Region: Miscellaneous

Nick Cochand with Sabina Aziz, Prof Damian Bailey, Jon Bailey, Sarah Buszard, Peter Davies, Kevin Evans, Rhodri Evans, Sam Harrison, Ian Lane, Sile Murphy, Jamie Naughton, Jo Organ, Alex Patau, Caroline Taylor, Cicely Warren, Ross Whitehead, Mike Wild and Dr Richard Wise. (July-August 2008)

This was a group of healthy volunteers from Swansea and Cardiff Universities (including doctors and medical students) who planned to undergo simple non-invasive tests before, during and after an ascent of Mt Elbrus (5642m) in order to assess the morphological, biochemical and metabolic factors predisposing to AMS. Prior to departure, all team members underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Trans Cranial Doppler (TCD) to determine their normal states: these were repeated following the expedition. The experiment was greatly assisted by the presence of a cable car which enabled the subjects to gain access to a hut at 3800m without undertaking any ‘normal’ acclimatisation. Initially the weather was excellent, but it began to deteriorate as ‘summit day’ approached, and the ascent had to be aborted at 4900m. Nevertheless, very useful data were acquired, including from a number of inevitable, but fortunately minor, medical problems experienced, including AMS.