Go Back   Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB > All Miscellaneous questions > Travellers' questions that don't fit anywhere else
Travellers' questions that don't fit anywhere else This is an opportunity to ask any question, and post any notice you wish that doesn't fit into one of the other sections.
Photo by Daniel Rintz, Himba children, Namibia

The only impossible journey
is the one
you never begin

Photo by Daniel Rintz,
Himba children, Namibia



Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 24 Oct 2005
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Paris, France
Posts: 655
no altitude sickness on a bike ?

hello,
when i was doing backpacking in the mountains over 4-5 000 meters, i has to be careful to respect the altitude sickness criteria : not going "high" too fast, sleep under the highest level reached during the day, etc ...
when on a motorbike, "high" in the mountains over 4-5 000 meters, i don't respect the altitude sickness criteria, and i have the feeling that my body is fine.

so i wonder why ? is it because we have less physical efforts on a bike ? do you have any different experiences, or do you feel the same ?

anyways, enjoy it "high" in the mountains :-)
__________________
--
Vincent Danna

* www.va-project.com
Sept 2008 - dec 2009 : Voyage et art contemporain en Amérique du sud.

* http://vincent.danna.free.fr/
2002 - 2004 : Un tour du monde en moto.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 24 Oct 2005
John Ferris's Avatar
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Reno,NV,USA
Posts: 560
If all you have to do is twist your wrist and move your foot your fine, but if you have to push the bike you won't feel good.
Don't forget the bike.
At 4000-5000 meters if the bike is set up for that altitude it will only have 55-60% of its sealevel horsepower. If its not set up for high altitude it will not run well at all.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 25 Oct 2005
beddhist's Avatar
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Whangarei, NZ
Posts: 2,214
Not everybody suffers from altitude sickness. If you don't then you are lucky.

Personally, I'm scared: I suffer from frequent migraines. The symptoms are similar to what I have read about altitude sickness and it gets triggered by altitude (for me). Migraine is painfull, but otherwise harmless. AS kills.

My worry is that on the way up into Ladakh I will have to cross several high passes with rough surface. If I suffer the symptoms, will I make it back down? Do I have to try to get down every time I have a headache?
__________________
Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 16 Dec 2005
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Bribie Island, Queensland, Australia
Posts: 232
3 of us rode the Ladak road. Our 3 bikes all coped really well (2 of them cruisers) and we did nothing to them to help them with the altitude. The 3 of us all had a few altitude problems.....mostly headaches but not too bad and we all seemed to 'suffer' at different moments so could keep an eye on each other. I was at my 'worst' on one of the lower passes rather than the high two. I think it was a combination of very bad road conditions and the fact that it was snowing quite bad at the time. I was really really scared so perhaps it was frightened sickness and not altitude sickness that I was suffering fromNowhere is the ride better than the road to Leh....except the road to the pass just a bit highter than Leh.
Am jealous!!!!!!!!! It really is worth evey headach it throws at you.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 16 Dec 2005
Matt Cartney's Avatar
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland
Posts: 1,350
I find altitude can affect me as low as 3000m (minor effect though, shortness of breath etc.) when hiking. I've puked in the alps at 4000m a couple of times and had terrible migraines while climbing. But the lack of hard physical work means I feel OK at these altitudes in a car etc. I remember getting some funny looks at the top of the Aguille du Midi cable car station in the Alps from people who'd got out to admire the view and I was being sick in the tunnel! I had just climbed the nearby Mont Blanc du Tacul though which from memory is a smidge over 4000m. Obviously the folk who just stepped out the cablecar felt fine. I'm sensetive to altitude though, I have mates who find the altitude a lot less of a problem. I felt fine driving the Kathmandu to Lhasa road though which goes over 5000m but then felt shitty in Lhasa itself at just over 3000m, perhaps a hangover from the pass? Altitude is weird, it affects everyone differently, often regardless of fitness or age, and the individual differently on different occasions! I hiked round the Annapurna circuit no problem which goes to over 5000m I think at it's highest point, but had loads of time to acclimatise, so thats probably why. I think it may be almost impossible to predict the effects of altitude on a person accurately.
Matt
__________________
http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 16 Dec 2005
beddhist's Avatar
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Whangarei, NZ
Posts: 2,214
Quote:
Originally posted by David & Cheryl Laing:

Am jealous!!!!!!!!! It really is worth evey headach it throws at you.[/B]
Oh good! Now I'm really looking forward to it. I'm not worried about the headaches, but about mistaking AS symptoms for migraine symptoms. When I find out it may be too late, plus I will be travelling alone.

