Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Indian Army Acclimatization Schedule

I feel that the correct way to acclimatize is based on knowing oneself and having the experience tell you how your body reacts, what challenges will happen, and how well/poorly you personally overcome them.

For me, I know I get a headache at 12-13,000 feet no matter what; whether I take one day or three days to get there and if I am hydrated well or not. If I sleep well at that altitude, I’m able to go higher for the next night. If I don’t sleep very well, I can push higher for the day so long as my sleeping altitude doesn’t increase more than a couple hundred feet. At about 13,000 feet I notice myself moving more slowly, taking those deeper breaths and focused breathing. My next hurdle is at 18,000 feet where my next headache develops; at this point I’m pressure breathing more often.

I know myself well enough that I can expect these things to happen, and thus be prepared for it mentally. Until one achieves that experience, the safer route is always best. You can start pushing yourself after a while as long as you’re careful. A friend of mine once pushed to 17,000 in a day, ended up in the hospital, and has HAPE twice since at 12,000. The three day summit of Whitney (in my opinion) is a good place to start for beginners.

There is more than meets the eye on the cattle you saw there:
"The losses from the disease can vary depending on the origin of the cattle. In cattle born and raised at high elevations, the losses tend to run from .5% to 5%. In imported or lowland cattle the losses can range from 30% to 40%. Cattle differ in how they respond to oxygen shortage. Some cattle are able to tolerate high pressures for a longer period of time, while others die quickly."
(This is from an unofficial source, but is a pretty good summary:
Brisket Disease

The Indian Army schedule is for going to altitudes similar to Whitney, ....but.... rather than a single day or two like Whitneyoids, they are gonna stay for a tour of duty, haul heavy stuff, shoot at Pakistan, run 20 miles, or whatever. So they need a longer acclimatization schedule to reach "full" acclimatization to allow a better chance at a longer stay and to do more work while there. The Army medical records show this results in reduction (but note not elimination) of AMS and HAPE. Similarly, a longer acclimatization requirement is also needed on peaks higher than Whitney.

Urinary tract infections aren't known to come from consuming contaminated water. It was from some other cause.

that person is HAPE-prone,
for whatever poorly understood physiological reasons ranging from genetics to pulmonary artery reactivity to abnormal hemoglobin to just plain 'it is what it is.'
Can that be prevented with longer acclimatization? Not always.

With cows, they try to identify the ones who are prone, and eliminate them from the breeding, so the next generation is less prone to pulmonary hypertension and chronic altitude sickness.

Agree with Ken, I missed that.