Maybe include altitude in both metres and feet, otherwise 80% of comments will be about that whole discussion.
Don’t remember the elevation, maybe 11,000 something… but I hiked to the peak of Mount Rose outside of Tahoe. It just so happened the monarchs were migrating through at the time and it was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. There must’ve been millions of them everywhere. It was like a black cloud flying around us. So many were on the trees it looked like the trees were breathing.
Not a mountain exactly, but I hiked to Everest Base Camp which was 5,364 meters. About 2 days and 200 meters lower I had started having very strange dreams that come with that altitude. At Base camp, little tasks became more difficult, I had an ever present headache, and I woke on the hour every hour during the night. But fuck me, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
I tried climbing Ojos del Salado (6,893 m / 22,615 ft) but only got to about 6.300 m. We spend around 10 days acclimatizing staring at ~3.500m and staying at various shelters at progressively higher altitudes. On 2 days I felt like shit (hangover like symptoms), rest of the days I was weak but it was manageable. Before the attack day I barely slept (I was tired, stressed and in a tent with people snoring). During attack it was really cold (like even with all the high altitude gear) and going up was super difficult. The worst part is that going down is also really hard so you have to calculate you strength for both ways of the trip but it really hard to judge how much more can you take. Half of the group resigned after first hour or two. The rest resigned when it became clear the weather is not improving and it will not be possible to get to the top.
Three days later I climbed Pico Vallecito (17831 ft / 5435 m). I used acclimatization from the failed attempt and just hiked to the top alone. It was quite hard, especially above 5000m I was moving slower than I expected. I wasn’t very tired but I just didn’t have energy to move at normal speed. Going down was easy so I made it down on time after all.
Sounds pretty hard! And you’re braver than I am, going >5.000m all alone. Altitude can really get to you
There were other people on the mountain, I was only alone the last 1000m or something. Some people obviously knew where I’m going and I had some satellite communicator with me. And since I just got down from >6000m I knew I should be fine and what to expect. I other situation definitely would not attempt that.
I climbed Mt Fuji. It was pretty cool. 3,776 meters / 12,388 ft.
I brought a pulse oximeter out of curiosity. 98% SPO2 at the little base town where we were dropped off. 82% at one of the stops, compared to 95% of the woman working inside. 71% at the peak.
The peak was terrifying. I went up the Yoshida trail and down the Gotemba trail. The Yoshida trail is most populated. Plenty of people hiking and little stops up the trail that will brand your hiking stick for a few hundred yen each ($1-3).
Once at the peak, we had to walk around at the top through a storm to find the Gotemba trail. The storm was brutally cold. I remember there was a guy wearing his girlfriend’s dress cus it was the only dry clothes they had while trying to take shelter.
The clouds lingered the rest of the way down. It was insanely foggy.
Overall it was cool. I had the chance to hike it again the next year and opted out.
I had the chance to hike it again the next year and opted out.
There’s a saying here that anyone who lives or comes to Japan and doesn’t climb Fuji once is a fool, and anyone who climbs it again is also a fool. On that note, I’ve climbed it multiple times :P First time was 4 hours before a typhoon hit, got to the top and no exaggeration, honestly felt like I was going to be blown off. Stayed there 5mins and then damn near ran down the Yoshida trail back to the 5th station. Second time was perfect, almost 100% clear weather, and it was amazing
I made it about 7000ft (~2100m) up the West face and North face of Mt Adams (12,274 feet, ~ 3750m) in Washington on multiple occasions. Any higher and I would have needed a permit that I didn’t have.
It was so nice up there, though quite cold even in late August.
They were beautiful hikes (Muddy Meadows and Riley Creek) that I do recommend, but I give a huge warning for sure as they both gain altitude really quickly and are quite difficult.
I was really winded really quickly once I passed about 6000 feet (~1800m) due to my crappy lungs (they’ve been through a lot of disease) but it was worth it for the views.
Here’s a pic from my first trip up the north face of Mt Adams. I sat next to that pond for almost an hour catching my breath because my face started to feel all fuzzy.
I’m going to do these hikes again and again until I’m ready to climb Mt Adams to the top.
I went up my Warning in NSW Australia, it’s about 1900m. I know it’s not that high but it’s hard to find people who want to go on long hikes.
If I’m ever NSW I will try to find this comment and get in touch!
Himmelbjerget (Sky Mountain) in Denmark, it’s an entire 147m
Well, I’ve also climbed some baby mountains in Western Canada, like Grouse Mountain (just a short hiking trail) and the Columbia Ice Field (basically drove up there) but how can the compete to Himmelbjerget ‽
About 30-40 meters. Not sure exactly. It was a hard climb without a path. Just rocks and bushes. Quite steep too. But the view was terrifying.
