Tagging Along ... What Reporters Should Expect

Expenses

Plan on travel expenses in the range of $4,000 to $5,000 (which, hopefully, will be reimbursed). Make sure you can make changes to flights without incurring a big penalty; departure and return dates tend to move around. A rule of thumb I use to estimate hotels, meals and incidentals in cities or large towns is $100 a day, which includes padding for contingencies. Keep in mind that expeditions are structured in different ways so that you may or may not need to make further arrangements. In the case of Quelccaya, for example, Thompson asks reporters and TV crews to deal directly with the mountain guide who organizes his expeditions.

Gear

It goes without saying that you'll need sunblock, sunglasses, mountaineering boots and multiple layers of warm clothing. Water-resistant shells (jacket and pants) are invaluable as are retractable mittens - the ones that pull back to free up your fingers. Also good are pens that write when it's cold and wet. You'll definitely need a warm parka, a good tent, a decent sleeping bag and insulated boots for standing around on the ice and snow. If you don't have such items, you can shell out hundreds of dollars to buy them, or you can ask to borrow them. At Ohio State, Thompson keeps quite a few spares on hand.

Hazards

The high mountains are beautiful but dangerous places. No matter how much experience you've had - in the years before going to Quelccaya I'd climbed at least a few 12,000 to 14,000 ft. peaks - you can expect your body to betray you. Altitude sickness is an ever-present danger. The best way of avoiding it is to gain elevation in stages. En route to Naimona'nyi, for example, we spent several days in Lhasa (elevation: 12,500 ft.). I also took acetazolamide, which may have helped a little. Never forget that altitude sickness can be life threatening. If you develop a severe headache accompanied by fatigue, nausea or dizziness, don't keep it to yourself.

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