Oregon Hikers

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Most importantly, bring scree gaiters and load up on water down low. Otherwise the Green Lakes route is pretty straightforward and you'll definitely avoid the main "conga" line until you meet up with the summit trail. However, I wouldn't be surprised if you ran into a number of people on your route as it is a very popular area.

Water: I found your Cuzco reference funny. I've flown into La Paz, Bolivia near Cuzco, relatively several times from Portland. The airport is the highest international airport in the world. It's on the Altiplano at 13,400 feet. You used to have to get off the plane and walk over the tarmac to the terminal. People would sometimes pass out. They kept oxygen in the terminal for those folks. Now days they are more modern and you can de plane into the terminal, LOL. My experience would be a slight feeling of a little woozy but I don't think it life threatening. However, hiking up the side of a volcano it could pose safety problems , as I found walking up and down La Paz stairwells would do the same. For what its worth, there is a climbers remedy called Diamox, that acidifies the blood and makes you breath more. Thou you need to start it before you go to altitude. I tried it on one trip to La Paz and it did definitely help. The old coca drink remedy has no medical backing, but hey, where else can you go to a restaurant and drink coca tea?

Steve,

I brought it up because I too have traveled to Cuzco and La Paz and around in between. It's high. Sure if you try to sprint or vigorously move uphill, you do get winded. But you'll see tourists from all over the world, of all ages, and plenty will mention headaches or shortness of breath. Basic Altitude sickness symptoms. While they're on the Inca trail, or visiting ruins, alti-plano adventures etc, doing active stuff. But they're not getting HACE or HAPE and dropping like flies. So it's kind of comical when I hear people hand wring about basic meh feelings climbing to 10k. People live in Leadville and Crested Butte at that elevation and go there all the time for vigorous activities after all. I know folks mean well though I suppose.

hisdudeness47 wrote: ↑

August 4th, 2019, 12:18 pm

I know I can do this Eastern route, but it's bringing others to a place I don't know that concerns me. I hope you guys say it's totally fine!

Thanks!

Any update on how this went?

Solution: I took the public bus from Lima to Cusco. Didn't get any altitude sickness, but there was still some recuperation required.