Preparación, Técnica, Seguridad
How to Prepare for High-Altitude Mountains
Introduction
Climbing Pico de Orizaba or Iztaccíhuatl isn't something you improvise. These are the things that matter most when preparing for altitude.
Before you start
Climbing peaks like Pico de Orizaba, Iztaccíhuatl or Nevado de Colima tends to look like a mystery to anyone just starting to chase that kind of challenge. It isn't, really: most of the work happens months before summit day.
Here are the things that matter most. These are general guidelines, adaptable to each mountain and each person.
Know the route before you go
For almost any ascent there's specific information about the path you'll take. It's well worth learning as much as you can about the environment you'll face: ask people who've been, and look for trip reports online.
For the route itself we recommend Wikiloc, where you'll find tracks, comments and warnings from other hikers. For weather, sites like Mountain Forecast give forecasts by altitude, which is what actually matters up high.
Training: aerobic base comes first
The first symptoms of altitude sickness usually start with fatigue. A solid aerobic base is your best ally as you go higher.
Very easy activity — jogging at a pace where you can hold a conversation — improves how your body handles oxygen and eases the physiological adaptation process. General strength work helps too, especially squat, lunge and deadlift variations.
And most useful of all: rehearse similar conditions. Climbing high mountains before your target teaches you how your body behaves up there.
Mental training counts just as much
We recommend doing part of that training alone. You can go with others, but ask them not to talk, or walk a few meters apart.
Why? Because on the mountain you'll have to deal with the version of yourself that says don't go up, you can't do this, turn around. And you'll be the one who has to win that argument, several times, with nobody to fight it for you.
Acclimatization: where you sleep is what counts
According to the UIAA, ideal acclimatization happens by sleeping at altitudes that rise no more than 500 meters per night. That gives the body time to adapt and produce more red blood cells in response to lower oxygen saturation.
So if you're climbing Citlaltépetl, Iztaccíhuatl or any high mountain, one of the best things you can do is arrive 3 to 7 days early, so adaptation happens gradually instead of all at once during the climb.
One point that's often misunderstood: where you sleep matters more than the highest point you've reached. Adaptation is about time of exposure, so what you gain from briefly visiting a summit — or from an altitude gym — is very little compared to sleeping high.
Nutrition before and during
Before the climb: some studies suggest iron-rich foods help with acclimatization. Even so, that correlation matters less than a balanced diet and consistent hydration.
During the climb: knowing what you'll eat is critical. It isn't enough for it to be nutrient-dense; you need to know how it affects your digestive system. Gastrointestinal trouble is one of the most common reasons people don't reach the summit.
So on every training day, bring the food and drinks you plan to use on summit day and pay attention to how your body responds. Use it to find the foods that lift your mood, too, even if they aren't the healthiest.
Know your limits
The first time you visit a high mountain, things can go wrong. Go carefully and stay attentive to how your body reacts, because it doesn't know this environment.
Knowing your limits is what gets you back down in good shape. It's worth understanding that your body is a tool, and that at any moment something can go wrong, leaving you one sensible option: turn around, train, and come back.
The mountain is a hostile environment and it doesn't care who you are. It will throw its worst at you, and it's on you to arrive with the skills to handle altitude sickness, extreme wind, dehydration, hypothermia and sudden temperature swings. The climb is the final exam of preparation that started long before — and it's an exam where failing is expensive.