Cilming killamanjaro advice needed.
Discussion
This is how to start a Friday; a mate called me today and told me he has put my name down to walk to the summit of Kilimanjaro. We start the walk on August the 23rd. I am quite fit but do need to lose some weight and gain a better level of fitness to do this. The big problem as I see it is the altitude sickness. Does anyone know how I can train for this.
My understanding is that you can only increase your bodies ability to function at altitude by actually subjecting it to exercise at altitude, I am guessing there is no where in the UK high enough.
http://www.simulatedaltitude.co.uk/acatalog/Altitu...
You could do some reading here.
http://www.simulatedaltitude.co.uk/acatalog/Altitu...
You could do some reading here.
Avoiding altitude sickness is all about the right preparation. The old addage walk high, sleep low and taking your time is the best thing you can do.
On Killi the best routes to avoid this are to do an acclimatisation route on Mt Meru + the longer routes to the top.
Before you go just make sure your reasonably fit. I've also found that using this for 2 months prior to going to altitude makes a huge difference to your acclimatisation time.
http://www.powerbreathe.com/products/pb-classic-pr...
In all my trips to altitude I've only once had altitude sickness & that was because I didn't follow the advice above. I went from 200m above sea level to 3600m in one day & I didn't have the best of nights that day.
On Killi the best routes to avoid this are to do an acclimatisation route on Mt Meru + the longer routes to the top.
Before you go just make sure your reasonably fit. I've also found that using this for 2 months prior to going to altitude makes a huge difference to your acclimatisation time.
http://www.powerbreathe.com/products/pb-classic-pr...
In all my trips to altitude I've only once had altitude sickness & that was because I didn't follow the advice above. I went from 200m above sea level to 3600m in one day & I didn't have the best of nights that day.
I did it last year and it's nothing more than a long hard walk uphill that gets harder everyday due to fatigue and increased altitude reducing your oxygen consumption.
I live in Dubai so chances for practise runs up similar terrain were, erm, limited, so for two months in advance I would go to the gym and walk at 5/6kmh up the highest setting on the treadmill for as long as I could. Worked a treat.
My understanding is that alt sickness is more or less unfathomable and will get you or not regardless of what you do. We got off the plane at midnight and started walking the next morning - no probs.
p.s buy a good set of boots now and wear them in as much as possible and get a set of poles too - very useful for reducing leg fatigue.
I live in Dubai so chances for practise runs up similar terrain were, erm, limited, so for two months in advance I would go to the gym and walk at 5/6kmh up the highest setting on the treadmill for as long as I could. Worked a treat.
My understanding is that alt sickness is more or less unfathomable and will get you or not regardless of what you do. We got off the plane at midnight and started walking the next morning - no probs.
p.s buy a good set of boots now and wear them in as much as possible and get a set of poles too - very useful for reducing leg fatigue.
Edited by Hitch78 on Sunday 24th January 20:59
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