Pico Duarte in 14 hours

[redonion]

Here's a question to all. And I hope someone has an intelligent answer for me. I got pretty severe tendonitis of my ACL and PCL in my knee. So bad, I couldn't walk. I had to splint my knee with sticks and shoestrings to immobilize it just to get down.

With that said, you can train all you want to get your muscles in shape and in condition. But, what about ligaments? You can't 100% get them in shape. So I am thinking am I just an old fart and my tendons and ligaments are just not as pliable as they used to be. Which totally sucks. Or is there something I can do?

If I am prone to tendonitis, is that just tough sh*t? Or is there something I can do to prevent, or "limit" it in the future?

Thanks

 

[cobraboy]

Most folks take a mule in as far as they can go. Alida had done PD and says her group rode 80% of the time. The real climb was the last few kms.

 

[cobraboy]

Here's a question to all. And I hope someone has an intelligent answer for me. I got pretty severe tendonitis of my ACL and PCL in my knee. So bad, I couldn't walk. I had to splint my knee with sticks and shoestrings to immobilize it just to get down.

With that said, you can train all you want to get your muscles in shape and in condition. But, what about ligaments? You can't 100% get them in shape. So I am thinking am I just an old fart and my tendons and ligaments are just not as pliable as they used to be. Which totally sucks. Or is there something I can do?

If I am prone to tendonitis, is that just tough sh*t? Or is there something I can do to prevent, or "limit" it in the future?

Thanks

Patient: Doc, it hurts when I do this...

Doctor: Then don't do that...

Growin' old ain't fer sissies...

Welcome to Old Farthood. It's not so bad. Just stay within your limitations.

I have no cartledge in my right knee. No way I'd climb PD now.

 

[Chip]

Here's a question to all. And I hope someone has an intelligent answer for me. I got pretty severe tendonitis of my ACL and PCL in my knee. So bad, I couldn't walk. I had to splint my knee with sticks and shoestrings to immobilize it just to get down.

With that said, you can train all you want to get your muscles in shape and in condition. But, what about ligaments? You can't 100% get them in shape. So I am thinking am I just an old fart and my tendons and ligaments are just not as pliable as they used to be. Which totally sucks. Or is there something I can do?

If I am prone to tendonitis, is that just tough sh*t? Or is there something I can do to prevent, or "limit" it in the future?

Thanks

I'm 44 and I no longer have an acl and half the cartilage in my left knee, arthritis in both knees, broke my back when I was 22 and have a bad ligament in my right shoulder. That being said ligaments don't heal like muscles because of the lack of blood supply. There are things you can do to mitigate this like exercising. Specifically, for the acl the secret are the exercising the quad muscles by doing leg extensions. The muscle will make up for the damaged ligaments and keep things tight. If I quit exercising my left knee for more than three to four weeks it becomes very loose. Also, I take glucosamine almost daily. I have been taking it for three years now and have noticed a significant decrease in joint pain. Finally, you need to rest your knee for maybe up to a month then slowly get back in the gym. You only need to work out that muscle twice a week max, one heavy day and one light. In fact once a weak heavy should be sufficient.

 

[bob saunders]

You can take the MSM/Glu/Condritine Combo available in most Drug stores , and my doctor told me to tak an ibiprofin 20 minutes before starting. Other than that do what your body will allow. I'm like Chip - 4 shoulder operations - 3 right shoulder, 1 left shoulder. replacement ACL left knee, arthritic knees and ankles. Slows me down but don't stop me.

 

[Lambada]

If I am prone to tendonitis, is that just tough sh*t? Or is there something I can do to prevent, or "limit" it in the future?

Well done to you, too! Some info here:
Patellar Tendonitis (Jumper's Knee) Rehabilitation Exercises
and here scroll down to
Patellar Tendonitis Prevention

 

[tjmurray]

Wow, we got some banged up people on dr1.com

I've joined the club for 2 days...

 

[Hillbilly]

I just realized that not practicing any judo for three months that I do not "hurt" any more!!! Might be on to something!!...Damn, and I miss it!!

Oh well...Ibuprofin and the like (Advil?) helped me through the day. I used to use a lot of butesolidin ("Bute") on knees and joints...also a lot of Vitamins...C, D, E and Bcomplex.
Also the Cndroit stuff...

