Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Oxygen and O2

Monday the 18th was my first permit season ascent of Whitney, before that I had done several winter ascents via both trails and some one-day ascents in November. It is alot more interesting with a bunch of people on the trail and 2 things I saw I have to ask about.

1) There were people with Oxygen on the summit - how common is this on Whitney?
2) There was a guy with full-length crutches - If he did a winter ascent could he get miniature snowshoes to attach to the ends of his crutches so they wouldn't sink?

Oops.. the subject was supposed to be O2 and crutches..

Why would a guy on crutches be trying a winter ascent?

Why would a guy on crutches be trying a summer ascent?

I don't know... maybe because he couldn't find any miniature snowshoes for his crutches?

Ok - just to clarify in case it wasn't incredibly obvious, the comment about the crutches was kidding - BUT I am seriously asking about the Oxygen. How common is it for people climbing Whitney to carry Oxygen? And where do they get it?

McClain,

Never even heard of people carrying O2 on whitney before... ever. That's almost sounds like cheating.

Last time I summitted, noting how the trail seems more like a road than a trail, I wondered if anyone had summitted in a wheelchair before.

McClain,

Who ever you saw on the summit using oxygen propably spent $1000 for it and they wouldn't even need it. The only time you need oxygen is above 25,000ft, in the death zone. I would consider whitney to be the starting level of the oxygen problem. I could run up the mountain without any problems.

Matt.

REI sells the Breath of Life Oxygen system for $170. Replacement O2 cannisters are $35. These are not meant to replace expedition style systems, but they are relatively inexpensive. I personally would rather spend my money on something more useful such as Andreas's ulralight backpack. It's also interesting to note that pilots (small plane and commercial) will often use similar systems from time to time to help them stay alert, especially prior to landing.

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductD...gory_rn=4500545

That sounds like something George Mallory should have had on Everest...

No one in decent shape NEEDS O2 up there, if they take the time to acclimate. But compared to the number of people who try to skip the acclimatization process and get by with mega doses of aspirin, ginkgo, heavy breathing, superhydration, diamox etc, I'd say oxygen is a better idea. At least we KNOW it works.

RE: the crutches. I grew up in AK, and crutches up there are issued with flip down "crampons" for walking on ice.

I once saw a guy with an oxygen tank riding a mt. bike up White Mt. Even that sight doesn't compare with the unicyclists trying to bag that peak!

Have a look at:

http://www.businesswire.com/webbox/bw.032101/210802576.htm

This article is related to someone wheelchair bound, not O2.

Maybe the guy on crutches who wants to summit in the winter could use a wheelchair with snow tires or chains instead.

This is in response to Tyler Durden's comment about George Mallory. Even back in the early days of climbing they used bottled oxygen at higher altitudes. When Mallory and Irvine headed up Everest in 1924 they had with them very primative breathing systems that were prone to freeze ups that would make them inoperable. These systems were large two tank affairs that all but precluded the user from carrying a backpack as well. They would have done well to have a more reliable system like those in use today. But it was not lack of oxygen that supposedly took Mallory's life on Everest, but a simple slip that left him with a broken leg. It is speculated that he died from exposure after breaking his leg. The injured leg left him no way to climb down and he perished high on Everest's upper reaches. Mallory's remains were discovered a few years ago at about 27,000 feet. The remains of his partner Andrew Irvine have yet to be located.

The newer oxegyn systems are much better than the bulky systems I used on my three Everest expeditions. The best of the systems was over 20 pounds and it was probably of limited usefulness as the aerobic capacity provided by the bottled O2 was mitigated by the weight of the blasted things. They were also very tempramental and difficult to maintain in Everest conditions.

Mr. Durden seems to know a bit about my climbing background, but I still challenge his climbing ability with a race up a summit yet to be determined. His silence on this matter indicates to me he has not honor or self respect. That is just what I would expect from a low life wannabe climber.

Hey, those weren't crutches I was using, those were prescription trekking poles.