Warner Rojas is taking precautions from his doctor and has been training hard for his newest adventure, climbing to the summit of Mount Manaslu in the Himalayas. The climate and altitude pose extreme dangers.
He started the trek on September 3 and plans to reach the summit, 8,163 meters above sea level, between the 28th and 30th. He is accompanied by five Argentinians.
They have been doing rotations, by which they go from the base camp at 4,700 meters above sea level up to 6,000 meters above sea level and back down again, over and over, in order to acclimate the body. Specifically, this generates a large quantity of red blood cells which will be needed to reach the summit without oxygen assistance, a personal goal for Rojas.
The amateur mountaineer is in contact with his doctor. She has told him of the risks. She told him about edema, when fluid escapes the small blood vessels and can collect as swelling in the lungs or heart and become fatal. He is aware of symptoms to watch out for and has been urged to use common sense and descend even by helicopter if necessary before reaching the top in order to preserve his health and life.
Symptoms often start with nausea and progress to disorientation, aggressive vomiting, headache, lack of coordination, and fatigue. If he experiences these symptoms, he should be evacuated at once and rest in bed with limbs elevated, have a low salt diet, and use diuretic treatment to eliminate excess fluid.