Age is a witch, ain;t it???

HB

 

[DanaP]

ok, so a girlfriend of mine is all hopped up about coming to visit in February and hiking Duarte. I got that we should have good shoes, chocolate (which i've never even attempted the smallest hike without), a burro, guide......what else?

We are experienced Vermont hikers, but certainly aren't in Everest summiting condition at the moment. How long with it realistically take us? and is it better to just pay one of those tour services who will provide all the gear and make sure we don't freeze to death at night?

Advice please!!!

muchas gracias

(and congratulations on your feat. it sounds grueling but very impressive)

 

[tjmurray]

ok, so a girlfriend of mine is all hopped up about coming to visit in February and hiking Duarte. I got that we should have good shoes, chocolate (which i've never even attempted the smallest hike without), a burro, guide......what else?

We are experienced Vermont hikers, but certainly aren't in Everest summiting condition at the moment. How long with it realistically take us? and is it better to just pay one of those tour services who will provide all the gear and make sure we don't freeze to death at night?

Advice please!!!

muchas gracias

(and congratulations on your feat. it sounds grueling but very impressive)

I would just go the independent way like us. The guide cost RD$600 per day. The mule would have been RD$500 a day but we did not use it. You also have to purchase food for the guide. I told him to take whatever he thought necessary from the colmado down the street from the ranger station in La Ci?nega and he basically did his groceries... The total price came to only RD$180 though; it's the campo.

Purchasing a tour can be very costly. The young couple and their father who we met on the trip paid US$300 per person. Ken and I probably paid (between gas, food, guide, etc.) US$50 a piece.

I would recommend warm clothing, a sleeping bag if you go the independent way, two water canteens per person, bug repellent, sun screen (I learned the hard way on this one), good food and some junk food for sugar.

Another thing to remember is that at each refuge, Los Tablones and La Compartici?n, there are mattresses available for use. The park ranger will try to rent these to you for RD$200 but this is BS. I paid because I didn't know but when my girlfriend brought it up to the head ranger at La Ci?nega he got upset and said that was not permitted. It's up to you though, fight over RD$200 or just cough it up. Either way, I didn't have a sleeping bag so that's why I wanted the mattress in the first place.

We were also told by a peace corps volunteer that a new trail was being built to Pico Duarte from La Ci?nega. This is being done by the Peace Corps and will supposedly be completed before Christmas this year. The old trail will be used by the mules, which is perfect because it is a mule trail to begin with.

 

[DanaP]

Great, thanks for the advice. How many days & nights is a realistic trip?? and why so little water? can you find it on the way...?

little ms. questions...

 

[tjmurray]

Great, thanks for the advice. How many days & nights is a realistic trip?? and why so little water? can you find it on the way...?

little ms. questions...

Most people do the trip in 3 days 2 nights. You hike in 4km and stay the night at Los Tablones. The next day you trek to the second refuge, La Compartici?n. The next day you hike to Pico Duarte and come all the way back.

You actually need a lot of water. I mentioned you should personally have two canteens so if you finish one you will have a reserve. Along the entire 23km trail there are only three places to get water; well really five but these other two spots are very close to each refuge so it's a better bet to say three. There is a large gap between water from Los Tablones to Aguitas Fr?as, about 11.5km.

 

[DanaP]

thank you. i've read various things but this is perfectly clear. much appreciated!!!

d

 

[GALK]

With me was a couple (trained on 2 trekking tours at Nepal in 3 - 5000 m) and the guide
and we rented 2 mules to bring up food, drinks, sleeping bags and warm cloths as we had bad weather end of March.
I walk every day about 10 km playing golf, not overweight.
You may start as suggested at Los Tablones or spend the night in Jarabacoa and walk up to La Comparticion (18km) where you could spend the night (we had - 3Celsius in early morning).
Don?t speed, because you might overdue and get problems with knees, otherwise its a good experience in the tropics and doable.
Next day you start early to the Pico and you make it back to La Cienaga the same day.
We spent 1/2 hour at the Pico, had a bottle of Moet & Chandon, but no view at all.
Only on the way down the sun broke through, nature is incredible beautiful and its worth all the fight.
Be prepared and do it,
GALK

 

[GALK]

The most difficult part I found La Laguna up to Aguita fria, 700m height difference by 3500m distance, its tough up and down as well for the knees, had some troubles on the way down, hiking sticks help.
Take Mars or things alike with you.
GALK

 

[DanaP]

Mars? as in mars bars, the chocolate? and walking sticks, good idea!!

