(Mount Everest Base Camp Trek: Part II)

Things I inadvertently learned while ascending to 17,598′ in elevation… Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)

 

 

It took nine days to ascend to Mount Everest Base Camp (17,598′) and two to come down. The elevation at Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla is 9,337′. It isn’t surprising that many experience the effects of altitude in this nearly 8,300′ elevation gain, even while taking time to acclimatize along the way. I have accomplished many “high-elevation” hikes before, including hiking the Inca trail this past Spring, but nothing prepared me for the ascent to the base of the world’s tallest mountain. By the time I reached the renowned Tengboche Monastery at 12,664,’ I was beginning to feel the altitude affect my body in subtle …and not-so-subtle ways.

 

It is common for people to experience fatigue, shortness of breath, and headaches at altitudes above 8,000.’ Being the well-prepared wilderness first responder that I am, I had all the conceivable medications and supplies one could possibly need on such a trek. But I never thought to take anything as a preventative nature. I generally take as little medication as possible and must be in genuine pain to even take an ibuprofen. I’m tough, or so I thought, and can usually muscle my way through the physical and mental stresses of long-distance hiking. I also had refused to hire a porter and felt almost insulted when my friend who arranged the trip suggested one. I thought to myself, I teach backpacking skills for a living, for goodness’ sake, I don’t need a porter! I can carry my own junk. [Insert maniacal laughter from the God of Irony… hahahaha]

 

I can honestly say this was the most humbling hike I have ever taken, and the things I learned were not at all what I expected to take away from the trek. Despite being one of the most scenic walks I had ever experienced by far, by the time I reached the next destination at Dingboche at 14,271,’ my abilities were on a fast decline. I had lost my appetite, had off-and-on again severe headaches, and was so tired I retreated to my sleeping bag while it was still light outside – which pretty much became the norm. We were supposed to stay here for two nights to acclimatize, but the guesthouse was very busy and noisy. I decided I did not want to stay there another night.

 

I was feeling a little better the next morning, so my trusted guide, Lok, and I made a plan to leave and only ascend a couple of hundred meters in elevation as a compromise. In hindsight, this was probably a rookie call, as there are good and valid reasons to take acclimatization days. But I wasn’t having it, so onward and upward, we slowly marched.

 

Because we were cutting the next day’s walk basically in half (Day 6) to stop just over 15,000,’ we arrived very early in the day. This was the point where I had my first doubts about whether I was going to make it all the way. I felt absolutely awful. And it was very cold. And my head felt like it was going to explode. By this point, trying to eat felt like the most burdensome chore ever, and the sleepless nights were taking their toll. My deep cough, brought on by elevation gain and persistent trail dust (you could actually see the particulate in the air in the sunlight!), was worsening.

 

As is my usual nature, I practice asking for divine guidance, no matter what I set out to accomplish, and at that point, I completely surrendered.

 

And then it happened…

 

Angelic support came without fail from the “happenstance” of me overhearing a woman’s conversation. I instantly knew, This is why I am supposed to be HERE! She was talking excitedly about how much the Diamox medicine was helping her. Because of my inherent lack of interest in taking medication, I had mentally “reserved” taking the Diamox, which I had dutifully purchased, for extreme emergencies (such as coughing up blood, I suppose). And it suddenly hit me like a lightning bolt how much I was suffering! Uhhh…hello?…This IS an emergency, Collin. I didn’t even have the mental clarity to understand how seriously my symptoms had progressed.

 

I started taking the medication that night. The usual dose is ½ pill in the morning and another at night, WITH food… (I learned that fun little tidbit the hard way.) And after the second dose, later the next day, I was well on my way to being a completely new woman. My headaches began to dimmish, my energy began to return, and even my shortness of breath felt utterly manageable. It took me feeling dramatically better to truly understand how badly I had felt before. My recovery was near miraculous. From that moment on, I didn’t have a shred of doubt that victory was mine.

 

However, since completing the hike, I must admit the self-flagellation has been intense. Being someone who is hyper-aware and always “on top of things,” I never dreamed I could have such a severe case of denial. But there are always hidden blessings, even in the most challenging of times. I now have an intense respect for high-altitude trekking from a brand-spanking-new perspective. Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) makes no exceptions for people, whether they are in denial or not. It doesn’t care if you are fit, experienced, young, old, local, or native. (Lok even had an intense headache the day we reached base camp!) If you are human and breathe oxygen, you’re susceptible.

 

I am deeply grateful for this entire experience. This part of the planet is one of abundant beauty as well as grave hazards we don’t often think about. I feel blessed and honored to have been called to this sacred place. I am grateful for my guide, Lok, who began taking all the heavy things out of my pack when I started to feel so fatigued. (He hand-carried my -30-degree sleeping bag nearly the entire way. Lok, truly, thank you!)

This is a trek I shall not soon forget!

 

Will this experience stop me from hiking to high-altitude destinations? Well, hell no! I will, however, do a few things differently next time… such as:

*Take the Diamox sooner… duh.

*Hire a porter… there’s no room for ego bullshit when you’re under such physical and mental stress!

*If it’s dry and dusty, I would always wear something to cover my mouth and nose on the trail (my neck gaiter -aka “Buff”- worked really well!)

*Bring more throat lozenges to soothe a persistent cough (apparently, this is very common!)

*Bring extra Paracetamol (enough to share because people are surprisingly unprepared and often have headaches!)

*Argh! Don’t beat up on myself – Remember, I’m only human!!! Aka… Self-Love is extra important when you make mistakes.

 

Namaste