altitude.org | Edinburgh Altitude Research Expedition 2009

HOME SAFELY
The research team have all arived safely back in the UK after a very sucessful expedition. The data analysis will now begin in earnest. The results will be published by the end of the year. Watch this space for further updates on the findings.

--23rd June 2009 0830hrs BST--

SUMMIT DAY. The data-gathering phase of the research is now complete, so the team have decided to celebrate by climbing Kilmanjaro. Four of the six team members made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro today.

--21st June 2009 1030hrs BST--

With three more days of recruiting to go, the researchers have gathered data on a total of 165 subjects, making this one of the largest-ever studies of acute mountain sickness.

--15th June 2009 0800hrs BST--

60 subjects recruited in the first five days! The team have modified their recruitment strategy to obtain even more data. With ten more days to go, they are on track to complete one of the largest epidemiological studies on mountain sickness ever.

--10th June 2009 1000hrs BST--

The team have arrived safely at high camp at 4200m where they will base their research station. Unfortunately the ultrasound machine - a key part of their research - has exploded! A tiny air bubble expanded inside the machine because of the lower air pressure at this altitude. This means that one of the main experiments in the expedition can't go ahead. More news on the team's efforts to cope with this problem will be posted later today.

--9th June 2009 1700hrs BST--

The team have one more day of climbing to do before they arrive at their makeshift high altitude research station. After a detailed inventory and equipment check before the climb, all of the research kit was carefully packed away. Everyone is hoping that the kit will still be working when it is unpacked after being carried most of the way up Kilmanjaro.

--7th June 2009 1700hrs BST--

The first day's climbing is over and the scientists have made it to camp one. The team are carrying solar panels to power the sophisticated equipment that can measure the amount of brain swelling that is caused by the altitude. This could answer a fundamental question in altitude medicine: is altitude sickness caused by brain swelling?

--6th June 2009 1145hrs BST--

The high camp team have all their equipment ready and have set off on the long climb to their makeshift research station at 4200m. When they arrive on Wednesday, they will immediately begin recruiting climbers to their research studies.

--5th June 2009 1030hrs BST--

All permits are now ready and the team have completed their final kit checks. The high camp team will set off tomorrow. This group of three scientists aim to make measurements of the pressure inside climbers' brains by using an ultrasound probe to look at the eyes.

--3rd June 2009 1400hrs BST--

The team have arrived safely with all of their research equipment in Tanzania. Final approvals for their research work on Mount Kilmanjaro are being arranged and they hope that the final rubber stamp will be applied later this afternoon.

Edinburgh Altitude Research Expedition 2009

UPDATES

--28th June 2009 2130hrs BST--