Hello to all the Team at Sydney Altitude Centre,
I just wanted to contact you all to express my sincere thanks to each of you for your support of my recent trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, your professional supervision of my altitude training program and preparation in the lead up to my trip and the many words of advice and useful tips that I received from you all with regards to mental preparation, re-alignment of my diet to suit and support the altitude training program and organisation of other complimentary external training sessions to ensure that I gave myself the very best chance of reaching base camp.
"Did the Altitude Training really help? Personally, I am 100% convinced that it got me over the line or up the mountain." says Ange. Ange Flannery (R) and Sally Coates (L)
Having had no real experience at altitude other than skiing in States and Canada, I was nervous as to how my body would react to the Himalayas. Trekking to Everest Base Camp had been a goal of mine and once the opportunity arose to join a group of Women on this adventure, I jumped at the chance. I had heard that Altitude training was “supposed” to help. I happened to mention this to my husband and was extremely fortunate to receive a gift voucher for 20 training sessions at the Sydney Altitude Centre for Christmas.
Whilst initially this was a bit daunting, I will be forever grateful for this training. I made it to Everest Base Camp and achieved my goal. It was the trip of a lifetime.
Did the Altitude Training really help? Personally, I am 100% convinced that it got me over the line or up the mountain. I was physically very fit as a result of my combined training program, however, training at altitude most definitely expedited and added another level to my cardio fitness and preparation. By the end of my program at the Sydney Altitude Centre, I was belting out 30 mins on the stepper in K2 at 4800 metres followed by 30 mins on the bike – easily.
Aside from the physical fitness, where the Altitude training really helped me was with the mental preparation for the personal challenge of reaching EBC. I knew that I had exercised at full pace at an altitude of 4800m. I knew I could do that before I left. So, on day 1 and at each point when we jumped to a considerably higher altitude and I felt severely nauseous, had a cracking headache and wondered if I would make it, I reminded myself that I had done this before and I most certainly could do it again. I also knew how my body responded to altitude, so really felt in tune with my body and the reactions I experienced along the way. I knew what to expect at certain points of the journey. This was such a help and very reassuring as we all struggled with the symptoms of being and climbing at altitude.
“Hi Allan,
I hope that all is well with you.
The trip for me was good – very peaceful and relaxing. I didn’t find the walk at all challenging and coped with the altitude fine. I had a pretty rock solid headache the day we went to Base Camp but, that was from not drinking enough water. One of the girls in our group got quite sick and I was too busy helping her out to concentrate on myself. It was quite confrontational hearing the roar of rescue helicopters during the day for those needing to be rescued from either Base camp or further up. We met quite a lot of people that were there to summit Everest and it was interesting talking to them about the weather challenges they were facing in trying to get up there. It was also quite confrontational o see 2 days after we returned a plane crashed in Nepal and 7 Everest Climbers died. I have to say I was happy to be home at that point!
Anyway, it was a good trip and I am glad that I did it. I do probably need to find something a little more challenging than this for the next one!
I hope that all is well with you and I thank you for yours and the boys time whilst I visited your facilities. I will certainly be recommending it (as I have been) to people. I will also be visiting again!
Have a nice day!”
Ange Flannery on treadmill at simulated altitude of 3,800m pre-acclimatising for Everest Base Camp
Unfortunately, not all members of our party made it to EBC. However 3 of us who had trained at Altitude training centres were all successful. Considering the pace at which we climbed and the height we reached. The symptoms that I experienced were tolerable in comparison to some of my team mates.
There is nothing in the world like the feeling of being on top of a mountain and surrounded by so many other stunning mountains. I am so glad and so grateful that I had the opportunity to experience this feeling and the incredible sense of achievement that goes with reaching a personal goal.
I have the team at Sydney Altitude Centre to thank for helping me experience such a success.
Throughout the 10 week program at the Sydney Altitude Training centre, each of the team members expressed such a keen interest in my goal and my progress along the way. Always attentive to the way my body was responding on a day-to-day basis. Always ready with nutritional advice and other expert advice and tips as to how to deal with altitude, what to do if you feel like this etc etc.
Apart from being a really fun place to train amongst a group of highly motivated and extremely interesting people with a huge range of personal goals, the level of professionalism showed to each and every client at the Sydney Altitude Centre is second to none.
I would highly recommend an altitude training program to anyone planning a trip or adventure at altitude at Sydney Altitude Training. I’ll certainly be back when I decide on my next mountain to climb!
With sincere thanks
Ange Flannery
