Preparation and aclimatisation

Prior to our trip we attempted to get as fit as possible. Paul sometimes found this difficult due to overseas work commitments, although he hit the gym as often as possible. Jon trained religiously 4 times a week by hill walking, cycling, swimming and racket sports. We were both reasonably fit before this trip having completed various physical challenges over the last year or so. Our level of fitness seemed to help, as we seemed to be feeling much better than most people looked along the crater rim.

Diamox - whether to take it or not ??

After a lot of deliberation we decided to try taking Diamox to help us with the effects of altitude. Jon was going to take it on each day of the trek until summit day while Paul was just planning to take it for the two days before the summit attempt. The internet has lots of information with a variety of opinions about the drugs beneficial effects to help aclimatisation. One of the best we found advised its use at half the normal dose (125mg twice a day) to reduce side affects. This was what we did in the end in the hope of avoiding the worst of the side affects.

Jon experienced one of the more common minor side effects, some mild tingling sensation in the fingertips. Urination rates did not seem to increase noticeably which is often another common problem. Paul however experienced quite severe pins and needles in his fingers and feet so much so that he stopped taking it after the first day. He even experienced a tingling sensation in his backside of all places. Maybe he was taking them in the wrong way !!

With seven days to aclimatise on the mountain, added to our varying use of Diamox, we experienced little trouble with AMS. On day 3 we both experienced headaches after going up to 4610m at Lava Tower but these went after some rest and paracetamol. On the summit day Jon experienced a headache approaching the top which went by the top either due to the euphoria or the couple of paracetamol taken at Stella Point. Paul felt fine throughout the climb to the top. On the way down from the summit we both felt a little crap but that was probably the exhaustion from the effort of scree running down to Barafu