Training at a molecular level.

The downside of going to exotic places is the vast array of exotic diseases that typically come with them. Malaria was a serious concern when I went to Africa. The drug taken daily to guard against Malaria, Malarone, saps a person's strength, leaving him want of a nap. This is problematic for a Climber who is on the move. With some frequency it also produces psychotropic dreams at night. A Climber I know awoke from one such dream convinced he was lying in a pool of blood and clenching a knife. Did I mention we share tents?  In my own Malarone nightmare I dreamed I was kissing Madeleine Albright. Not just a peck either. It is a testament to just how disturbing this dream was that, even in the company of my Tentmate's homocidal dream-world confession,  I chose not to share it.

Some treatments come in the form of Vaccines,  like UP109AB for Yellow Fever. Yellow Fever is such a serious threat in some countries that one must carry a card certifying her vaccination before being allowed to enter. For anyone who has had Mono, a body feels pretty much the same for the ten days following vaccination. Others, like VIVOTIF BERNA  for Typhoid Fever, are living disabled virus in tiny capsules that are kept in the refrigerator while one takes doses every other day. Some of us are accustomed to living things in our refrigerators but this is especially creepy.  While there is a vaccine for Rabies, unless you will be working in direct contact with various mammals the CDC prescribes prevention as the primary approach. Do not feed the monkeys. Do not pet the dogs. Keep your fingers away from Glen Beck's  mouth.

Some Vaccines are so basic the CDC would suggest you have them before going to your mailbox. Vaccines like MMR (measles/mumps/rubella), DPT (diptheria/pertussis/tetanus), and Poliovirus fall into this category. The next line of defense would include Hepatitis A and B vaccines, which are strongly recommended for travel to Asia or anywhere south of the United States. But the most immediate biological threat to a high-altitude Climber are the organisms which bring on diarrhea. Hydration is all-important in the fight to ward off serious altitude conditions. It is also central to the prevention of frostbite and freezing. Thus a relatively harmless bout of diarrhea at sea level can be fatal at high altitude. With unsanitary conditions being the norm at high camps one must be diligent in the preparation of food and water. Compulsive hand washing is a Darwinian virtue. But for those times when a Climber finds herself afflicted just the same, there is no substitute for CIPRO.  I suffered a middle of the night episode while climbing on Kilimanjaro. Weak and shaky, I returned to my tent and began a  course of CIPRO. The next day I was able to continue up the mountain, summitting two days later.

The site for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a saved web page on my browser. For someone outside the medical community this might be a cause for concern. But the far-flung places I find myself each have their own set of challenges, both topographic and biological. I checked the site recently for my upcoming trip. First I looked into Chile. The CDC  recommends, in addition to the routine vaccinations, travelers to Chile be vaccinated for Hep A & B, and Typhoid Fever. For the temperate regions of Chile they also caution against Dengue Fever, a disease contracted by mosquito bite. Fair enough. Then I checked for Antarctica. It would seem that anything a person is going to have in Antarctica he must bring with him. This much is true of disease as well. Aside from those afflictions passed from human to human, most other cases of sickness involve diseases contracted prior to arriving at Antarctica. The CDC recommends travelers to Antarctica have the routine vaccines of MMR, DPT, and poliovirus, plus Hep A and B.   ...and don't eat under-cooked penguin meat.