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Post by jafo19d on May 25, 2016 6:27:08 GMT -5
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Post by livinginmedellin on May 25, 2016 7:14:21 GMT -5
Yes when I go to Bogotá it normally takes me a couple days to adjust to the higher altitude. This is an accurate description from the article: "The first and most obvious response is heavy breathing and a faster heartbeat, which causes changes to the blood and other biological changes such as sweating and palpitations, a slow-down of non-essential bodily functions such as digestion, and an increased need to pee. Something like your first date, then. The outcome is more like a hangover. Dehydration caused by faster breathing in the dryer air causes headaches, and nausea can slow down digestion. These symptoms are usually mild but can become very quickly exaggerated by any strenuous activity, leading to migraine-like headaches and vomiting, in severe cases. So take it easy the first few days. Take taxis, don’t walk. Avoid any aerobic exercise or the itch to scale Monserrate, which peaks at 3,150 mts. Take frequent rests and maybe even a siesta (hey, you’re still in Latin America, even if its cold)." thecitypaperbogota.com/bogota/why-bogota-might-be-your-altitude-problem/12962
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2016 8:16:51 GMT -5
During my first trip to Bogota, I did not feel any different on the first day. The second day is when I felt slightly dizzy. And by the third day, I felt great again. Cuzco, on the other hand, the altitude hit me right away after deplaning. It took me a day to adjust. After drinking matte de coca and getting 5 hours of sleep, I felt much better.
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2016 8:51:03 GMT -5
Very accurate description.
This is very strange. From all my numerous travels to Colombia and Bogota, I never got to feel heavy symptoms. Maybe a slight dolor de cabeza the first two days, nothing more. But my last travel, a month ago, hit me harder than ever before.
All over the first week, I felt heavy dizziness at night. I was waking up suffocating with a dry mouth. It was just that I wasn't breathing heavily enough while I was asleep. It took me nearly a week to adjust. It was an unpleasant feeling.
I learned one thing recently, from a Colombian doctor, since I was casually commenting about my difficulties during the first days. In Bogota, saturation levels are lower than in lower lands. A person in good health should have saturation levels around 98%. Here in Bogota, normal levels are around 95%. In other words, our blood carries less oxygen. Hence the need to breathe deeper at high altitude than at sea level.
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Post by elexpatriado on May 25, 2016 9:20:38 GMT -5
Being a mountaineer, I have faced all types of issues at various altitudes.
It all depends on how fast you go to a place, and if you dont take time to acclimatize.
It also depends on the physiology of the individual
I have been to 7600 M in the Pamirs in China with little ill effects other than normal exhaustion and moving very slowly on the ascent. Actually had more problems at 6500 m than at 7600m. But we took at least 12 days to acclimatize on the mountain, and climbed it "leap Frog" style, with multi-camps.
On the contrary, once I flew directly from San Andreas to Bogota and then to Suesca- 2700 M and was doing strenuous rock climbing, and started having strange hallucinations like I was smoking super heavy crepe.
On my trips sleeping at 4000 m in Cocuy and the Volcanos in Colombia, even with a day or two acclimatization and after living in Manizales a t 2000 m, I recently have had issues with stokes-chain breathing at night, and have gone without sleep at night. So maybe your physiology changes with age. But it still doesn't appear to happen all the time.
I have a friend who is a real good technical mountaineer, in excellent physical condition, and he cant go over 5000 M, period.
Some people will even have dangerous edema symptoms getting off the plane in Bogota , but this is rare.
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Post by gallito on May 25, 2016 10:22:26 GMT -5
Bogota's high altitude sucks especially comming from sea level.It can take a few days to adjust;lay off the booze and no wind sprints Actually I hate high altitudes.Out of respect for the OP I will start a new thread in the travel section "Gallito's Travels;a Colombian adventure"
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Post by jafo19d on May 25, 2016 11:36:21 GMT -5
Bogota's high altitude sucks especially comming from sea level.It can take a few days to adjust;lay off the booze and no wind sprints Actually I hate high altitudes.Out of respect for the OP I will start a new thread in the travel section "Gallito's Travels;a Colombian adventure" It has it's advantages. I hardly did any cardio workouts before my last Army Physical Fitness Test which took place in the Washington DC area. Got a decent time especially considering I hadn't run much leading to the event.
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Post by gallito on May 25, 2016 11:45:15 GMT -5
Good for you;my Bogota high altitude training came in handy for my 8 day Santa Marta adventure...which consisted of leisure walks on the beach and cerveza arm curls
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Post by jafo19d on May 25, 2016 11:56:17 GMT -5
Sorry for the double post. Not sure what happened
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Post by gallito on May 25, 2016 11:58:22 GMT -5
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Post by fishhead on May 25, 2016 12:20:01 GMT -5
But it's really weird how different the experiences can be. Last month I was in Bogota twice, each time a couple of days, with a week in between back in Cali. The first time around I had almost no ill effects while the second time I felt like s**t. The other way round it would have made more sense.
