Climbing while sick

I'm heading to Ouray tomorrow , but unfortunately picked up a cold from my kids two days ago. Anyone have any tips for climbing while sick? Any favorite over the counter remedies?

I've always wondered what people in the special forces do when they get sick, but still need to perform.

Eat lots of garlic and ginger, both are great for your immune system. make sure its garlic before ginger, then you have some hopes of having tolerable breath. and drink lots of water and tea and emergen-c.

Hydration (As in really, really, hydrate. Drink 2L of water before you leave the hotel in the morning and another 2L throughout the day), good/high-energy food, take it easy on the approach, and dress a tiny bit warmer than you normally would. Vitamin C would probably be a good idea as well.

Don't be afraid to bail.

Stay home. Your partners will flat rock you if you get them sick too.

How sick are you? I've climbed pretty hard (for me) while I was a little sick, and I've had to lay on the ground in front of illusion dweller, and sail away later that day, with a fever because I was a lot sick. It's all about how sick you are. If it's just a little cold, go and crank. I do agree with the remedies. Try them all, except the one that involves whiskey and honey heated. Don't do that one. Don't even try it for fun. It's not fun.

A little sick, not a lot...stuffy nose, sore throat, slight fever. I would normally stay home, but this is my only ice trip of the year and friends are flying in from cali and Seattle. So, for multiple reasons bailing doesn't seem like a great option.

I appreciate the suggestions so far!

given more details, Alka-Seltzer Sinus for the head. Advil for the aches and fever. Your fever will be high in the morning and in the evening it will be low. Lots of hot hydrating fluids. Like seriously, start hydrating now.

Everyone gets sick at least once while overseas. A fever should sideline you, but if the mission needs every able body, this is what we did. I wasnt spec-ops, just a troop.

I was pretty sick this weekend and was able to climb relatively well. Lots of water seemed to be the key. You should just keep water moving through you. An approach(~45 min uphill) always seems to help me also. I didn't lead though.

Andrew Gram wrote:Stay home. Your partners will flat rock you if you get them sick too.

Andrew, "flat rock" is still one of my favorite verbs, ever.

To the original poster, I would not sweat it too much. All the pros climb sick all the time, at least that's what their spotters yell. SICK BRA, SICK! So, I'm sure you'll be fine.

Climbing is the very best thing to do when sick.
I spent all of yesterday feeling miserable with a cold that I came down with only the night before.
I woke today feeling no better, so I stuck with my plans and went cragging with my friend.
We did two challenging and fun first ascents on toprope.
I feel better today.

Ginger. Garlic!? What kind of advise is that?

Sudafed and Advil. Also, since your throat's kind of sore, bring some hot tea with honey and lemon. If you're anything like me, just being outside and focusing on something else makes a big difference in terms of how I feel.

My son occasionally gets a bout of the croup, which is a real, dry, almost metallic cough. It was bad enough one night that my wife took him to the emergency room on a cold and foggy night. By the time he was seen by an MD, his symptoms had improved and the doctor said that there's anecdoctal evidence that cool dry air minimizes the inflammation in the lungs. Maybe some of that cold, dry mt. air will do you good. If not then the hot springs can't hurt.

Tom Hanson wrote:Climbing is the very best thing to do when sick. I spent all of yesterday feeling miserable with a cold that I came down with only the night before. I woke today feeling no better, so I stuck with my plans and went cragging with my friend. We did two challenging and fun first ascents on toprope. I feel better today.

Tom, I think that's a logical fallacy you present there. Ha ha.

Craig, I think the guidelines are that if your symptoms are above the neck, light exercise is okay. If the symptoms are below the neck, you should not do any activity. However, the fact that you have a fever....well, I don't know. I'm not a doctor.

For me, exercise usually ends up making me sicker. It may not happen immediately, but it usually seems to fall on the 'not helping' side of things in the end.

Edited to add: if I were your partners, I would be kinda pissed if you got me sick post-trip. But if I were you (given your circumstances), I would probably go unless I felt flat-out horrible.

What alleviates the symptoms, and shortens the duration of a common cold for me is drinking lots of fluids (water, and juices), Emergen-C pack twice a day, ibuprofen 600mg once or twice a day for a day or two, and (the hottest in temperature I can down without scorching myself) chicken broth; I usually get Wor Wonton soup from a Chinese take-out which generally has more chicken fat content than what you can find canned or boxed in the grocery store; or if I have time, I'll make my own.

Thankfully, I rarely get sick; I get a cold once or twice a year but have found that excercise; such as climbing, and hiking while sick with a common cold makes me feel better; especially the day after the work-out when my symptoms seem to have cleared over night .

PS: after quite a bit of skiing this week; I actually woke up this morning with minor cold symptoms; making chicken soup as we speak; tis the season! : )

I pretty much have found that the plethora of remedies can dampen some of the symptoms. But, if I do nothing at all or attack it with all of the prescibed remedies, I get over it in about the same amount of time. The best remedy is prevention, HAND WASH and convince everyone you know COVER UP when they cough and sneeze.

Check out a remedy they sell in the drug store called: "Zicam".
I've started to use it when I feel a cold coming on and it seems to lessen the effects. They used to make a nose spray that I liked but that got discontinued for some reason so now they have a throat spray. Of course you may or may not get relief with it but it might be worth a try. Good luck!

Get several quarts of the hottest green chili you can stand and eat nothing but it and grapefruit juice.
This only works if it is the real bona-fide XXX hot stuff that only a few places make (Brewery Bar, Chubby's, Santiagos).

Don't bother if you have to do mild or half and half. You should be sweating and crying out tears. Munch on raw jalapeno's from the store. If you can take it, it will burn the symptoms right out of you for a while.
Edit- I would assume some would consider this worse than the cold.

M Irving wrote:Check out a remedy they sell in the drug store called: "Zicam". They used to make a nose spray that I liked but that got discontinued for some reason so now they have a throat spray.

I believe people starting losing their sense of smell...but I use the new stuff and I believe it may help, if it doesnt actually do anything for you physically I think it helps mentally. Also, if you have anything more than a minor cold, I wouldn't do any vigorous exercise if you're not willing to make the sickness worse afterwards...

If it's in your head, go ahead; if it's in your chest, give it a rest.

[who needs doctors when you can rhyme?]

This is a pretty old forum... but in response to the garlic and ginger they work great. My favorite medicinal herbal applications are ANDROGRAPHIS, a swedish herb for the flu that is hands down the greatest thing on the planet. I also take a Goldenseal, Echinacea, and garlic mix that works wonders

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NOTHING beats a cold like this hard to swallow tablets. Seriously. Specially if you start taking them on the first moment of symptoms.

haha ginger and garlic.... you hippies have any scientific studies behind that?