Showing posts with label Food and Drink. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food and Drink. Show all posts

05 September 2010

DamavandIran-Drink


Orange Juice
One of the best soft drinks for mountaineers
5 September 2010 posted by MDG

Consumption of water and soft drink is one of the essentials for a mountaineering trip. Depending on how much effort you have to spend on preparation before the climb, there are numerous options for putting together to make a delicious drink for climbing adventure. Mountaineering, climbing, hiking trekking or backpacking requires a much higher energy expenditure on a daily basis than what you may be used to. Drinking and eating enough and frequently not only provide energy levels but also helps to keep positive morale and attitude. To avoid hypothermia, altitude related and other cold weather problems, it is important to have more caloric on mountains and your menu should include a well-balanced selection of energy.

At high altitude such as Mt Damavand you will lose your appetite as you gain altitude and you can not compensate your lost energy by eating ordinary food, so the best way to sustains energy levels is to drink some sort of juicy stuff, orange and lemon juice are the best and most favorite drinks for this occasion.
The natural juice extracted from squeezed oranges and lemons are recommended, best to do it your self, just add some salt and sugger, it works very well! Make a dense 300 cc bottle of orange juice + salt + sugger, it is quite enough for your summit day, add enough water when drinking. Please note, do not drink strong or dense juce and liquid stuff at high altitude.


mt damavand iran, Photo by A. Soltani
Mt Damavand Iran

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Orange Juice MDG05SEP10A
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21 February 2010

damavand-drinking-water


Drinking Water
Damavand Mountain provides breathtaking views and is among the best in the world for hiking & trekking in spring and summer, the peak is a very popular and well-traveled by hikers seeking green holidays, it attract many climbers and tourists each year.

What these people want from the mountain are space, silence, freedom and release from regulation. They don’t want to be told, don’t drink the water, don’t camp in the fields, hurry back to the city where it’s safe! these visitors need drinking water too.

The snow fall in winter is the main precipitation in the area which acts as a frozen reservoir for much of the year in different source of natural water such as springs, streams, rivers, lake and annual snowmelt.

But the question is “are these safe to drink untreated?”
You should make your own final judgments about the risk of drinking in the area, generaly speaking, the chance of falling off a cliff is much higher than getting sick by drinking ! Most pathogenic viruses can not survive in that harsh environment of the mountain.


damavand mountain
Mt Damavand Iran, Summer View
Photo by Anosh Soltani

The springs have natural fresh drinking water, clear and pure and moving in streams are safe with no disease or harm to human, so it is almost ok to drink fast-moving ! And water filtration or purification in most parts is not necessary.

Where to find water
You can obtain your drinking water from various sources in and around the area, there are tap and bottel water at Camp1 Polour and Camp1 Reyneh. Furthermore you may find flowing in summer on Camp2 Base and Camp3 Bargah Sevom, But in colder seasons, there is no flowing water in the area and you must melt the ice and snow.

Other Sources
- Lar Dam Lake, on the west route is one of the main reservoir of fresh water for the capital city of Tehran.
- Permanent steams which are the main source local population such as Polour Village, Reyneh and Larijan Towns.
- Talkhrood River, on the east route, ending in caspian Sea, it is not recommended for drinking.
- Other Sesonal rivers and streams.

But if you prefer to be totally safe:
1 – You can buy fresh bottle water for drinking purpose available in 1.5 liter bottles and also in other convenient sizes, with natural spring source, the best-tasting in the world are produced around this mountain. They are cheap and affordable but carrying them to the high camps is the main problem and you will use a geart energy if you cary them, so to save time and physical energy you may use porter and mule to carry them to Camp3 Bargah Sevom.

Damavand Mt. Winter view
Damavand Winter view
Photo by A. Soltani

Famous brands of bottled water in the area are:
- Polour Mineral Water, cool natural produced at the slope of this mountain.
- Damavand Mineral Water, is made in Cheshmeh Aalla of Damavand City about 20 Km far from Mt damavand, the city and its mineral botteld water has nothing to do with this mountain!
And some other brands are avalable in the area.

2- You can purify water, atleast for drinking purpose, but purified water will become tasteless after the process of purification.
Should you treat water to kill bacteria? This is your personal decision and depends on the risk you wish to take. We believe the risk is low and recommend it in two situations:
a- below cow and sheep pastures.
b- in slow flowing streams below heavily utilized campsites.

Recommendation
- Drink plenty of water
- Get your private water supply, use bottled,
- You need at least 2 letters of drinking water per day per person.

Warning
Water in streams below areas where sheep graze pose the greatest risk to hikers, the potential risk is the presence of pack animals that defecate directly into the water or manure may be swept into streams and rivers by summer storms and annual snowmelt. So don’t drink from seasonal streams/river between Base camp and the High Camp, and don’t camp where animals are grazing.

Mt Damavand poppy fields, Photo by Ardeshir Soltani
Damavand Mount Poppy Fields
Photo by A. Soltani

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Drinking Water MDG22FEB10A
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11 February 2010

damavand-climbing-food2


Food
Climbing Food for Mt Damavand - Part 2
As you gain altitude and reach the Camp3 Bargah Sevom, you may lose your apetite and hunger and food can become less tasty and sometimes you should force yourself to eat or drink something, the higher you go, the more difficult becomes eating.

Water boils at a lower temperature above 4000 metres, it means that food would take more time to cook, so do not use raw beans, lentils etc, because it would take too much time and fuel to cook them. Find ready foods as alternatives, try instant foods which require a few added minutes to cook, these food are easy to find in the markets. Check expiry-dates .

