7 minute read
Tidbits Ascends Some High Altitudes • Vol. 19: #47 • (11-19-2023) Tidbits of Coachella Valley
This week Tidbits scales the heights to nosebleed altitudes for a curious look at some of the highest elevations on earth. So snug on your woolies and oxygen mask and follow along as we learn some interesting facts about these high places and the hardy folks who venture there.
ELEVATED DWELLERS
• People who live at high altitudes around are numbered in the millions. It’s estimated that close to 15 million live at elevations higher than 11,500 feet, with some 6.5 million dwelling above 13,000 feet. About two million live in communities situated above 15,000 feet, with another third of a million dwelling even higher, above the 16,500 foot mark -- more than three miles higher than sea level!
• Because oxygen levels in the atmosphere diminish steadily with altitude, the higher the elevation, the thinner the air. So how do these high-living inhabitants manage to survive? By living in these conditions for such extended periods, their bodies have adapted to the thin atmosphere by producing a greater amount of hemoglobin, the red blood cell proteins that carry a larger amount of oxygen through the blood system. The added supply of oxygen greatly reduces the occurrence of hypoxia.
• Those living in the mountain regions of Tibet compensate for their low oxygen content by increasing their oxygen intake, which means taking more breaths per minute than people would who live at sea level.
• High elevation dwellers also follow a different set of rules in the kitchen since altitiude directly effects how foods bake and cook. Because air pressure is lower, foods take longer to bake. Liquids also evaporate faster, requiring a change when adding flour, sugar, and liquids to prevent dry or gummy batter. Dough rises faster at higher altitudes because gases expand more, calling for a decrease in leavening agents and a shorter rising time. Water also boils at lower temperatures. At sea level, water boils at 212 °F. With each 500-foot increase in elevation, the boiling point of water is lowered by just under 1°F. At 10,000 feet, for example, water will begin boiling at about 192°F
HIGH ALTITUDE CHALLENGERS
• Colonel Joseph Kittinger of the U.S. Air Force set a record in 1960 for the longest parachute free fall, a record that still stands. As part of Project Excelsior, Kittinger made a series of extreme altitude parachute jumps while testing a parachute system designed for pilots ejecting from high altitudes. He floated up 102,800 feet into the stratosphere in a specially-equipped helium balloon, and jumped. He was in freefall
for four minutes, 36 seconds, reaching a speed of 614 mph during his plummet through the thin atmosphere. His amazing feat set a record for the fastest speed by a person in nonvehicular freefall.
• The average Mount Everest climber needs about seven bottles of oxygen, enough to last for 35 hours, in order to increase chances of surviving the challenging climb.
• Second only to the height of Mount Everest, the world’s next-tallest peak is considered Earth’s most difficult mountain for climbers to conquer. The summit of Karakoram, commonly referred to as K2, stands on the border of Pakistan and China at 28,251 feet. It’s also the deadliest to climb, with a death rate of around 18 percent, or about one person for every five who attempt reaching the top. The route includes a narrow, steep and treacherous 150-foot crevasse that is just the width of a climber’s shoulders and has claimed several lives. The summit was first reached in 1954, and only about 700 climbers have done so since.
• Situated on the French-Italian border, Mont Blanc is the tallest peak in the Alps and western Europe. Its 15,774-ft. summit was first conquered in 1786. It takes its name from the French for “White Mountain.” The town of Chamonix, France, located at the base of Mont Blanc, was the site of the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924, with medals awarded in 16 events to athletes from 16 nations. Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie competed here at age 11. Completed in 1965, a seven-mile-long tunnel directly underneath the mountain links France and Italy.
• Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro is considered a much easier climb than other mountains, and requires no special equipment such as ropes, harnesses, crampons, or ice axes. It’s a “hiking” peak rather than a mountaineering peak, even though it’s the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. Standing 19,341 feet above sea level, it’s the highest point in Africa. A freestanding mountain is usually the result of volcanic activity, and Kilimanjaro is made up of ash, lava, and rock. This dormant volcano was first conquered by climbers in 1889.
• About 30,000 people scale Kilimanjaro every year, with a failure rate of 50%, mostly due to altitude sickness. Swiss climber Karl Egloff ascended and descended Kilimanjaro in just six hours, 42 minutes in 2014, setting the record. In 2019, American Anne Lorimor became the
oldest person to complete the task, at age 89. The youngest to climb the mountain was a sixyear-old American, in 2018.
• Mountaineers are constantly exposed to the dangers of high altitude sickness. As the climber ascends, the higher he or she goes the thinner the atmosphere gets, meaning that the climber breathes in the same amount of air, but gets less oxygen than at lower altitudes. When the body has trouble adjusting to the difference, altitude sickness can result. While headache, lightheadedness, and nausea are the mild symptoms, severe sickness can cause the lungs to fill with fluid or cause the brain to swell, with death a possible outcome. A slower descent is necessary in order to prevent the problem.
• Once a climber reaches 8,200 feet, the recommendation for further rise is no more than 985 to 1,640 feet (300 to 500 m) per day. Climbers are also at risk for retinal hemorrhages, which can damage eyesight and even lead to blindness.
• Experienced mountaineers refer to altitudes above 26,000 feet (8,000 m) as the “death zone.” It’s that point where the amount of oxygen is insufficient to sustain human life for an extended time. Because the body depletes its store of oxygen faster than it can be replenished, the body’s functions begin to deteriorate, consciousness is lost, followed by death.
ELEVATED FUN
• The world’s highest drivable road is the Uturuncu Road in Bolivia. This unpaved road climbs to a height of 18,800 feet, winding upward along a dormant volcano. A sturdy 4x4 vehicle is necessary to navigate this rugged drive. The road doesn’t go all the way to the 19,711-ft. summit of the double-cratered Uturuncu. Those determined to reach the very top must hike the remaining 900-foot steep climb on foot.
• Those daring souls who want to conquer the world’s highest zipline will have to travel to France’s Val Thorens ski resort in the French Alps. This wild, hair-raising ride, known as “La Tyrolienne,” starts at an altitude of 10,597 feet and rapidly drops more than 4,270 feet in one minute, 45 seconds. The zipline stretches for nearly a mile and riders reach a speed of 62 mph. You'll want to bring a jacket.
