HAPE and HACE

HAPE, high altitude pulmonary edema, is the gathering of fluids in the lungs. It kills. If an afflicted person dosn’t die from HAPE, it is probably because the early signs were recognised and that person descended immediately. If you are going to go into the high altitudes you should know the signs of HAPE. Take this stuff seriously.

HACE, high altitude cerebral edema, occurs when fluids gather in the brain. I think you get the idea. Bad stuff here again. It is important to know the early indications and descend immediately at the first signs of HACE.

There are a number of drugs which may prove helpful in buying time while getting a climber stricken with HAPE or HACE down. Collectively they form the small but high octane pharmacy no high alt climber should be without.

Studies show that most people can go to 12,000 feet without difficulty. Between 12,000 and 22,000 some of us can acclimatise. Above 22,0000 feet elevation your clock starts running down. It may run down quickly, or it may run down slowly. But to be certain it is running down. We are not meant to be at these altitudes and our bodies go to great lengths to communicate this to us. Light-headedness, nausea, sleep disorders, and a ferocious caloric burn rate all become commonplace. You probably can’t eat as many calories as your body burns at high altitude, so it starts feeding on itself. Substantial weight loss, and loss of muscle mass are typical.
As a result, most high altitude attempts incorporate a strategy designed to spend as little time as possible in the thin air. A climber will acclimatise with hikes or load carries in the 12,000 to 17,000 ft elevations for many days, all the while beefing up his physiology. Then he will move into position at high camp and hope for that "Blue Bird Day," clear skies and no wind. Thats when he takes his shot and gets down. Success or not, he gets down. It is a very bad idea to linger, and being weathered in at high camp is among the least favorable outcomes one may encounter.

Strategy on Elbrus features a series of acclimatisation hikes. Each one taking me higher, then descending to sleep low that night. Two of these hikes will have us returning at days end to the comfort of a high mountain ski lodge. Nice. A great deal of thought has gone into how we will acclimatise in the most measured and sensible ways. We will also know the reassurance of having highly trained and experienced Guides leading us ..