Shadow and I both woke with a headache. He didn't sleep that well. To put things in perspective we are sleeping at the same altitude as Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in the continental US. In order to continue a safe ascent above this altitude, we must do acclamation climbs. That's where we climb to the maximum safe altitude, 1,500 feet above where we are now, then back down 1,500 feet to sleep. This way we can check how our bodies are doing and be able to climb higher in the next few days.
We took an aspirin and headed up after breakfast like most everyone else. Halfway we saw a helicopter come into town. It was a Swedish man suffering from extreme AMS (altitude sickness). The climb was not a problem for us and the views were breathtaking. Although 200 vertical feet from the tea house I began to feel nauseous along with a headache. We asked the local medical guy, who runs the bakery in town. He said it was normal and to eat garlic. This broccoli green looking soup came out filled with chopped garlic. I ate as much as I could and went to bed. Shadow read while I rested. Drinking water and testing my stomach with a few bland cookies. About 4 hours later, I felt well enough to get out of bed. Just in time to see an awesome afternoon view of a mountain poking out of the clouds that had rolled in. Our friend Nimbus Dodger can relate to this story. We are not the only ones suffering from the altitude. It's just a reminder that we must take this trek slow and listen to our bodies.
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