Southern California - High Altitude Acclimation

In preparation for the everest challenge, I am looking for ways to get some sense of what high altitude is going to do to my body. I live in North Hollywood, and I know Wilson is about 5000' but is there any other peak within hollywood and no more than 70 miles away? i dont want to make the return trip over 140 if possible.

I live at sea level, and have flown to Colorado at rode over 12,000 foot high passes a few days later...I was pretty highly trained, and noticed that above 9000 feet the locals started to drop me, and at 12,000 feet it was just harder. At 12000 feet you lose about 25% of your power output, so be sure you have a small enough gear, since you have less power, or else you will be slogging at 50 rpm. Once we got below 8000 feet, I started reeling in the same riders that I had dropped me earlier in the race

It's generally recommended to stay overnight at levels of 8000'+ to get your body acclimated to those attitudes, even if the start is at, say sea level. Acute mountain sickness is the main concern for an event like the everest challenge event (or skiers, hikers, climbers, etc) and it is estimated that 20% will experience a mild symptoms between 6,300 to 9,700 feet. Do a search and there are many sites that can prepare you and/or give helpful tips plus deciphoring any warning signs your body may give you and their recommendations.

The highest paved road I know if in So Cal is Hwy 38, the back way up to Big Bear through Redlands. The high point is Onyx Summit at around 8800 ft. You could start in eastern Big Bear and 'grind' up Hwy 38 to Onyx Summit a few times for a great workout.

If you've got a mountain bike or cross-bike, you could try riding some of the fire roads around Big Bear Lake (the lake level is around 6700 ft). A good place is Holcomb Valley on the north side of the lake - lots of fairly smooth dirt fire roads at +7000 ft (google "Holcomb Valley" and you'll find info on it). You could start at the Grout Bay/Fawnskin area , ride the dirt roads out to Hwy 18/38 junction (where it starts dropping to the Lucerne Valley), then back along the same roads or on Hwy 18 along the lake's north shore. If you belong to the Auto Club, get one of their "Guide to the San Bernardino Mountains" fold-out maps. It has most of the drivable fire roads on it (including Holcomb Valley).

Although you don't want to drive too far, I'd suggest going up to the Owens Valley and riding up some of the southern Sierra Nevada access roads. Since that's where the Challenge takes place, that's the best way to get acclimated to both the altitude and the surroundings. Try Whitney Portal Road out of Lone Pine (8000 ft), Horseshoe Meadows out of Lone Pine (9500 ft), Onion Valley out if Independence (9000 ft), or Hwy 168 to Westgard Pass/White Mountain Road out of Big Pine. All start at the 4000 ft valley floor. Try it on a long weekend (Independence Day weekend?).

My altitude problems start pretty low, at 6000 ft. Even flying into Denver at 5000 ft gives me a headache. Last summer we spent a week at 6900 ft in Steamboat Springs. It took me maybe 3 days to get used to it, but I still had a slight headache the entire time.

This coming weekend I am doing Ride Around the Bear, which goes up to 8400 ft at Onyx Summit. I expect to have performance problems for that part of the ride.

Dawson Saddle is the highest point on Angeles Crest Hwy at 7910ft. We ride over that often in the summer. It's a beautiful spot, overlooks the Mojavie. Very doable if you ride along AC starting anywhere from Foothill to Red Box.Climb hwy 39 to AC then up to Dawson gets you there too. Mt. Pinos at at 8400ft above Frazier Park. It was the finish for Sea to Summit that we did last month starting in Ventura. The Wheelmen Trainer this Saturday takes AC over Cloudburst Summit at 7000ft. www.lawheelmen.org
There's lots of places to get used to the altitude around here, I ride there all the time.

It's funny how many people have different oppinions on altitude sickness. I've completed Everest Challenge twice, once on a tandem. I usually take off three weeks in August and try to do 20,000 feet of climbing a week. Then I taper down towards the race date. My training climbs are Glendora Mtn Rd and Onyx summit. At EC acclimation is the least of your worries. There are so many other things that end riders days. Dehydration, taking in enough calories, bonking, cramping, hot foot, recovering,things like that are what you need worry about.

Try sleeping in a hypobaric tent for a couple of weeks before your race.

Try sleeping in a hypobaric tent for a couple of weeks before your race.

yeah because that's cheap.

From North Hollywood, the summit of Wilson at 6000 ft. is no more than 35 miles, for a round trip of 70 miles.

Recently, I rode from Bishop, 4000 ft. to Mosquito Flats, 10,250 and part of the EC, with no ill effects due to altitude. My training for the most part consisted of Griffith Park repeats and the occasional Clear Creek jaunt.

Start with Mt. Wilson - that's for sure. A ride to Mt. Baldy Village (at about 4,000 feet), via GMR/GRR, followed by the tough climb to the ski lifts will be good preparation.

If you climb up GMR to East Fork. then decend down East Fork to the U Turn, then back up to Baldy Village, then up to the Ski Lifts you will have climbed over 7000 feet

there are hikes in the san gabriels that will take you up to 8000+'. Mt Baldy is 10,064 feet, and mt islip is around 8200'. I did a bunch of hiking at 7000+' before going to race in colorado springs.

Some rides or hikes to altitude won't acclimitize you. But it will let you know how you are going to respond to altitude. I think the suggestion to ride in the sierras is a good one. Or do the Death Ride (buy a ticket off Craigslist).

John R's advice is spot on... to me altitude is not one of the major difficulties at EC. But I have been to altitude enough to know what happens (I just get a little slower). I could see how not knowing would make one nervous.

The research I found online prior to doing a century in Mammoth said:

To acclimate, you need a week or so at altitude prior to the event.
If you can't do that, get to the start of the event as late as possible (i.e.: if your start time is 8am, get there at like 7am or some such). Reasoning: altitude thickens your blood but takes 36-48 hours to really start doing it. So do your event within the 24-hours of getting there so it doesn't effect you as much.

Of course, this doesn't take into account thinner oxygen at altitude.

To acclimate, you need a week or so at altitude prior to the event.what i heard was at least two weeks. getting there 3 or 4 days before the event was the worst thing to do. your body is in the middle of trying to adapt. so get there right before the event.

Altitude affects People differently, a couple of years ago I climbed (on the Bike of course) Mount Haleakala which is 10,022' in Maui, I must admit I was kinda dreading it the Day before, I'd heard so many stories about Altitude sickness etc, but It didn't bother me a bit...

Some rides or hikes to altitude won't acclimitize you. But it will let you know how you are going to respond to altitude. I think the suggestion to ride in the sierras is a good one. Or do the Death Ride (buy a ticket off Craigslist).

John R's advice is spot on... to me altitude is not one of the major difficulties at EC. But I have been to altitude enough to know what happens (I just get a little slower). I could see how not knowing would make one nervous.

Same for me...

Also worth noting that most of EC is between roughly 4000 and 8000 feet and only goes up above that on 3 of the 6 climbs. I've read recommendations for not trying to get to the altitude early to "get used it" as there seems to be a window of a few days immediately following arrival at altitude where the body just kind of deals with it and then performance decreases before the longer-term adaptations take place.