The Altitude Experience: Successful Trekking and Climbing Above 8,000 Feet (How to Climb) (Paperback)

by Mike Farris (Author)
Key Phrases: hypoxia tent, command fatigue, tude illness, Base Camp, Death Zone, Broad Peak (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This book is a comprehensive, practical resource for travelers, trekkers, and climbers who are going to be living at high elevation for any period of time. The author simplifies and organizes the technical information found in scientific texts and combines it with excerpts from actual expedition accounts and narratives to present a complete picture of how altitude affects the body both physically and psychologically. The book also includes complete guidelines for how to prepare for travel at altitude, including how to train and acclimatize, what to bring, how to treat altitude sickness should it occur, and how to "come down" from an experience at high altitude.

From the Back Cover

Hiking, trekking, and climbing at high altitude can be both enjoyable and challenging.
The Altitude Experience provides the tools and knowledge needed to have a safer and more successful outing, whether you’re day hiking above treeline in Colorado or aiming for the summit of Mount Everest.

For the first time, one book combines the science of the body’s responses to high altitude with the accumulated wisdom of experienced adventurers. Author and high-altitude climber Mike Farris presents in-depth coverage of how heat, cold, dehydration, emotional factors, and exercise affect human performance at altitude—and how to prepare for them. The science of high-altitude biology is explained in a clear, accessible format and supplemented with real-world examples.

Look inside for answers to these questions:
• What changes will take place in your body at altitude?
• How might your body respond?
• How can you train for altitude and improve acclimatization?
• What social and psychological factors are likely to affect your experience at altitude?
• What can you do before, during, and after your trip to improve performance?

With practical advice on topics ranging from picking partners to picking food to picking up the pieces when things don’t go as planned, The Altitude Experience is your go-to resource for exploring the beauty and exhilaration of the world’s high places.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Falcon; 1st edition (September 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762743581
• ISBN-13: 978-0762743582
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #770,951 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Heavy Science, January 26, 2009

By	Joe Gaffney (Rohnert Park, CA) - See all my reviews

I bought this book because it was recommended by Tom Steinstra, the Outdoors Editor in the San Francisco Chronicle. I have always hit a wall above 9,000 feet in the Sierras, so I wanted to improve my performance to tackle the higher passes on the PCT or JMT.

This book is very heavy on the science, but thin on the applications. If you want to know exactly why your performance starts to lag at higher elevations, this book is for you. If you want to train for the big hikes, or acclimatize yourself quickly, look somewhere else.