Good time for hiking ~ Minimize impact of high altitude sickness during hiking

Yosemite National Park (July/2016)

   It is mid July and this is a good time for hiking.   Kids started summer vacation in the United States.  I think many people plans to go hiking this summer.
   I keep posting about a method to manage hiking pace based on heart rate with a running watch, activity trackers.   Finally, I published a kindle book last April in Japanese.  I have been working on its English edition now.  This book is based on my past data for Mt. Whitney hiking.  Mt. Whitney is very popular destination for hiking in California.  (Japanese Edition -- High Tech pace management)
  There are some mountains over 12,000 feet, that many people easily hike, such as Mt. Whitney, White mountain, Mt. Dana (which is in the photo in this posting.  If you have a GPS tracking data with heart rate, please share your data for my further study.

   As I mentioned, I am working on the English edition, but it will take some time.  Therefore, I introduce a simple method in this positing.  Please try this if you hike high elevation.

1. Estimate your maximum heart rate from your age
   A popular formula to estimate the maximum heart rate by age is "220 - (age)".  As an example, I am 50 years old and my estimated value is "220 - 50 = 170".  So that my value is 170 (bpm).  This value may not be very accurate.  Since the maximum heart rate depends on each person depending on the fitness and regular training situation.  However, this value could be a good enough as a placeholder or starting point.  (This is not a generic,  this is based on my past data)

 2. Calculate heart rate zone
   The next step is to calculate heart rate zone with a spreadsheet software like MS-Excel.   The calculation is to get heart rate number in 50% ~ 100% of the maximum heart rate by 10% step, which is 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% and 100%.  They are used to define each heart rate zone, the zone 1 is 50~60% range and zone 5 is 90 _ 100%.   The following is an example of my case.

Example of heart rate zones

3. A guide line of walking pace during hiking.
   Based on my experience, we need to stay in zone 3 which is 70~80% of the maximum heart rate or lower.  In my case, 119 (bpm) ~ 136 (bpm) or lower.

4. Heart rate monitor
   People can use an activity tracker, running watch with GPS, Apple watch to monitor your heart rate during hiking.   One for running, it usually has a feature to notify with alarm or vibration if the heart rate is out of a range people set.  This is really convenient feature to manage the walking pace during hiking.

5. When the heart rate is out of range, it is getting higher than the maximum limit.  Then, people need to slow down or stop to lower the heart rate.  If the duration over the limit is getting higher or the heart rate stays higher, I think it is time to take a rest to lower the heart rate.   If the heart rate is not getting lower with a rest, I think it is a sign to consider to stop hiking.  Especially, people feel some headache, nausea and etc, it is safe to stop hiking at that point.  Even people do not feel anything wrong, but the heart rate is staying high is probably a sign to stop hiking in many cases.


  In many article to minimize the impact of high altitude sickness, it is better to walk slowly.  However it is not very clear how slow.  This is a good method to define the pace with clear guide line.  I think this pace might be too easy especially in the beginning of hiking.   However, there is some gap between your feeling and actual situation of your body.   Therefore, it is better to see your heart rate is one of clear factor to understand your condition / situation.

   Please share your experience and data if you try this method.  It will help my further study on this topics.

   Enjoy your hiking this summer!

Garmin fenix 3 HR ~ 24 hour heart rate monitor

Trend of resting heart rate last 12 months

   The recent running watches and activity trackers from Garmin have embedded optical heart rate sensor and monitor heart rate 24/7 other than activities.  Some of high-end models has a feature to estimate stress factor, but those daily heart rate trend helps to understand the health condition.

   Anyway, the key is having / accumulating data over time as a history.   The the trend shows rough health condition.   The first plot shows the last 12 months average resting heart rate.   The late last year, the average was less than 60 bpm.  However the trend is increasing the resting heart rate.  This is probably because the time I spent for training is getting less due to injury, flu, weather (more rainy day) and expiring a membership of a fitness club.  Nowadays, my average resting heart rate is between 60 bpm and 70 bpm.

