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Altitude 23-Nov-2006 At 4:46:38 PM JohnK

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Just visiting this thread again some more info to share.
Never tried the oxygen hypoxicator. After all the reading seem the best advice was to acclimitise by gaining altitude slowly and with the lowest possible heart rate. So took a heart rate monitor and walked up very slowly. When walking into Pumori Base camp (5300m) we ran into 3 volunteer doctors at Periche (around 4000m elevation from memory) who measured our oxygen levels in our system . It was considered by them that a level of between 70% - 90% was the acceptable range for people acclimitising. At sea level you would expect it to be at 100%. For me it was 89% on the way up and then after 4 weeks on the way down. Only a few days before someone had been carried back from Lobuche with a level of 59%! They had blue lips and were immediately put on oxygen and taken straight down - lucky to live.
Diamox definetely works, and the only person in our group out of 15 which did not take it bailed out at Lobuche. However the stuff will make you pee 4-5 times per day. At worst, just got a headacke at night, so just took 2 nurofens and drank 1L of water which worked a treat.