Abstract: Background: Building an anchor is one of the most important aspects of any technical rope system. The goal of this research is to obtain a better understanding of load distribution in a pre-equalized anchor system using multiple point configurations. All climbers, mountaineers, technical rescue teams (Mountain Rescue, USAR), guides, or anyone who needs to build an anchor with multiple...

Increasing numbers of people with diabetes are seeking advice about participation in high altitude climbing, which has the problems of serious metabolic demands, a high likelihood of acute mountain sickness (AMS), and leaving the climber remote from medical care. The American Diabetes Association states that “all levels of exercise, including leisure activities, recreational sports, and competi...

OBJECTIVE If the body fails to acclimatize at high altitude, acute mountain sickness (AMS) may result. For the early detection of AMS, changes in cardiac autonomic function measured by heart rate variability (HRV) may be more sensitive than clinical symptoms alone. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if the changes in HRV during ascent are related to AMS. METHODS We followed Lake Louis...

Attempts to climb Mount Everest failed for thirty years until a mountain climbing physiologist joined the efforts. This story demonstrates value of context, inductive processes, and pragmatism generate local knowledge solutions in austere, hazardous environments. In these environments, imperfect information inaccurate models can kill. story, viewed from climbers' experience rather than scientis...

introduction: chronic mountain sickness (cms) represents a syndrome of secondary polycythemia along with thrombocytopenia, altered hemorheology, pulmonary and systemic hypertension, and congestive heart failure, occurring due to hypobaric hypoxia-anoxia-induced erythropoiesis reported in both native mountain residents and new climbers after prolonged stays at high and extreme altitudes.case pre...

The purpose of the study was to investigate determinants of acute mountain sickness after rapid ascent to high altitude. A total of 21 climbers were studied ascending from <1,200 m to Capanna Regina Margherita, a hut in the Alps at 4,559 m, within <24 h. During their overnight stay at 4,559 m, breathing patterns and ventilation were recorded by calibrated respiratory inductive plethysmography a...

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a common problem while ascending at high altitude. AMS may progress rapidly to fatal results if the acclimatization process fails or symptoms are neglected and the ascent continues. Extensively reduced arterial oxygen saturation at rest (R-Spo₂) has been proposed as an indicator of inadequate acclimatization and impending AMS. We hypothesized that climbers less ...

Bilateral venous infarction of the brain due to thrombosis of the deep cerebral venous system is relatively rare, accounting for approximately 3-8 percent of all cases of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). Known risk factors include the use of oral contraceptives, pregnancy, puerperium, malignancy and thrombophilic states. CVT, in the setting of acute mountain sickness (AMS), has rarely been rep...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of a portable hyperbaric chamber for treatment of acute mountain sickness. DESIGN Controlled randomised trial over two mountaineering seasons. SETTING High altitude research laboratory at 4559 m above sea level. SUBJECTS 64 climbers with acute mountain sickness randomly allocated to different treatments. INTERVENTIONS One hour of treatment ...

Twenty-four amateur climbers took part in a double-blind controlled cross-over trial of acetazolamide versus placebo for the prevention of acute mountain sickness. They climbed Kilimanjaro (5895 m) and Mt Kenya (5186 m) in three weeks with five rest days between ascents. The severity of acute mountain sickness was gauged by a score derived from symptoms recorded daily by each subject. On kilima...