by Ray Bennet
Things to avoid on your journey before hand are ALCOHOL (sorry) FAGS(Jan) but Jan has walked at 5000 metres before on the Annapurna circuit I believe. The effects are breathlessness obviously less O2, headaches, vomiting, cannot sleep, cannot walk a straight line(test at low alt first) and of course the end result can be very nasty and the only answer is to descend. I am not sure how to say this but nasty means fatal.
By the way age and fitness are not necessarily any guide although you have a better chance of no problems when younger it proved that way in Tibet.
Ways round it, you won't like this. On your ascent if you cycle to say 3000 meters you should have no prob here, but in the evening take a walk up 500 metres and sit for a while then descend again and sleep at 3000 and do the same each day until you go over the top then start drinking the ale again.
It is scary we were OK to 4500 walking suffered but got through it by panting to 5200 and then descend and got drunk, not advised but 1st for 2 weeks after all.
Lhasa was different and horrendous I was sick within 1 hour of landing but we flew in to 4500 meters or there about. Spent 3 days acclimatising (not long enough) then cycled permanently out of breath. Anyway you will not have that problem. I cycled the Silk road to the Chinese border which is probably 3500 and had no problem at all. Be very careful however do your homework as you are this problem is not to be treated lightly.
There are some herbal treatments that are supposed to help and there is a drug which I am sure Gavin will know I have forgotten it I will try to find name Now the Asthma lad. I can say we had one guy on our trip who got liquid on the lungs and had to be flown home touts suite, big trouble, now he was foolish he had asthma and on the first cycling day felt OK and hammered away up the first pass over exerted and messed himself up into hospital O2 etc fly home. So I do not know enough on the asthma front but do not over exert any of you take it very easy, If out of breath unduly I mean as opposed to the norm stop and pant then rest awhile then start off very slowly you probably wont have any option on that score because the starting effort will make you breathless again.
To put it realistically gradual climb to 3500 should be no problem. I think you might start to have very minor effects at 4000 but then you will start to be acclimatised so I would guess that 4600 will not be too bad. and as
suggested above take it steady. If your boy has any problems at all you MUST go back down I am afraid rest
and try again the next day.
By the way on the Tibet trip we met some Canadians who had cycled from Beijing carrying camping and food etc heavily laden, they were well acclimatised having been at height for many weeks, they were cycling as far as us fully laden when we were on bikes no luggage back up vehicle, so having worked up to the height gradually and then had 400 kms at that level i would imagine you should be well acclimatised.
I Have simply recounted my experiences they are not meant to be frightening more to make you aware of potential happenings, but talk to Gavin about the drugs only my notes are in the loft but herbal could be good.