Hopefully my race training will benefit me on my hike!! give me the stamina to carry my brugal

 

[Luciano]

Hiked Pico Duarte Yesterday

My girlfriend and I completed our Pico Duarte hike yesterday. We left from La Cienaga on Thursday (11/26) at about 6:45 and arrived at La Compartacion at about 2:30. We spent the night at La Compartacion and hiked up to the peak at about 4:00 a.m. We were incredibly unlucky as my flashlight (I bought it along with the batteries at the store in La Cienaga the day before) ran out of juice about 5 minutes into our hike to the peak. We had to rely on our guides flashlight for the entire ascent in the dark. We reached the peak at about 6:15 and had to wait until about 6:55 for the sun to appear on the horizon. It was very cold. Potentially below freezing with the wind chill. We were back at La Compartacion by 9:30, left for La Cienaga at 9:45 and reached La Cienaga at about 5 p.m. Total walking time was 21 hours within a 37 hour time frame. We hired a publico to get us back to Jarabacoa, a taxi from Jarabacoa to La Vega, and then took a Caribe Tour Bus to Sosua, where we are staying. We were home by a little after 11 p.m. The entire experience was incredible and I think it will take me a while for it all to sink in. The worst part of the trip was arriving at La Compartacion after 8 exhausting hours of uphill hiking and having the Park Guard stationed there try to rent you a filthy mattress for 200 pesos. I was upset and told the guard that he was wrong to try to take advantage of us like that. He later gave my girlfriend a mattress for free. I then gave him a 100 pesos for a mattress for me and our guide, Dario. He gave me a thin mattress and Dario got an inflatable mattress with a hole in it.

 

[Luciano]

Mars? as in mars bars, the chocolate? and walking sticks, good idea!!

Hopefully my race training will benefit me on my hike!! give me the stamina to carry my brugal

Hi DanaP,

The only food we took with us (aside from the rice, can of beans, bread chips, salami from the store) was peanut butter and jelly, 6 slices of whole wheat bread, 300 grams of mozzarella cheese, and six tetrapacks of myoplex. If I did this hike again I would definitely take a lot more fruits, focusing more on high-sugar content ones like bananas, grapes, clementines, etc. I wore a heart rate monitor (HRM) on the hike from La Ceinaga to La Comparticion and it estimated that I burned about 5000 calories. My girlfriend wore the HRM from La Comparticion to La Cienaga and it said she burned 5256 calories. I estimate that the hike from La Compartacion to the peak and back probably burned about 3000 calories. Total calorie expenditure is easily over 10,000 so its important for you to eat well. We completed the hike on meager rations but better food would have helped out a lot.

As for physical preparation, my girlfriend and I have been on the Body For Life program for the past few months and I think it helped a lot. We do high intenstity interval training 3 days a week for 20 minutes and circuit-like weight training on the other three days (including a lot of squats, lunges, box jumps, and step-ups). You should definitely focus on the lower body for this hike. I think the squats, lunges, and box jumps were especially good preparation for this hike.

 

[mariel]

I got an error saying that I don't have permission to see the Pico Duarte gallery - do I need to pay some peaje or something?

Berzin: thanks for the recommendations in what to work out, I've wanted to climb Pico Duarte for ages but I'm nowhere near fit, so I'll work on that.

 

[tjmurray]

I got an error saying that I don't have permission to see the Pico Duarte gallery - do I need to pay some peaje or something?

Berzin: thanks for the recommendations in what to work out, I've wanted to climb Pico Duarte for ages but I'm nowhere near fit, so I'll work on that.

If they were my photos, I deleted them because I didn't have any room for others Now that I have more room, maybe I will load again.

Anybody up for Pico Duarte? I feel like hiking.