Hey Backpackers,
Last week I completed my third trip to Mt. Shasta. For those who don’t know, the elevation gain is about 7000 ft. You use crampons and mountaineering boots and there are some sections that are fairly steep grade.
After the trip I noticed the front of both my big toes have reduced sensation and slight numbness. I’ve seen a doctor who thinks its a mild traumatic neuropathy that will resolve itself anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
I didn’t have these types of symptoms the first two times I trekked up Shasta but there were a couple things that were different this time. My rental boots may have been laced improperly but I’m assuming my choice to rent mountaineering boots a half a size larger than normal–the rental shop was out of 10.5s–played a big role.
I wanted to ask those who have experience with this:
- Are there certain mountaineering boot materials or brands that are better at preventing semi-permanent tingle toes?
- For those who had this and recovered, did you still hike or stay relatively active while waiting for full sensation to return ? I’m not planning any mountaineering trips in the near future, but would still like to get out and hike some trails/start running again.
