Recidiva
Harastal
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2005
- Posts
- 89,726
Peregrinator said:I assume you mean HAPE and HACE?
They're significant hazards at igher altitudes, but if you're vigilant, they're generally unnecessary. You can almost always get down in time to avoid any serious issues with them. Acclimitization goes a long way toward prevention as well.
The Death Zone refers to the region above 18,000 feet, where the human body is unable to further acclimatize, and wounds don't heal. Digestion becomes difficult.
It's the main reason other than weather that the really high mountains are a very different kind of challenge. I'd go, with the right people and if someone else paid for it.
Yep, that should have been a "P" instead of an "H" - cerebral and pulmonary.
The rest I technically get, it's the folks that decide to go up Everest without oxygen, knowing it's going to starve them of every capacity and most likely kill them, that makes for insanity.
Maybe if all peaks were below this height, we wouldn't have a problem, but constantly always going for bigger and better...that I don't get.