Vegan attempts to climb highest soapbox to say "I'm a vegan!", fails

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

[Prog Snob]

When people say everybody needs meat for an optimal diet, they're clearly uneducated on the subject.

And also needing meat doesn't mean that you have to eat a steak as large as your plate at every meal. I don't remember exactly how much it is, but you don't really need to eat that much meat to get all the nutrients you need.

It's just a few ounces. I admit to overindulging, though. I love food. For a skinny guy, I can put down a lot of food.

[bout to crash]

I wouldn't deep fry any body parts, but I also would never attempt to climb a mountain that high. I nearly had a panic attack getting out of my car and hanging out Loveland Pass because I couldn't breathe. And that's only like 12,000 feet.
I considered climbing a 14er this year but am nervous about it for that reason.

If a flatlander like me can handle summiting a 14'ner you shouldn't have any issues at all.       Try Pike's Peak.  There's a trail there that begins a little more than half way up to the summit that we've taken a couple of times.  Really a nice hike.  You go through some incredible fields of wildflowers in the beginning, then pretty soon you're above treeline and if it's a clear day the views are incredible, especially when you get to The Devil's Playground section of the hike.  HIGHLY recommended.


Our favorite hike, though, is McCullough Gulch.  The trail ends far below 14k but the views on this hike are some of the best in the entire state.  And it's doable from the trailhead to the summit and back in way less than a day.  We're both in our 50's and we did the whole hike in just over 6 hours.

I totally missed this post due to being enthralled by your other one
I'm sure I could handle the level of activity involved in a 14er, but the altitude does concern me. Maybe it's my asthma, I dunno. But the idea of being stuck up that high without a quick way down if I start to fucking hyperventilate freaks me out.

[kirksnosehair]

Yeah, it's definitely a concern when you start reaching around 10k-12k feet.  At the summit of Pikes Peak (14,110') the oxygen level in the atmosphere is roughly 50% of what it is at sea level.   If you suffer from asthma it could be dangerous, I guess.  I don't know a lot about how asthma works.   

[Dublagent66]

Yeah, and that kinda looks like frostbite too.  Coincidence?   

[bout to crash]

Yeah, it's definitely a concern when you start reaching around 10k-12k feet.  At the summit of Pikes Peak (14,110') the oxygen level in the atmosphere is roughly 50% of what it is at sea level.   If you suffer from asthma it could be dangerous, I guess.  I don't know a lot about how asthma works.

I have read conflicting info on whether it impacts asthma, but I'm fairy certain it does in my case. A gradual climb with inhaler in tow may be tolerable, but still makes me nervous. Definitely wouldn't do it alone.