Questions and Responses #3 Posted June 11, 2000 Previous set | Next set Question: First let me wish you all the best conditions for your journey. I will be following your progress, and will be interested in what you learn. I have a question for the docs regarding Diamox. Do you give it preventively, ever? Same question for Decadron. Also, is Decadron given as treatment for both HACE and HAPE? Thank you, and have a blast doing it! Response from Howard Donner: Diamox is often used to prevent altitude illness however I prefer to use it as treatment, and it should always be used under the advice of a physician. Decadron is used only for cerebral manifestations of Mountain Sickness such as HACE. Comment: I stumbled on your Denali (and I appreciate your use of the correct name) page by accident. I will tell the rest of my family about the site when I get home tonight. We lived in Alaska for several years and, even after being away for almost 10 years, still miss living there. Thanks for providing a glimpse of 'home.' Question: When is the program about Denali coming on? It sure sounds exciting. Response from Liesl Clark: We expect this film to air in early 2000, but be sure to keep checking this Website for a more specific airdate. Question: After the body is exposed to cold temperatures, does it get acclimated to them? I seem to when I'm out for a time. I'm cold at first and then hot by the time I get back inside. Inside then feels like an oven. Does this happen to the expedition members? If so, at what temperature are they comfortable? Thank you for allowing questions to be posted. Response from Thom Pollard: There's no doubt that you become adapted to the cold after a while. We don't have an 'inside' up here so you mostly spend time getting acclimated to the layers of clothing you wear. When getting out of your sleeping bag and going into the cold, our bodies do suffer from the immediate feeling of being exposed to cold. Same thing happens when we stop climbing and the wind picks up and freezes us before we throw on a parka. Question: Congratulations on your adventure. I will be following your efforts with a great deal of interest and excitement. I used to live in Alaska and was only able to view Denali once. Response from Crew: We have a microphone with a wind screen on it that we call the "gerbil." Howard Donner has a crash test dummy named "Spin," known to be the first crash test dummy to summit Everest. John Grunsfeld has a gecko and a Curious George from his kids that he's brought along. Thom Pollard (soundman) has his son's plastic gorilla tied to his backpack. Dogs have been used by Bradford Washburn and others in the past to help haul loads up the lower slopes of the mountain, and Susan Butcher took her dogs up Denali more recently. Question: How long will the team spend acclimatizing to the altitude on Denali? What is the method for acclimatization? Response from Howard Donner: From the moment you get up to 7,000 feet on the glacier you begin to acclimatize and continue to do so throughout the climb. The method for acclimatization is time. A general rule is to not average more than 1,000 feet per day. Question: Liesl, Response from Liesl Clark: Hi Sharon, Comment: Just a quick note to wish you all well in this latest NOVA adventure! I followed the Everest expedition last year at this time with wonder and a feeling that I almost was with the team. Modern day technology is truly a wonder when great adventures such as this can be seen almost immediately by the watching world. Good luck to all! Question: I've heard that Rainier is as technical, if not more so, than Denali. But it is the weather and additional altitude that sets Denali apart. Also, when people make the comparison between the two mountains are they comparing the normal routes; i.e., Disappointment Cleaver and the Denali Normal Route? Thanks and good luck. Response from Liesl Clark: Climbing Rainier is a weekend trip, where climbing Denali's West Buttress is an expedition. You end up climbing Denali twice because of having to carry loads. The West Buttress, by comparison, is perhaps 15 times longer than Disappointment Cleaver. Another fundamental difference is that you can take someone from sea level and get him or her up Rainier in 3 days where Denali typically takes at least three weeks. This message is coming to you from Advance Base Camp, which is approximately the same elevation as the summit of Rainier. Question: What is the temperature at the top of the peak? What is the rock composition on the peak? What is the shape of the top of the peak? Response from Liesl Clark: Keep an eye on the web site and we'll report what the temperature will be when we're there. Most of what you see on the south summit here