in one day. Other than that I hadle it pretty well. What are the over night lows at that altitude in mid august?

Any help or insight would be swell.

[MOHSHSIHd]

i dont think it would be a problem at all....depending on weather it could be like 40s-60s temp would be my guess...maybe even 70s if its real warm

[LaramieSkiBum]

alt. sickness deals with %O2, and while it is effected my temperature and humitity, i would suspect that wisconsin is much lower than what he will see here in wyoming. and from what was posted below, I would say that your basically at sea level.....

edit: I removed my previous post because it would seem i am igorant about alt. sickness...see:

http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/safety/altitude.html

AMS is common at high altitudes. At elevations over 10,000 feet (3,048 meters), 75% of people will have mild symptoms. The occurrence of AMS is dependent upon the elevation, the rate of ascent, and individual susceptibility. Many people will experience mild AMS during the acclimatization process. Symptoms usually start 12-24 hours after arrival at altitude and begin to decrease in severity about the third day. The symptoms of Mild AMS are headache, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea, disturbed sleep, and a general feeling of malaise. Symptoms tend to be worse at night and when respiratory drive is decreased. Mild AMS does not interfere with normal activity and symptoms generally subside within 2-4 days as the body acclimatizes. As long as symptoms are mild, and only a nuisance, ascent can continue at a moderate rate. When hiking, it is essential that you communicate any symptoms of illness immediately to others on your trip. AMS is considered to be a neurological problem caused by changes in the central nervous system. It is basically a mild form of High Altitude Cerebral Edema (see below).

[crashnburn'd]

... whatever wisconsin is at (1900 tops?).

corrected

[SLSki]

It really depends on the person, some people are more susceptible to it. I live at 8,000 and still get a liittle nautious at or above 13K.

[shmerham]

What altitude you sleep at is a big factor with how you deal with altitude. Not only that, but you won't be as well-rested.

[freshie247]

It can snow any time of year at 13,000 and change.Be prepared ,but don't bring the kitchen sink!

[shera]

What are the over night lows at that altitude in mid august?

Between 30-40 F.

Right now the overnight lows are running between 40-45 at 9000, where I live.

Isn't the old adage to sleep low and work high or something?

Should be fun and challenging for you...

[pube-in-my-taco]

You'll want to bring a 4-season tent if you're camping above treeline because you need something that could handle the potential wind. I'm not saying that it'll be that windy, I'm saying you ought to be prepared in case it is.

Sleeping bag. Bring something warm.. at the absolute most 20º, preferably warmer. Again, you want to be prepared.

As far as altitude, it affects different people different ways. You're going to be spending a significant amount of time at those elevations, but should be reasonable well acclimated as well. Be prepared to descend if symptoms of AMS come on. I personally don't think that's likely, but then again, altitude sickness is a strange thing in its unpredictability.

[Pinner]

Climbing at high elevation is one thing, sleeping there entirely another.

I've summited many fourteeners with no more than shortness of breath. However, one usually descends after no more than a few hours. I tried to sleep at 14,00+ on Mt Kenya after climbing some 6,000ft and it was an unspeakably miserable experience. The next night we slept at 15,000+ and Diamox became my new best friend, enabling at least a few hours of rest.

That said, the difference between 13k and 14k is exponential so there's a good chance you'll be just fine. It will be cold (far colder than the previous posters have indicated) and likely windy, so be prepared.

Look forward to hearing your results.

[Trackhead]

Sleeping near 13k after 3 nights at around 10k? You will likely do fine.

If you consider Diamox, you should take it 24-48 hours prior to reaching your destination.

[Mountain Junkie]

Isn't the old adage to sleep low and work high or something?

It's train low and sleep high. Training at a lower elevation enables you to work harder due to the increase in O2. Sleeping high increases the red blood cell count. Regardless, this has nothing to do with the topic at hand.

[chaka]

what Trackhead said. I imagine the 3-4 day appraoch will be somewhat gradual, allowing you to spend a few days acclimatizing (well at least around 10k) before hitting your highpoint. Drink a shit load of water, as that helps the body adjust. And don't freak out of if you get a little Chane-Stokes breathing (I know I butchered the spelling), which may startle you when you are trying to sleep, will feel like you are hyperventilating. It is a good thing, again just part of your body adjusting. Everyone is different, but I would expect that you will probably feel a little AMS when you get past 10k for the first night, and be fine by the time you get to 13.

