Adventure

Could ibuprofen stave off altitude sickness?

Ibuprofin eases altitude sickness

Many of us know the effects of altitude sickness all too well–the headaches, nausea, and fatigue can be the difference between reaching the summit and having to turn back.

Good news, then, for the more than 25 percent of the millions of Americans who travel to high elevations each year and will suffer from this condition. It turns out that ibuprofen, that widely available over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication most often used as a painkiller, may also minimize the effects of altitude on our bodies, according to new research out of Stanford University School of Medicine to be published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

At high altitudes, each breath we take contains fewer oxygen molecules due to decreased atmospheric pressure. And while the precise mechanisms that lead to acute mountain sickness are not clearly understood, some research indicates that the condition is the result of a lack of oxygen to the brain causing it to swell with fluids.

Ibuprofen may help reduce that swelling.

For the study, 58 men and 28 women traveled to the White Mountains near Bishop, Calif., and spent the night at 4,100 feet. At 8 a.m., they were given either 600 milligrams of ibuprofen or a placebo before heading up to 11,700 feet. There, at 2 p.m., they were given a second dose and then they hiked up to 12,570 feet, where they received a third dose at 8 p.m. before spending the night on the mountain.

Of the 44 participants who received ibuprofen, 43 percent suffered symptoms of altitude sickness, while 69 percent of the climbers with the placebo suffered symptoms. Ibuprofen, then, reduced the incidence of symptoms by 26 percent.

The authors say that taking more than 600 mg of ibuprofen might “provide more robust prevention,” but that the theoretical benefit of such a move would have to weighed against a possibly increased risk of gastrointestinal and kidney problems in people who may be dehydrated.

Anyone planning high-altitude adventure travel might get a lot out of Embark’s interview with a climber who had to turn back on Kilimanjaro: ‘The mountain decides.’

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Mountain Travel Sobek Going to North Korea

Folks toss around phrases like “glimpse a hidden world” all the time, but the reality is, most places aren’t hidden. Hard to get to, sure. Rarely visited, okay. But hidden?

North Korea is truly hidden, off-limits as a matter of decades-long political policy. You just don’t go there, and the people there don’t leave.

But now one of the great and pioneering adventure travel companies, Mountain Travel Sobek, is taking a group of 24 people to North Korea in September. The trip is being led by one of our idols, their co-founder Richard Bangs, who started Sobek Travel after floating an uncharted, crocodile-filled African river in 1973.

Our hats are tipped, our hearts are full of envy, and if we had $9,000 on hand, we’d be off to North Korea this fall.

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Hail the Kili Porters!

We couldn’t agree more with the thrust of this article, Hail the Porters of Kilimanjaro, from an Australian newspaper.

As the article says, “For every foreigner who climbs Kilimanjaro, at least three Tanzanians, and often many more, swarm up the volcanic slope like worker ants, 50-pound bags perched precariously on their heads and baggy shirts flopping over their skinny frames.”

Embark Adventures was founded on the slopes of Africa’s highest peak, and we continue to work with some of the best porters on the mountain.

It’s also true, as the article points out, that many porters aren’t paid livable wages, and they often have to pay for their own food on the way up, meaning they often barely eat anything while hauling backbreaking loads, and refuse to turn back down the mountain when they experience altitude sickness because they cannot afford to.

So it is with great pride that we at Embark are a part of the great Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project, the nonprofit that focuses on ensuring that porters make livable wages, are treated fairly, and that they actually receive the tips climbers try to give them.

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Climbing Everest … on One Leg?

Sometimes you hear expressions like “I could do that with one arm behind my back,” but nobody ever really means it. So when we saw this headline — Texas Woman Climbs Mount Everest With One Leg — we stopped everything to read the story.

Well, the more you read, the more impressed you’ll be. Turns out Rhonda Graham is 61 years old, and her leg was amputated due to a staph infection in 1980. She got a prosthetic with pictures of mountains on it, to keep the dream alive in her mind. And by the time she finished the climb, the altitude had taken out most functionality of the leg itself. She pretty much literally did this on one leg.

We think just trekking to Everest Base Camp is amazing, and walking the Khumbu Region a rare adventure for most people. To do any of that, at 61, and/or with one leg, would be a cause for wonder. But to climb Everest? Rhonda says she did it to inspire people, and it sure worked for us at Embark. We love her message: “A leg doesn’t define who you are.”

Next up for Rhonda? She plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in July. Go, Rhonda!

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Portland Tribune features Embark

Embark is in the news again, but not for the adventures of recent lore.

This time, the Portland Tribune profiled our founder Donovan Pacholl. Interview highlights include Donovan’s infamously overpriced haircut–”I had a guy in Nepal shave my head like a monk and do something with fire; he was using some kind of a lighter, throwing fireballs at my ears to burn my ear hair”–and his proposal story in Tanzania. Check it out!

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Portlanders launch Hungry Hikers to ‘fuel your adventure’

We at Embark always love to see and cheer on other Portlanders working on projects in the outdoors. The latest to come across our radar is a great little outfit run by three women out of NE Portland called Hungry Hikers. Their tagline says it all: “We fuel your adventure.” From classics like Beef Stroganoff (pictured) and Sheppard’s Pie to the more unique Forest Park Pilaf and Cascade Corn Chowder, this lineup is looking stellar. Check out their full line of yumminess via their online store, where one meal costs $8.99 and a 12-pack $97.10.

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Even with daily travel fee, Bhutan offers affordable trip of a lifetime

Aside from its expansive serentiy and Gross Domestic Happiness agenda, what sets the Kingdom of Bhutan apart from the rest of the world is its $200 daily travel fee required of all visitors.

The fee is essentially a permit, and it is a flat fee charged to any visitor regardless of income level, length of stay, etc. There is, simply put, no way around it. And the Bhutanese government plans to raise the rate to $250 a day in 2011.

But what many outsiders do not know is that this fee covers all the in-country basics: food, lodging, permits, etc.

Bhutan’s economy, incidentally, is the second-fastest-growing in the world, due in large part to a big hydroelectricity project. Even still, as of March 2006, the country’s per capita income was $1,321, so your incoming travel dollars go far.

Embark will be announcing more trips to Bhutan soon, but for now, our existing trip provides a great outline for what you’ll get out o f a trek through this magnificent, well-preserved, and tranquil landscape. The base cost covers the daily travel fee.

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