Pity I missed you when you passed through, but you are in GB now and I'm in Germany. Have fun!

Peter.
__________________
Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 17 Dec 2005
seanh's Avatar
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Posts: 301
The road to Ladakh is fairly managable as you are forced up in stages. From Manali, the passes get gradually higher towards Leh and each night you sleep at a lower altitude than the passes. I had a bit of a headache at the Sarchu tent camp (4200m), possibly partly due to dehydration. My R65 ran fine, albeit a bit rich, it lacked some power but did the job easily. I had smaller main jets, but could have got by without them. I saw one guy cross Kudung La (5600m) on an old scooter. Absolutely amazing road though.
Sean
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 17 Dec 2005
Wheelie's Avatar
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Oslo, Norway
Posts: 658
Sleeping is often what gets you as your body will try to revert to the brathing rate it is used to from living at a lower altitude --- giving your body a lack of oxygen, leading to headakes and nausia. The trick is often to move up the mountain slowly to let your body climatise to the altitude, and to move down the mountain a bit to sleep.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 17 Dec 2005
Grant Johnson's Avatar
HU Founder
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Dec 1997
Location: BC Canada
Posts: 7,216
Much as Wheelie said;

The climbers mantra for dealing with altitude is: "Climb high, sleep low"

For us it's "ride high, sleep low!

I can always remember that!

Grant
__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.

------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 19 Dec 2005
parkie's Avatar
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 203
Advising people to ride high? Shame on you Grant. That sort of behaviour best left until the bike is parked up.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 19 Dec 2005
Grant Johnson's Avatar
HU Founder
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Dec 1997
Location: BC Canada
Posts: 7,216



very good parkie, I can tell how you spent your youth...
__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.

------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 19 Dec 2005
Vaufi's Avatar
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Munich, the beer capital
Posts: 1,046
Beddhist, wherearounds are you in Germany presently? If you're soewhere around Munich we could have a two-up HUBB meeting for a or more...

I guess the probs with AS are that you have to get used to the altitude slowly. Being motorised certainly gets you up quickly and possibly down again before you feel queasy, which would explain why somebody hasn't any probs on a high pass, but still feels rotten if staying at high altitude like Lhasa. Yeah, of course people take it differently and I suppose it make a difference where you live - at sealevel or at 800m above. Hiking upwards definitely gets you acclimatised quicker than going by bike - a possibility would be to push the bike ;-)

Hans
__________________
Only when we pause to wonder
do we go beyond the limits of our little lives.
(Rod McKuen)
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 19 Dec 2005
beddhist's Avatar
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Whangarei, NZ
Posts: 2,214
Quote:
Originally posted by Grant Johnson:
very good parkie, I can tell how you spent your youth...
Past tense? I think he's young enough to have a reason to have returned to NZ. After all, the ingredients for getting high grow wild there in some parts...

Hans, I'm in Bad Kreuznach at the moment. Going to spend New Years Eve near Heilbronn, but that's not even half-way to München. I'm leaving about end of Feb. on my trip, so could stop off at your place if you want. But the weather may make that difficult. The days of my winter riding are in the distant past now, having spent the last 7 years on the Riviera... Email me, perhaps we can work something out.

Cheers,
Peter.
__________________
Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


 
 

Announcements

Thinking about traveling? Not sure about the whole thing? Watch the HU Achievable Dream Video Trailers and then get ALL the information you need to get inspired and learn how to travel anywhere in the world!

Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's the list of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now
, and add your information if we didn't find you.

Next HU Eventscalendar

HU Event and other updates on the HUBB Forum "Traveller's Advisories" thread.
ALL Dates subject to change.

2024:

Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!

Questions about an event? Ask here

HUBBUK: info

See all event details

 
World's most listened to Adventure Motorbike Show!
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.

Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.

Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!


 

What others say about HU...

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia

"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK

"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia

"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA

"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada

"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa

"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia

"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany

Lots more comments here!



Five books by Graham Field!

Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook

"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.



Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!

New to Horizons Unlimited?

New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!

Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.

Susan and Grant Johnson Read more about Grant & Susan's story

Membership - help keep us going!

Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.

You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.




All times are GMT +1. The time now is 13:07.