Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Has anyone summited Whitney while Pregnant?

Not looking to start a debate. Just curious if anyone has any experience hiking Whitney (or any 14er) while pregnant?

I've been wanting to do this for 10 years and finally got permits this year. I'll be 4.5 months along when we hike. fwiw, last time I was pregnant, I hiked Half Dome, ran 3 half marathons, did 350 skydives (my job!), backpacked through Banff... My son is now 1 and is perfect. I'm in tune with taking things slow, acclimating at 10k for a few days prior, listening to my body and turning around if I'm not feeling well. But I felt pretty good in the second trimester last time. Of course I'd ask my doctor as well. So I'm just wondering if anyone has previous experience with 14ers while pregnant.

Thanks.

Hi You might contact the owner of the Bonanza in Lone Pine. I think she went to the summit with us while pregnant some years ago. Thanks Doug

Several years ago, our group included a friend who was 4 1/2 months pregnant. She was also quite an athlete, having done several triathlons. She did fine. Her husband carried a little more of their gear, to keep her pack lighter.

First, I'd suggest asking your OB doctor, who's familiar with your medical history.

That being said, I'll just say that when I was pregnant, I was VERY involved with ballet, taking several classes a week. I basically asked this same question to my doctor - is it OK to continue with this activity. The answer I was given was that it is important to stay strong and healthy, and that he saw no problem continuing to do ANYTHING that I'd been doing up to that point. I did eventually go off pointe, but I danced up to 2 weeks before my son was born.

I realize hiking to 14,500 feet is not the same thing as dancing at sea level, but I suspect the advice will be the same. Good luck to you!

Doug is right, the owner of the Bonanza did summit. But she didn't know she was pregnant at the time. It was a town hike and every body made the summit. Just before Lone Pine Lake, morning sickness was confused with attitude sickness. She ate a handful of pretzels and kept going.

We eat at the Bonanza frequently when in town and reminisce about our fun day.

See you on the trail

Jack and Betsy

Lew,

You will be HIKING a very well developed and safe trail at relatively high altitude (I am assuming you are planning to summit via main trail). Aside from constant exposure to lower oxygen levels, this activity is far less dangerous than other normal things you do. People in their 70s hike the main Whitney trail with no problem. Also, I wonder what your doc said when you told him your regular job requires making 10-15 jumps per day with a camera on your head:))
Are you planning a day trip or overnight? Both are perfectly attainable but perhaps an overnight trip would be a more enjoyable option, especially if K. carries all the camping gear.

Here is a read that you may find interesting and informative:

http://www.summitpost.org/chronicles-of-a-pregnant-weekend-warrior/533836

Lew,
How did you feel last time while hiking a 14er?
People tolerate high elevation differently and only you can know this.
A risk of miscarriage is relatively small (I know only about one such case on a little bit smaller mountain).

fetus has different hemoglobin (F), different circulation, and other manuevers to live in their relatively hypoxic environment. Add ambient reduction in O2 on a high mountain, then this may lower available O2 in utero even further. Is there any risk? Apparently there is with long term stays, not as well understood about short term stays such as dayhikes. All this is far different that the question about the mom lugging herself up and down the mountain, bouncing her pelvic parts.

None of us here, nor your OB for that matter, knows the O2-related risks. If it were me, I'd ask the expert, Dr Peter Hackett at the world-reknown Institute for Altitude Medicine in Telluride. This is exactly the type of question they get all the time.

Inst Altitude Med

or at least read the section on pregnancy that does suggest restricting sleeping altitude to under 10,000 feet.

Altitude pregnancy

Very good article on altitude and pregnancy!! I'd not ever heard that about the Diamox... but then, I'd never even heard of Diamox when I was pregnant!

Thanks, Harvey, for another great reference and link.

I have access to the best hand held blood oximeter devices manufactured today

Maybe we should plan another group hike and we can do our own field study.

I have one of the cheapest blood oximeters made...and, looks like I may have to be in Southern California around Memorial Day weekend for work. Anyone want to climb Whitney that weekend? With or without blood oximeters?

Hi First Thanks Harvey for the link, 1 in 10,000 well we get the other 9,999 on Whitney you would not think that 50' more would make that much of a difference.

Everyone should look over the links and study each topic they will open your research into a great subject . check out the myth section also. Thanks Doug

amax,
lol... ok, I give up, who are you? and the midwife laughed when I said what I did. Not sure how I should have taken that, but I laughed with her. It is unusual. We're likely going to dayhike it, starting early early like 2am.

h_lankford,

Thanks for the info and reply. I am definitely not worried about the hiking itself, just the altitude. I bounced my first baby around a lot in utero He's 1 now and his favorite game is sitting on my lap bouncing up and down.

Thanks for the links!

Lew:
Lol. The fact that I easily figured out who you are by simply reading the initial post and you still have no idea who I am is yet another proof of your skydiving celebrity status :)) Enjoy the trip and for God's sake, bring a smaller camera and no helmet :))

Well, I made it to the top. I miscalculated originally and I'm just past 5 months (23 wks) pregnant. We went up the mountaineers route too, which was fun! And down the trail. Conditions were perfect, route was dry other than the few creek crossings. We had a perfect sunny warm day Tuesday, luckily, as storms moved in Wednesday. We started at 2am from the portal, summited at 12:30, back to camp at 7:30. Huge thanks to skydiveken for leading the way. Baby girl is going to have a great story to tell...

Congratulations!

Is Whitney as a girls name in the running?

Thanks. We joked about naming her Whitney, or as a middle name. But we already had a name chosen. So Whitney can just be a nickname.

I had nothing to do with it. You did it all yourself. However, I think Ken is a fitting nick name.

Right... Thanks Ken. I wouldn't even have shown up if you weren't there.