SummitPost.org

When I just arrived in Switzerland I did a very long ski ascent in a really high pace. The summit had a cable car and for some reason someone was there really late. I was offered to take it down for free - which I did. On the lift down I got talking to this SAC guy who was manning the station. He told me that often people would race up and then be too tired to ski down. In the following weeks I often thought about this after pitching my tent: "would I still have been able to descend after this".

I'm curious what everyone else experiences as his/her limit for altitude gain in one day. Last couple of weeks I found out that with full gear (tent, sleeping bag, cooking gear, food for multiple days,...) and skis I seem to be limited to about 1500m's a day*. In a bad situation I'll still be able to descend 1500m's again, but it will be hard on my legs. I also noticed that the difference without, or with little gear isn't that big.

* I'm calculating my altitude gain by subtracting my starting altitude from my ending altitude, not the actual gains by going up and down until you reach your destination. I know this is far from scientific, but I have no better ways to measure what I'm doing at this point.

Additionally, since at the moment I'm constantly climbing solo, I don't pace myself at all and often don't take any rests during the climb. I might occasionally have a drink or an energy bar, but usually I don't stop for this. I'm guessing this is also affecting what I'm able to do.

I'm curious to know whether you always pace yourself, even when (or especially when) climbing solo. Also, if some people are doing much larger altitude gains, I'm curious to know what kind of training they do to achieve this.

My record in one day so far is just over 3,000 meters of gain and 1,400 meters loss in the same day, which was done in just under 30 miles and 13 hours with minimal brief breaks. I would say that the last 1,000 feet of gain was the most painful part of the day. It was like I hit a wall, and it was the slowest part of the climb. I carried 6 liters of fluid, 10-12 lbs of gear, and lots of yummy snacks (a rather light pack I would say.) I would do it again in a heart-beat:)

I have, on numerous occasions, gone from sea level to 12,000 feet or there about. Before Diamox, I'd suffer a nagging headache the first 24 hours along with insomnia the first night.

I stay fit year around, but do nothing all that serious for conditioning. Equally important is having reasonably low body fat. Critical to altitude acclimation is frequent intake of water, and I find an occasional snack to help somewhat even though I'm not at all hungry. For the past ten years, I take Diamox beginning 24 hours before hitting the trail, 125 mg twice daily day one, and three times the first 24 hours in, and then discontinue it the following day after one final dose. I have almost zero headache and no insomnia thanks to Diamox. But, I'm still pretty wiped out for the first 24 hours when doing these types of assents. I generally carry around 55 pounds going in, which thank my weary legs, comes down to under 45 pounds before exiting.

Almost 1700 m ascended and descended at Bachimala (3177 m) in the same day with few weight and fog on altitude.

Almost 1800 m ascended and around 700 m descended in the same day with few weight but a warm and dry weather. Anyway, I'm not looking for a vertical gain personal record when in the mountains. That was ascending Alcazaba (3371 m), Sierra Nevada of Spain.

1100 m ascended and almost 1600 m descended at Pico de Aragüells (3037 m) with only a few candies. Me and my dad had to ask other climbers for food...

Rick Kent and Michael (sorry, I've forgotten his last name) have done 25000' (7620m) in a day on San Jacinto; they went cactus-to-clouds 3 times in a row. The caveat is that they used the tram to descend. I believe that feat has since been repeated by others. There was the fellow who climbed Shasta 6 times in 24 hours (36000' gain).

My personal accumulated gain max was 11500' in 10 hours, but that was over old trails and easy class 2 trail-less territory (Shorty's Well to Telescope Peak). I've had much harder gains of just 7000' when lots of scrambling and talus was involved. Snow definitely makes it a lot harder -- I've never done more than 4200' in snow.

My hat is off to someone who carries a full backpack over 12000' of gain in a day.

I guess I pace myself; when I start to breathe too hard, I stop and rest for 20 breaths. Else I would just stop exhausted.

Were those 7620 m/day running Moapa

Diego Sahagún wrote:Were those 7620 m/day running Moapa

Nope, just walking: http://hwstock.org/tpsw/

lots of folks out here do this.

Over 70K in Antarctica... (Helo)

Over 50K on Mammoth Mtn... (Snow Mobile)

Do these count?????

The Chief wrote:Over 70K in Antarctica... (Helo)

Over 50K on Mammoth Mtn... (Snow Mobile)

Do these count?????

For you, yes.

Greg Hill of Canada climbed and skied 51,100 vertical feet in 24 hours and 2 million vertical feet in one year
http://espn.go.com/action/freeskiing/bl ... llion-vert
http://espn.go.com/action/freeskiing/bl ... d-superman
http://greghill.ca

Here is Sam's blog for the 25000 ft day
http://mountaineeringreview.blogspot.co ... e-day.html

And you Cy You've repeated many big ascents/day...

Diego Sahagún wrote:Were those 7620 m/day running Moapa

It says 11500 ft/day but you've talked about 25000' (7620m)/day. I don't undertand you

17000 ft in 8hrs up Skyline twice for me... (same day Rick and Michael went up 3 times, 25000 ft for them!!!). Snow creek Steve and Fernando also did it 3 times last November I think.

50000 ft in 24 hours is insanely impressive!

Oh... How about 18,233' in just over 15 hours by bicycle.

Diego Sahagún wrote:

Diego Sahagún wrote:Were those 7620 m/day running Moapa

It says 11500 ft/day but you've talked about 25000' (7620m)/day. I don't undertand you

My bad, I misread the note. Rick and Michael "walked" the 25000' --they started at night, and finished pretty late in the day (they caught the last tram down).