Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Question on acclimatizing

I am going to climb Mt. Adams and St. Helens at the end of May. This should help me to acclimate better for Whitney on June 9th. I am hoping that Whitney will help me to acclimate for Kili on June 23rd. Am I correct in this thinking? I believe this way of acclimatizing has helped me in the past. Or is this just old school thinking...any thoughts?

it'll definitely help

Having experience hiking at the elevation you are going to is a big help, most likely more help than going to these mountains a 10 days before going to Mt. Whitney.

Mt. Adams will cover you to Trail Camp after that it might be new turf for you.

I was up to Trail Camp in February after not seeing more that elevation in 5 months with absolutely no problems.

Good luck.

During the past few years several of my friends have summited Kili successfully and owe their accomplishment to their slow ascent with Wilderness Travel. http://www.wildernesstravel.com/itins/serkili.html
Although my friends are in their 50s and 60s, they are strong hikers and live in the San Francisco bay area. None of them did any altitude preparation. They all took diamox.

The traditional rule of thumb is that acclimatization lasts for about the same amount of time that it takes to get it. So if you are up at altitude for three days, you have about 3 days at sea level before it "wears off". The real physiology is more complex than this (red blood cell counts change very slowly while hemoglobin binding of oxygen changes very quickly), but it gives you a rough idea.

So the airplane flight to Africa (with a cabin pressure around 8,000) a day before your climb will probably help more than a few days at altitude 2 weeks before you leave. There are some good day hikes around Kili to help you acclimatize as well as taking the longer route up Kili (pole, pole, as they say meaning slowly, slowly). I saw some numbers once that only half the climbers make the Kili summit on the 3 day route while 75 - 80% make it on 5 day or longer routes.

My wife and I took the "Coca Cola" Marangu Route in 2000. It was a 6 day trek with an extra layover day at Horombo so we did the last stage after midnight on the fifth day. I reached the summit, my wife reached Gilman's Point. I trained by doing day hikes from the Portal to the top every other weekend leading up to the trip. I'm positive my training made the difference and would highly recommend hiking Mt. Whitney and elsewhere in the High Sierra to get ready for Kili. If you go in September, you can get ready in the High Sierra in August when weather and other conditions usually are excellent.

Thanks everyone for your input. I appreciate it. I guess there are different thoughts on this topic. I will be on Kili for 7 days and will take my time (pole/pole.)

Tim: I have already booked my air for Kili; I leave on June 21st. I will be climbing Whitney with HikerLaura on June 9th and 10th (MMWT). Hopefully that will help some. I plan on hiking quite a few mountains here in the NW up until I leave. Some peaks in the Columbia Gorge, St. Helens and Adams. mc

hey m.c.-
not to get off topic, but i am also going to kili on june 21st, start hiking the 23rd-- which company are you going with?? just wondering if we will be trip-mates.... jackie

Hey jackie123

Small world! I would love to discuss my plans with you...are you doing a safari afterwards? I am going with either 7summits.com or Zara direct. I will be by myself and I am doing either the Lemosho/Machame route or the Umbwe route. Maybe we could plan to meet at a designated time and place beforehand if time allows.

Look forward to hearing from you!!!

I love this site...
I had planned on hiking Whitney in June just before going to Kili. But stumbling onto WPSMB was just coincidental. Now, a fellow member, jackie123, happens to be arriving at JRO on the same day that I am! We have a plan to meet for dinner the first night. We are taking different routes but if we both summit, we may meet again at the top of Africa! Truly, a small world! mc