[72Twenty]

Here is a good conditions site for that area:

http://www.wyvisnet.com/cpwa1/

It is updated every 15 minutes and has a web cam.

Here in Laramie (at 7,220 feet ) it hs been in the 40's and 50's at night. It's been in the 30's and 40's at night in the Snowy Range (topping out in the 12K's). I'd say you will encounter similar conditions. Just watch out for the afternoon lightning storms.

Spending one night, you will probably be fine, though maybe a little uncomfortable trying to get to sleep. If Cloud is anything like the Snowy Range, I'd camp shy of the summit or even lower due to the daily/nightly lightning risk.

You better have a sweet TR when you get back!

[MakersTeleMark]

Watch for lightning, probably your biggest concern.

[Tri-Ungulate]

You may not sleep well, but will more than likely be OK at 13K. As others have noted, there's a lot of variability between people, but more than likely that's not really high enough to cause huge problems other than relative shortness of breath or headache. Just take it easy, make sure you're well-hydrated, (try to stay away from alcohol) and listen to your body. Cheyne-Stokes breathing is actually kind of a concerning sign, especially if it worsens, though as Chaka mentions, it can be part of acclimatization.

If you're really worried, like TH mentioned, you can get a 'script for acetazolamide (Diamox), though it takes awhile to kick in, as he noted. It's pretty safe medication. Believe it or not, there's growing evidence that Viagra and other phosphodiester inhibitors designed for impotence (like Levitra, and whatever that long-acting one is called, can't remember, but the scientific name is Tadalafil) might actually be useful for high altitude pulmonary edema.

[MOHSHSIHd]

yeah, my temps were way off...disregard...


i guess last time I slept near 13k is was super warm or something....

[Littlejerry]

When I sleep high I am not worried so much about the temp or wind it is the restless ass sleep I get. I sleep pretty much like shit at 12500 and up. This is usually without any acclimation. Plus my appetite is crap at altitude. I have found that an "appetite enhancer" really helps with eating and sleeping when I am at altitude.

[MOHSHSIHd]

Watch for lightning, probably your biggest concern.

definately...i think it was late june this year and I was camping solo on a ridge around 12,800....had to stay as low as possible for 4 hours....non stop thunder and counted something like 150 lighting flashes and bolts all around me close as hell...and it was snowing....then it finally blew out around midnight.....scary as shit....

[wanghoeby]

I don't know what I'm gonna do. We're using an old coleman tent that sleeps like 5 but is lighter than most 2 person backpacking tents. With some plastic on the inside it's quite roomy for 3 people and has as been prooved in Glacier/Waterton. I'm just worried that the poles will brake, it's like 6 feet tall. The thing's ghetto as shit but it works for me and saves me 300 dollars. My guess is that conditions will determine everything. So, I wont know till we're there.

[pube-in-my-taco]

I don't know what I'm gonna do. We're using an old coleman tent that sleeps like 5 but is lighter than most 2 person backpacking tents. With some plastic on the inside it's quite roomy for 3 people and has as been prooved in Glacier/Waterton. I'm just worried that the poles will brake, it's like 6 feet tall. The thing's ghetto as shit but it works for me and saves me 300 dollars. My guess is that conditions will determine everything. So, I wont know till we're there.

Let me get this straight - you're planning on camping at 13,000' in a Coleman tent.. You're kidding, right?

[wanghoeby]

It's gonna be sweet... I'll take pics for you!

[pube-in-my-taco]

It's gonna be sweet... I'll take pics for you!

You do that..

stay safe.

[sagarmatha]

just wanted to put my 2 cents in about the altitude... i spent some time talking with scientists that had studied altitude sickness. there were a couple of pieces of info that i picked up from them that i found interesting--and the one i found most interesting was that anyone is susceptible to altitude sickness. even if a person has 10 years of experience and has never gotten sick--they still have the same chance of getting altitude sickness as anyone else does.

also, for someone coming at seal level i would be very careful at 13,000. on 2 occasions i was up at 13,000 and heard about people dying due to altitude. in each case the person had spent 3 days acclimitizing. granted both of these cases were in the dead of winter and the air was very thin. still, it is safe to say that anything can happen. as long as you are willing to turn around in the case that you have any of the symptoms you should be cool. be safe

[wanghoeby]

There are too many unpredictabilities to say what we are going to do. We'll have to play it by ear and hope for the best.