is granite and on the north summit there is mostly a black sedimentary rock similar to shale. Question: When you will be climbing, what kinds of physical or mental tests will you have to go through to make sure you are healthy? Response from Liesl Clark: Walking a straight line is often a good test to make sure you don't have High Altitude Cerebral Edema or Acute Mountain Sickness. We also watch each other for any lack of energy or attention, which might indicate fatigue. Question: In your past experience of climbing what part of the expedition takes the most energy, mental or physical? Response from Liesl Clark: The preparations and planning before the trip is often the hardest mental task for an expedition like this. Physically, summit day is the hardest because you are at such a high altitude and exposed to extreme cold. Also, getting along with your expedition members can be a big deal for some climbers. Question: How well does the altitude and cold preserve organic materials? At what altitude do you have to begin wearing an oxygen mask? What happens if you don't put it on? About how far can you see from the peak? Response from John Grunsfeld: Our food up here freezes, so we have to boil it to warm it up to normal room temperature. We use shredded cheese, for example, instead of blocks of cheese because it melts easier shredded. Question: What would happen if a giant storm came? Would you ride it out or descend? Response from Liesl Clark: We would ride the storm out in our tents and 'hunker down' until the conditions allowed us to move. We had such a storm at 11,000 feet and therefore didn't move up the mountain. Question: Does it get hard to move? Because when I'm outside in the winter and my hands get cold they are kind of stiff and get difficult to move. Response from Liesl Clark: Yes, our hands get stiff and frozen too. Question: Did you even have any idea of how difficult climbing a mountain would be? How much preparation did you have to go through, and how long? Why did you want to risk your life to climb a mountain? Even after all we have heard from movies and books like Into Thin Air, why do you still want to do it? Response from Liesl Clark: With everything in life that brings rewards involves great risks and we take those risks knowing we will come home challenged and fulfilled. Question: How does being on the mountain compare to being up in space? Response from John Grunsfeld: The expedition preparation and training is very similar, having to account for all the details of what you have to take with you. Both on the mountain and in space, if you forget something, you can't run out to the hardware store. Question: How do you think the challenges that come up in space will effect your decisions on Mt. McKinley? Response from John Grunsfeld: I'm much more conservative than I was ten years ago. My participation in the space program has changed my acceptance of risk. Question: What methods does your team intend to use to cope with altitude sickness? What equipment does your team plan to use on Mt. McKinley? Response from Liesl Clark: We use climbing hardware like ice axes, crampons, pickets, ropes etc. We use pots and pans and stoves for cooking. We use solar panels and a laptop and satellite phone for communicating with you and we use lots of good warm clothing to keep us warm. Question: How long does it take for spit to freeze? Does it hit the ground, or freeze in the air? Response from Liesl Clark: At 50 below zero, we think spit freezes before it hits the ground. But don't quote us on this. Question: How can you drink at high altitudes? Wouldn't they freeze before they got to your mouth? Wouldn't the food be too hard to chew? Response from Liesl Clark: As I type, I have an insulated water bottle tucked inside my down parka. If I leave it next to me when I sleep, the water will be frozen by morning. All of our warm food freezes after time, if not eaten. Question: What type of animals are found on top of Mt. McKinley, or aren't there any? What's the lowest temperature that a person can survive in on a Mt. McKinley? Response from Liesl Clark: Ravens are known to fly over the summit of Denali. Question: What type of animals are found on top of Mt. McKinley, or aren't there any? What's the lowest temperature that a person can survive in on a Mt. McKinley? Response from Liesl Clark: Ravens are known to fly over the summit of Denali. Previous set | Next set Climb | Expedition | Mountain of Extremes Denali for Kids | Dispatches | E-Mail | Resources Site Map | Surviving Denali Home Editor's Picks | Previous Sites | Join Us/E-mail | TV/Web Schedule About NOVA | Teachers | Site Map | Shop | Jobs | Search | To print PBS Online | NOVA Online | WGBH © | Updated November 2000 |