[schu]

Wow, sounds like a terrific trip!

For me, I do pretty well to about 12k, then I start to feel it a bit. Experience has taught me to spend a night or two at a bit higher elevation than home resulting in a more enjoyable outing. Sometimes I will just find a way to take a short hike at 5K the day or night before.

It also seems that once you get above 14K, the altitude effect is much worse. These high altitude guys are pretty driven, determined folks. A well guided trip to the Himalayas makes their guests acclimatize correctly.

Suggested reading/movies:
Touching the Void
K2
Vertical Limit

Kraks book on Everest is good
Minus 148 - book about 3 guys trapped on Denali
K2 fatefully expedition

schu

[DoctorMichael]

{*LOL*} I've read and seen ALL of those!

Here's an obscure one from ~25 years ago: 'The Man Who Skied Down Everest'. I've also done the trek to Mt. Everest base camp 10 years ago as a 14 day hike from Luklha. I climberd Gokyo-Ri at 17,500' at that time.

Six months after the trip I just described in the Sierras (#432) I had the chance to go to Africa.......See my #79:
"....On Kilmanjaro last year (I'm 51 years old), at 18,700 feet, without oxygen, I decided to turn back within an hour of the summit (19,300') due to the fact that I was losing conciousness and falling down from time to time. I'm here.......the dead climber on Everest is not....."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1636848/posts?page=79#79

....and #151:
"....I wish I paid for another day (7days/6nights instead of 6days/5nights) to get fully acclimitized at the Summit-camp at 15,500' and I'm sure I could have done the whole thing. Oh well...."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1636848/posts?page=151#151

My acclimitization had worn off.

[nuancey]

My head and ears feel all filled up and painful at a measly 7000 Ft. no matter how many times I keep my jaw moving or how often I "open" my ears up.You guys must have Herculean eustacian tubes! I'm jealous.