PRESSURE BREATHING AND REST STEP

Getting to the top of a mountain is never easy. If it were, then there would be a Starbucks on the top of every single one with no parking to be seen. It is all about the feets and seats. The feets get you to the seats! The best seats in the house are never cheap nor readily available to those who do not truly want to work for them. I have found the best seats on the tops of mountains. In the same place where the Last Rock lives. Hills are great but mountains are exceptional. As the mountain gets steeper and the altitude increases, the air cools, drys out and legs muscles begin to suffer from the reduced oxygen and increased carbon dioxide in the body. For me, this tends to lead to a reactive airway problem on almost every trip to altitude. I start to cough and hack like I live in a TB ward! The coughing and hacking then lead to other very undesirable issues like bronchitis and pneumonia. Even worse, it keeps other climbers up at night when a good nights sleep is imperative. If this goes on night after night, you probably shouldn't walk too close to the edge! Your team mates need their sleep.  As I was doing more research on the best way to get to the Last Rock, I found this small video and something I never thought about.  Cover Your Mouth...just like your Mom said!  I will give this a try in the future.

Breathing!!!  I never knew that I needed to be breathing in a special way!  Mostly it has just been gasping and panting like a dog every time I stop.  Hands on my knees or utilizing my trekking poles to prop me up until I am no longer purple again.  Who knew?  Well, I guess mountain climbers and bikers know.  Guess what? MOAR muscles to work on now.  

Actually, this sounds pretty annoying!  

And finally, the "Rest Step". I already use this technique but have never combined it with the Pressure Breathing. I am anxious to see how it works together as the air gets thinner. 

A very nice example of the Rest Step moving from Camp 1 to Camp 2 on Aconcagua. Hahaha...all I have to do is walk and breathe or, is it breathe and walk?