Data for last 4 weeks

   Those are clear if we see data with last 4 weeks data.   After recovering from FRU, I resume running about 2 weeks ago (June 24th), the period I took a rest, the trend is increasing the resting heart rate.   However once I resume running, the trend is decreasing the resting heart rate.   I can see a similar trend with other time.  So this is not only data, but also I do see a similar trend in a similar situation.

Last 7 days data

   Further more, based on data last 7 days, a day after a hard training, the resting heart rate is usually getting higher.  Also, if my sleeping time is less than usual, then it is also getting higher.  This is also not only this period, but I do see a similar trend in other time.   It seems that it is getting higher when I feel tired, feeling bad and etc for me.   I think the data shows if I have less sleeping, then the resting hart rate is getting higher.

A daily data

   Here is an example of a daily data.   It seems that the heart late getting lower slowly during sleeping.   If I do not have enough sleeping time, the heart late might not get lowest point since getting up and start moving for a daily life.   Also, if I sleep longer like weekend, then the resting hart rate is saturated and almost constant value after a point.  This is probably explain why many people says people need to have enough sleeping to recover.   In my case around 7 ~ 8 hours sleeping to get the lowest resting heart rate.  If I sleep more, the resting heart rate is almost constant.  So I probably need around 7 hour sleeping to have enough rest / recovery daily.

  As I mentioned a couple times in posting about heart rate base pace management during hiking.  I am really interested in my heart rate when I sleep in higher elevation such as Mt. Whitney.   In my case, I know my trend in camping in a regular elevation where is a similar as our daily life is similar as I sleep at home.   So I want to know how it changes in higher elevation.

   This is one of area to have a latest "smart watch" with embedded heart rate sensor.  It is a good tool to understand my health situation.

Mt. Whitney Hiking 2017 (11) ~ Canceled my reservation for July 14/15

Availability as of 14:23(PDT/USA)

   Like I mentioned in my post yesterday, I have just canceled my reservation for July 14 / 15.  The cancellation time is about 14:14 (PDT/USA).   Right after that, I checked the reservation site, however, I could not see the slot is back to the site.   I checked often and I do not believe someone gets the slot.   I am not sure this slot is allocated to a lottery at the visitor center or back to the reservation site.

   I really wanted to be there with this reservation, but I could not make it happen due to some other stuff happened to our family.   I hope this slot will be used for somebody else who wants to be there this year.

   I will continue posting Mt. Whitney hiking this year!

Mt. Whitney Hiking 2017 (10) ~ Canceling a reservation

99-Switch-back last year (June/2016)

   It's July now.  It would be a good time to go hiking to Mt. Whitney this summer.   This year, I got a permit in the end of September through the lottery.   However, I wanted to be there earlier and I got a slot in the middle of July after the lottery.
   Originally, I planned to be there in July instead of September and I would cancel a reservation in September.   However, there are many things happening recently and it is hard to be there in July.  Therefore I am going to cancel a reservation in July this week.  I am not sure if the reservation is back to the reservation site right away or not.  But there might be a chance somebody who reads my blog to get the permit and I just notify it in my post.  Basically I cannot give the permit somebody else, only thing I would do is to cancel the reservation.   I just checked the availability on the reservation site, there is only spot on July 10th for two for overnight permit as of now, Noon on July 3rd (PDT/USA).

Availability as of noon on July 3rd, 2017 (PDT/USA)

The reservation I am going to cancel is an overnight permit from July 14 and 15 (Fri & Sat) 2017.  I plan to cancel around 2 ~ 3 pm (PDT) on July 4th, 2017.   I am interested how soon the permit is back to the reservation site or not.  I will check it after my cancellation.

I am not sure if other people can get it on the reservation site, but it might be worth to check if people who are still looking for a permit this summer.  Maybe there might be some chance.