I've set a goal of summiting Longs Peak in honor of my late mother, who climbed it twice herself, and as a challenge for personal health and conditioning and for the fun of it, with the target date, at latest, of 2016, the year I turn 50. Have always loved mountains, have realized how much so this year - it's become one of my principle passions, hiking and, as conditioning improves and experience builds, rock climbing and mountaineering.
I start off needing to lose about 75 lbs to get to peak condition and am following a plan of hiking and exercising as much as possible, ascending ever higher peaks - my highest yet was Stratton Mountain in October, and I had a small asthmatic reaction (worst ever for me, my only real, albeit small asthma attack - I'd only had an occasional small wheeze in the past).
So, to the point - my worry is to make sure I gradually acclimate and condition myself, over time, to higher altitude. I live near sea level in Connecticut, so my lungs are used to the thick air, plentiful with O2. The plan, generally, is to hike Killington Peak, Mt. Washington and maybe Lafayette next year and, from there, to do some 8K peaks (Half Dome comes to mind) and beyond in coming years, building up to Longs' 14,235 or so by '16, hopefully sooner. (It appeared that Tuckerman Ravine to Washington's summit is similarly difficult to Longs' Keyhole Route in terms of grade, with altitude and some tricky stretches near the summit of Longs being the big differences).
The good news is I'm on good track for Washington next summer. Recently did a hike which approximates Tuck's first three miles with relative ease (the same hiked taxed me mightily last July, a month into my new hiking adventures). Am working on steep ascents which correspond to the pitch of Tuck's wall and the summit cone with improving results.
I'm looking for helpful suggestions - has any of you had to deal with asthma or overweight or diabetes? Followed such a gradual altitude conditioning program? Any insight and experience you can share will be most appreciated. Thank you in advance.