Thread: Toddler Acclimation to Altitude?

It is possible but unusual to have mountain sickness at 8000 ft. While children and adults have the same physiology children have a big advantage--when they start to feel crappy they stop doing what is making them feel crappy, unlike adults who keep going when they should stop (especially young adults which may account for the fact that altitude sickness seems to improve with age.) I never thought to worry with my kids, but since I am very susceptible to altitude sickness I figured if I felt ok they were ok (I guess I'm the canary in the coal mine). Now you're making me feel guilty for not worrying.l

Originally Posted by Danno

anecdotal, but I live at 5500, spent a weekend at 11000 without any noticeable issues.

I live at 8000', and have had splitting headaches when I was a kid at 12,000'. I can tag a summit easily, but sleeping at 14,000 left me with a racing heart. Sometimes I am fine, and sometimes I feel like shit. A friends older brother died at 14,000 in Nepal, and he was born and raised and lived at 8000' and had done a lot of high altitude mountaineering and was a nordic coach. You just never know.

Originally Posted by Jethro

I live at 8000', and have had splitting headaches when I was a kid at 12,000'. I can tag a summit easily, but sleeping at 14,000 left me with a racing heart. Sometimes I am fine, and sometimes I feel like shit. A friends older brother died at 14,000 in Nepal, and he was born and raised and lived at 8000' and had done a lot of high altitude mountaineering and was a nordic coach. You just never know.

it's a percentage game, and yes, you never know.... front range douchebags seem to have problems more often

Originally Posted by jfost

what is this obsession with hard science?

was it not good enough for you that many of us here on TGR said "it'll probably be fine..."?????

Yeah, no respect for the dental physiologists here.

I've had some issues going directly from sea level to 10-12k', when I had a bunch of drinks at the same time (vacation). So, if you care about your toddler, have her hold the hard liquor, at least for the first couple of days.

We've had our dog up to 14k'. That did raise the question of how you know whether there are issues. The only ones you can really observe externally are a stumbling walk, nausea and a stare with a tunnel like focus. A toddler may be able to vocalize a headache, but really, it's hard.

Still, chances are she'll be fine, you're hardly into a range where lots of folks have problems.

Originally Posted by telemike

anecdotes are fine, Danno, assbaggery is not

you should know that by now

here's a munchkin pic on a bad hair day to make up for that.

Originally Posted by Danno

here's a munchkin pic on a bad hair day to make up for that.

Continuing the latter theme:

My dad was still cutting my apple juice with whisky while going from the ocean to Summit CO and A-Basin.

kute kiddos yo!

Been driving our troops from sea level to Mammoth 8kish since they were 6 weeks old every other weekend or so. Seem to have been fine.

ski the babies!

I took my kids camping at 7K and hiking around 9K when they were little. I can't claim to have done this by design, but it worked. I got them little camelbaks. I wasn't concerned about my son because I knew if I told him to drink water, he would. But at the time if you told my daughter to do something, she do the opposite, just to assert herself. Actually, that's still somewhat of her MO. Anyway, the camelbak was cool, new and kind of a toy. It made drinking easy and fun. As a result, we had to make pee stops more than I'd have liked, but never had any dehydration issues. YMMV

distance of trekking/hiking and time required to return to nearest toddler hospital/medical care should be considered. additionally, if you need to travel at night for medical care, can you?