When deciding on what kind of climbing food you may consider:
- easy to carry.
- easy to cook, nutritious with quick cooking .
- enough calories and vitamins.

The more real food you eat at altitude the better your body will perform. Bring enough to eat, weight loss is a fact on Mt Damavand, at that altitude your metabolism rate go up by 10%, and typically you lose weight around 2-3 kgs, drink plenty of water.

If possible prepare your own food with ingredients that you can get from local supermarkets, it is a good idea to have some fresh food with you too, you need about 100g meat & cheese per day. Keep eating a normal volume of food, it is not a right time to diet! But avoid fat.

Carbohydrates are the main component in climbing food, reducing carbs before a climbing will cause your endurance to drop, fructose and glucose are simple sugars and easy to digest, and provide a good source of quick energy. Honey is an easy digest long-burning energy, it is mainly source of natural sugar, fructose, glucose, natural vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, pack as lightly as you can.

Garlic is very good for altitude adaptation, it makes blood thin, most climber eat garlic, but do not eat too much and do not be worry about the smell, because you’re on the Volcano Damavand and you will forget all about it soon when you reach the volcanic area and smell sulphur gas.


Mt. Damavand Climbing Food
Climbing Food for Mount Damavand Iran

AMS
Generaly speaking, it is a very good sign if you have a good appetite on Damavand Mountain and specially above 4000 m, it means you are quite well and away from AMS, but if you get mountain sickness, you will loss your appetite and you can not eat or drink.

On the Climb
You may eat Biskuites, sweet, nuts, energy bars, powder energy drinks, candy bars, sports bars and jelly, chocolate.

Beakfast
Bon appetit! Bread, honey, cheese, peanut butter, eggs, fried eggs, Jam, tea or coffe, fresh or dried milk.

Lunch and Dinner
Enjoy your meal! Bread, mashed potatoes, soups, dry soups, cereals, instant rice, noodles, macaroni, pasta, sardines, tuna, potatoes, eggs, vegetables, dry potatoes, pudding mixes, instant hot cereal, instant rice, dried fruits, dried meat, salami, cheese.

Recommendation
One Day Prior to the Summit Day
- do not eat too much at night.
- stop eating one our before you go to sleep.
- keep walking 15 minuts after you dinner.
- never eat fat food on the mountain.

On the Summit Day
- Before the kick off, have a good breakfast plus two or three cups of tea or coffee add sugar.
- During the way eat sweet, cookie , biscuit , chocolate, energy bar
- You need at least 1.5 letters of water.
- Always avoid food fats.

Not Recommended
These foods are not recommended few days before or during your climb.
- Butter
- Cream
- Fat foods
- Pizza
- Some nuts like pistachio
- Some processed cheese

Useful Links:
ABC of Mountaineering, Climbing Food
Mount Everest by Climbers, Food
Climbing, Energy Food Review
Himalman’s Weblog, High Altitude Food – Climbing Food
Indoor Climbing, Prepare for a Rock Climbing Competition

Mt Damavand poppy fields, Photo by Ardeshir Soltani
Damavand Mountain poppy fields
Photo by A. Soltani

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damavand-climbing-food1


Food
Climbing Food for Mt Damavand - Part 1
Climbing high altitude such as Mount Damavand is a physical challenge and can be very exhausting, you should be mentally and physically ready for such a tough climb, the body will became exhausted as you gradually go up, you may help yourself by replenishment of the lost energy by eating and drinking proper food and fluids while climbing.

In a single climbing day you may burn up to 6K calories, it is more than you can compensate at the time. It is common to loss weight at an altitude like this mountain, almost all climber who have climbed Mt Damavand say that they have lost some weight, about 2 to 3 Kgs.

By eating proper food with the right amount of nutrients needed and easy to get down, will help your body to recover and get ready for the next days and therefore ideal as climbing food during you expedition, easy to carry foods to last you a day with enough calories and vitamins, but may not be suited to your taste.


Mt Damavand Guide
Mt Damavand iran

it is suggested to try out different foods before you go to a high altitude mountain, it is no good packing something you have never tried before, maybe you will not like it, and taste it in advance becouse if you don’t like it at home, you won’t like it on the mountain too, bring foods you enjoy.

Down before you start your trekking, fresh food is usually found everywhere, in the restaurant, hotel, supermarkets and local shops, make the most of these food to compensate the lost energy by eating properly before and after the climb.

All Useful foods
The following is general guidelines for all useful climbing food for any high mountain, you may bring different kinds of food for high camps and on the climbs, the food should be easy to carry and should contain carbohydrate, proteine, mineral and vitamins to give you enough calories, but may not be suited to your taste, rememmber avoid fat.

- bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, pasta casseroles, macaroni.
- fruits, dried fruits, raw carrots, vegetables.
- soups, instant soups, tortellini, cereals and oatmeal.
- cheese, tubed chease, peanut butter, jam, honey, eggs, boiled eggs.
- tinned meals, dried cheese & ham, tinned ham, hard salami, canned tuna, salmon and sardines.
- sweets, hot chocolate powder, milk powder, coffee and tea, chocolate, marzipan, snacks, candy,chocolate, candy bars, nuts, crackers, sports bars and sports Jelly,

Useful Links:
ABC of Mountaineering, Climbing Food
Mount Everest by Climbers, Food
Climbing, Energy Food Review
Himalman’s Weblog, High Altitude Food – Climbing Food
Indoor Climbing, Prepare for a Rock Climbing Competition

Mt Damavand Climbing Food
Mount Damavand Climbing Food

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