I did't know high altitude also makes you pee more. That explains a lot.
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Post by gallito on May 25, 2016 12:49:41 GMT -5
A word of warning;when you 1st arrive in Bogie...don't do any picnics up in Monserrate that involve wine drinking
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Post by jafo19d on May 25, 2016 14:12:46 GMT -5
When I was 12 I got real bad altitude sickness. I went to Unicentro early in the day and being midweek it was relatively empty. Two nuns were walking up the steps as I was waking up and right when we were crossing paths I threw up and it was projectile vomitying. Thankfully I hadn't eaten pea soup
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Post by billforce on May 25, 2016 14:19:20 GMT -5
I never experienced anything different than normal when I go to Bogota, I grew up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in central Calif. and hunted extensively at any altitude up to 12,000 ft. I never gave it a thought but I feel essentially the same in Bogota or Medellin or even Manizales. The only time I even felt the effects of high altitude was a fishing trip I made with friends to a Finca near the Nevada Ruiz, the ranch house was about 10,000 ft. altitude. I walked up and down a sleep canyon following and fly fishing the Rio Claro that was snow melt run-off. When I had to walk up a very steep incline to get from the Rio back to the ranch house I really felt the effects of 12,000 ft. altitude but that is the only time since I've been in Colombia.
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Post by billyb on May 25, 2016 14:20:08 GMT -5
Bog's altitude also bugs me for the first day or two. Just another reason to avoid it.
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Post by livinginmedellin on May 25, 2016 19:29:12 GMT -5
Bog's altitude also bugs me for the first day or two. Just another reason to avoid it. I agree, I try to avoid Bogotá as the altitude also bugs me for a day or two usually with some bad headaches. But unfortunately I have to go there for work sometimes plus occasionally for visas.
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2016 23:28:27 GMT -5
When I was 12 I got real bad altitude sickness. I went to Unicentro early in the day and being midweek it was relatively empty. Two nuns were walking up the steps as I was waking up and right when we were crossing paths I threw up and it was projectile vomitying. Thankfully I hadn't eaten pea soup This may be altitude, or you are possessed.
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Post by dandl93 on May 26, 2016 12:43:32 GMT -5
Always been the advantage of living in the mountains, Keeps the flatlanders away.
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Post by gallito on May 26, 2016 12:48:25 GMT -5
Always been the advantage of living in the mountains, Keeps the flatlanders away. Says the man that lived in high altitude Colorado.
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Post by caliconnection on May 26, 2016 14:29:54 GMT -5
Bogota is only 8500 feet. Lightweights.
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Post by gallito on May 26, 2016 14:36:47 GMT -5
It's going up that's a challenge;going down gravity will take over
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Post by scumbuster on May 26, 2016 15:48:35 GMT -5
It's going up that's a challenge;going down gravity will take over Actually if its a steep grade its not easy to run down hill. If in the future after I retire again, if we spend some time Bogota, I would like to try running the trail up to Monserrate. Its my understanding there lots of runners going up the trail every day. Im sure it would take time for your body to get used to that higher elevation at the top.
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Post by gallito on May 26, 2016 16:31:36 GMT -5
I hiked up there once;did better than expected,I was 22,lean mean walking machine My nephew does a timed accent;some other family members do it for exercise on weekends.
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Post by scumbuster on May 26, 2016 16:40:06 GMT -5
I would do the timed assent unless I did terrible. Then I would say it was just for the exercise. It would take at least 3 times a week over a couple months to really get used to it.
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Post by billyb on May 26, 2016 18:10:30 GMT -5
Who has walked up to Moserrate on their knees for Easter?
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Post by dandl93 on May 26, 2016 22:11:05 GMT -5
Who has walked up to Moserrate on their knees for Easter? That would be called crawling not walking... jajajajajajaja
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Post by wildstubby on May 27, 2016 5:54:01 GMT -5
Last year when I visited Bogota, I came directly from Cartagena. I didn't have any cardio problems. I told the nurse at work, who is concerned about my health that I don't have any problems and I cited my visit. She agreed! I arrived in Bogota last night and suffered from severe jet lag. Washington to San Salvador to Bogota really screwed my sleeping patterns, (up at 4AM today). Next stop Santa Marta. Then on to Medellin!
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Post by colombiana on May 27, 2016 9:07:23 GMT -5
When I arrived in Bogotá most recently it took me about 2 days to adjust to the altitude. I experienced some of the symptoms described in The City Paper Bogota article such as some headaches and I felt less energized.
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Post by avispa on May 27, 2016 14:46:37 GMT -5
First trip there 14 years ago I felt nothing. But in subsequent trips I noticed headaches and getting winded going up stairs. The effect must increase with age maybe. Good thing I have no plans to return.
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