Seaotter,
Your questions are too technical:-)
I can totally understand your concern. But, don't get intimidated by the mountain. This is a psychological thing people have to overcome in the beginning.
Indeed, I trained very hard before my first high-altitude Everest base trip. In addition to the weekday training, I sometimes do some hiking and scrambling in the weekend, but no high altitude training, I couldn't find anywhere in Oregon and Washington:-) But, nothing special though.
In Everest base trail, this's a tea-house trekking, a little bit scrambling near the end to Kalar Pattar, but, overall, it's not technical climbing. You don't need crampons, ice ax, and ropes. I brought my ice ax with me, but left that in Kathmandu. It's true that the final stage is above alpine zone. But, there is only a small section you have to walk on the snow or ice. You don't need to carry the tent, stove, and extra food. Normally, you can find some basic food, at least get some biscuit and tea, after every two-hour walk. You DO need a sleeping bag. So the major portion of the pack weight is your clothing. It's very cold above 5000m.
I have seen people failed at high altitude, primarily due to AMS(Acute Mountain Sickness). There are a few major reasons: (1) didn't set the pace evenly and exhaust him/herself. (2) once get sick, either stay or come down, then, lost the willness to go back. Once you get AMS, you will get disorientated and light headed, sometime, couldn't even walk straight. In this situation, stay or come down and rest for a day or two. Then, go back, you do need to have the willness to do that though. I would say 80%, maybe higher, of the trekkers have reached Kalar Pattar. But, if people acclimatize well, physically, it should not be the problem to anybody.
Aconcagua is lot more difficult. I slept at 4900m a few times, I have to say it's not easy, except in Tibet that I spent three weeks there. I don't know if your friends were on their own or hired porters to carry the load. It'll be a lot easier if they have the porters to do all the dirty work. In general, the Aconcagua normal route is not technical climbing either. It's scrambling. Maybe, it's nice to have the crampons and ice ax. But, I am sure it's not required. But, they have to sleep at 5900m for one or two nights, it would be very, very tough. If they could acclimatize well there, summit should not be very difficult. Well, it is difficult for anyone who have never been above 5000m before.
In this sense, I would say, Mt. Everest Base camp trail is actually a good starting point:-) "Hakuna Matata"!
P.S. Ar San is right on the Lonely Planet book. You don't need any books for domestic traveling, do you?:-)
AAA book is good enough.
Your questions are too technical:-)
I can totally understand your concern. But, don't get intimidated by the mountain. This is a psychological thing people have to overcome in the beginning.
Indeed, I trained very hard before my first high-altitude Everest base trip. In addition to the weekday training, I sometimes do some hiking and scrambling in the weekend, but no high altitude training, I couldn't find anywhere in Oregon and Washington:-) But, nothing special though.
In Everest base trail, this's a tea-house trekking, a little bit scrambling near the end to Kalar Pattar, but, overall, it's not technical climbing. You don't need crampons, ice ax, and ropes. I brought my ice ax with me, but left that in Kathmandu. It's true that the final stage is above alpine zone. But, there is only a small section you have to walk on the snow or ice. You don't need to carry the tent, stove, and extra food. Normally, you can find some basic food, at least get some biscuit and tea, after every two-hour walk. You DO need a sleeping bag. So the major portion of the pack weight is your clothing. It's very cold above 5000m.
I have seen people failed at high altitude, primarily due to AMS(Acute Mountain Sickness). There are a few major reasons: (1) didn't set the pace evenly and exhaust him/herself. (2) once get sick, either stay or come down, then, lost the willness to go back. Once you get AMS, you will get disorientated and light headed, sometime, couldn't even walk straight. In this situation, stay or come down and rest for a day or two. Then, go back, you do need to have the willness to do that though. I would say 80%, maybe higher, of the trekkers have reached Kalar Pattar. But, if people acclimatize well, physically, it should not be the problem to anybody.
Aconcagua is lot more difficult. I slept at 4900m a few times, I have to say it's not easy, except in Tibet that I spent three weeks there. I don't know if your friends were on their own or hired porters to carry the load. It'll be a lot easier if they have the porters to do all the dirty work. In general, the Aconcagua normal route is not technical climbing either. It's scrambling. Maybe, it's nice to have the crampons and ice ax. But, I am sure it's not required. But, they have to sleep at 5900m for one or two nights, it would be very, very tough. If they could acclimatize well there, summit should not be very difficult. Well, it is difficult for anyone who have never been above 5000m before.
In this sense, I would say, Mt. Everest Base camp trail is actually a good starting point:-) "Hakuna Matata"!
P.S. Ar San is right on the Lonely Planet book. You don't need any books for domestic traveling, do you?:-)
AAA book is good enough.
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