Is one full day at 10,000 feet enough to acclimate for a flatlander?

[Johnson27]

Every time I go, it gets worse for me. I usually take 2-3 days in Denver, then another day around 7500-8000' before trying anything above 10,000'.

Doctor prescribed AcetaZOLAMIDE to help. I start taking this 3-4 days before going to Denver and continue until descent.

 

[stretch866]

Sleep in the Denver area. That additional night at 5-6k will go a long, long way.

Sleep in Denver(5k) and not Silverthorne(9k) night 1 you are saying? Better to start the process at lower elevation?

 

[dtrkyman]

I live at 7k and take people fishing and hunting from sea level often, everyone is different. Some are only effected by the lack of air, others get head aches, diarrhea, nausia and it takes them out.

Hydrate and lay of the booze is my best advice!

 

[Laelkhunter]

Where do you live at?

New Orleans. Most of which is 10 to 20 feet below sea level. We have Levees around the City to keep water out, and any rain is pumped out (over the levees) into the river and lake. During Katrina, a Levee was breached by a runaway barge that allowed the lake to flow into the city flooding everything.

 

[Erussell01]

At 10,000 ft it takes someone on average 1-3 days to acclimatize.

Hydrate hydrate hydrate (electrolytes are your friend)
Avoid alcohol
Consume lots of carbs
Limit exertion until acclimatized
Climb high sleep low until acclimatized
Diamox prescription can help prevent in most cases
Listen to your body and descend when things are off

How low is low enough?

Last year I hiked yo 9400 ish and slept there. It was kinda nice to wake up 150 yards from my glassing nob...

 

[doc holiday13]

no
If you want to cut the curve a little bit, you'll need diamox.

8 years ago I went to Cusco, Peru. Only reason i wasn't in headache mode was because I was on diamox. After 1 day in Cusco I proceeded on a 4 day hike that went up to 15K ft.

4 years ago I went to Colorado springs, got winded doing a simple hike. Then drove up Pikes Peak the next day. The summit at Pike's was rough.

 

[Theringworm]

General recommendation is 1-2,000 ft lower than where you were with symptoms. Everyone is different.

I can go straight from West Texas (2,700 ft elevation) to my wife’s distant families ranch that sits at 9800 ft in Colorado and go straight to work, hunting or hiking and not have any issues. Been doing it for 20+ years now. I am no triathlete and little prep is done prior to going. It simply hasn’t affected me at that elevation, yet. Maybe someday it will. The moral of the story is, it affects everyone different and at different elevations. Prepare as much as you can, take preventative measures, know the symptoms, know your body and change your plans when things are going south. No one to impress when It comes to this.

 

[Marshfly]

General recommendation is 1-2,000 ft lower than where you were with symptoms. Everyone is different.

I can go straight from West Texas to my wife’s distant families ranch that sits at 9800 ft in Colorado and go straight to work, hunting or hiking and not have any issues. Been doing it for 20+ years now. I am no triathlete and little prep is done prior to going. It simply hasn’t affected me at that elevation, yet. Maybe someday it will. The moral of the story is, it affects everyone different and at different elevations. Prepare as much as you can, take preventative measures, know the symptoms, know your body and change your plans when things are going south. No one to impress when It comes to this.

A lot of West TX is 3-5k though. Big difference in that and 500ft or less.

 

[Marshfly]

Sleep in Denver(5k) and not Silverthorne(9k) night 1 you are saying? Better to start the process at lower elevation?

Yes. That will make a huge difference. I'm originally from south Louisiana and I could do a flight to Denver and drive/sleep in SIlverthorne or Breckenridge for ski trips IF I had done a few summer trips to the mountains that year. If not, I often saw symptoms on the second or third day.

And that's the real issue, you might feel fine for 48 hours and THEN get sick. That is how it often happens. You think, "oh I'm fine" then BAM. Sick.

 

[KsRancher]

New Orleans. Most of which is 10 to 20 feet below sea level. We have Levees around the City to keep water out, and any rain is pumped out (over the levees) into the river and lake. During Katrina, a Levee was breached by a runaway barge that allowed the lake to flow into the city flooding everything.

Ok. Makes sense. I was like WTH.

 

[Desk Jockey]

New Orleans. Most of which is 10 to 20 feet below sea level. We have Levees around the City to keep water out, and any rain is pumped out (over the levees) into the river and lake. During Katrina, a Levee was breached by a runaway barge that allowed the lake to flow into the city flooding everything.

Just go run up and down Monkey hill or the levee by cooter browns.

@stretch866 I think answers vary but most people will say it takes between 3-7 days and really a bit longer for your body to crank out some more red blood cells. More time helps, but apart from that, push your prehunt fitness as far as possible and stay hydrated.

https://www.science.org/content/article/two-weeks-mountains-can-change-your-blood-months

 

[stretch866]

Just go run up and down Monkey hill or the levee by cooter browns.

@stretch866 I think answers vary but most people will say it takes between 3-7 days and really a bit longer for your body to crank out some more red blood cells. More time helps, but apart from that, push your prehunt fitness as far as possible and stay hydrated.

Sounds good. Fitness level will be decent. I have the time I have and can't really add a bunch of acclimation days so I'll take as much as I can from here and move forward with caution.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Just go run up and down Monkey hill or the levee by cooter browns.

@stretch866 I think answers vary but most people will say it takes between 3-7 days and really a bit longer for your body to crank out some more red blood cells. More time helps, but apart from that, push your prehunt fitness as far as possible and stay hydrated.

https://www.science.org/content/article/two-weeks-mountains-can-change-your-blood-months

Unfortunately I can't even walk after going to Cooter Brown's if you know what I mean. Monkey hill is so small now, it's a better workout walking up and down the levee.

 

[Q child]

Depends on you. I'm in my mid thirties and in pretty good shape. I live at sea level. I went to Quito in Ecuador, which is at 9,400' elevation and was fine without noticing an acclimation period. I was able to hike around without much trouble on the first day. This was easier stuff than I would get into if I was hunting, but I could have hunted right off the plane - not hunted hard, but it would not have been a waste of time. I took a tram to around 13,000' elevation a couple days in, and that totally kicked my butt.

 

[DmrbigEshotT]

If I would have taken the “first day is rest day” approach, I wouldn’t have killed my first bull.

Be in good shape going out there and hit a easier to access spot with terrain that is not killer. Boost oxygen helps.


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[whaack]

My plan is to drive to CO from MO, to Silverthorne where I'll stay the rest of the day, then up to camp at 10k the next morning. There I'll just be driving around and glassing a bit. Is that whole next day enough time to acclimate and be ready to hunt hard the following(opening) day?

Silverthorne is where we stop (IL resident). 1 day was always enough for us.


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[Traveler]

It really depends on the person. Sone people need 0 days, others several days

 

[Poser]

Unfortunately I can't even walk after going to Cooter Brown's if you know what I mean. Monkey hill is so small now, it's a better workout walking up and down the levee.

I’d cut a toe off right now to be sitting in front of a pile of oysters and a PoBoy at Cooter Browns. I’d start negotiating more toes if that included a stumbling walk over to mop up the late night shift at Snake and Jake’s.

 

[fngTony]

No it’s not enough. If you don’t have time to acclimate then don’t hunt hard the first couple days.

 

[Hnthrdr]

This thread is great! I am most amazed that people buy those little gimmick O2 cans… now I know who buys them thank you