Altitude Information and Warning
ALTITUDE SICKNESS
All clients on treks or expeditions going to high altitude (over 4000m) should be aware that it is potentially hazardous. Serious illnesses and even fatalities occur every year in the Andes. Patience with the process of acclimatisation on trekking and mountaineering expeditions is fundamentally important in reducing the likelihood of severe illness. At altitude it is extremely important not to hide the fact that you are feeling unwell or are being pushed too fast. Other expedition members have a responsibility to be patient with anyone feeling unwell or tired at altitude.
Altitude sickness commonly starts with a persistent headache; by itself this is not too serious, but it should be seen as a warning that a person is poorly acclimatised. More severe symptoms include nausea (particularly on movement) and a more persistent headache that does not respond to painkillers. This level of illness is known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). With these symptoms people should not climb higher and may need to think about going back down to lower altitudes.
There are two very serious conditions which can develop if initial AMS is not recognised or treated. These are High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema and High Altitude Cerebral Oedema (HAPE and HACE). Both illnesses arise from an imbalance in body fluids caused by the lack of pressure, in HAPE fluid collects in the lungs, in HACE fluid collects in the skull. They are both likely to be fatal if not treated. The most effective treatment is always as rapid a descent as possible to a lower altitude.
HOW TO COPE
Safety at altitude is largely a matter of good acclimatisation, going slowly and avoiding any over exertion. Drink plenty of fluids and relax. Get fit before you go to altitude so that you can cope more easily with exercise at altitude. Your body will have enough to deal with due to the lack of oxygen without also having to cope with a lack of basic fitness for walking and climbing. Take it easy when you get high. Walk at a slow and steady pace and do not allow others to rush you. In addition there are many minor effects of altitude. Some of the more common are; tiredness, feeling light headed, feeling cold, worrying/fretting, disturbed sleep and strange dreams
Your Performance - There is an enormous difference in how well people do at altitude, and most of this seems to be something you are born with. Some perfectly fit people will just never do well at altitude. Others with no claim to being super fit do very well every time they go to altitude. Get fit before you leave home then once at altitude take it easy and don't try to keep up with others if you are not comfortable.
Fitness - Get fit before you go. Whilst being fit is no guarantee that you will do well at altitude, if you are unfit you will certainly struggle (you would at sea level anyway!). The fitter you are the better you will do.
Water - Drink as much as you can. It doesn't need to be cold water you drink, we would advise drinking as much hot sweet tea as you can (or any other hot drink you prefer). Glugging a litre of tea will re-hydrate you much more quickly and much more effectively than sipping small amounts of cold water.
Diet -- What you consume can have some effect on your acclimatisation. In particular avoid depressants such as alcohol and sleeping pills. Stimulants such as caffeine and coca tea can help with acclimatisation. Most importantly drink plenty of fluid - in case you haven't noticed that is the third time we have said this...!
Caffeine - Caffeine is a drug that is known to help boost performance in endurance events, so within reason there is no reason to avoid it at high altitude. You may hear that caffeine is a diuretic but that doesn't mean that a litre of tea will de-hydrate you. While an espresso coffee might be a problem you will retain 90% of the fluid you drink in a litre of tea, so downing a litre of tea will re-hydrate you much more quickly and much more effectively than sipping small amounts of cold water.
Diamox - We are generally against using Diamox (Acetazolamide) at altitude. People who know well, such as the base camp doctors on Aconcagua, don't think it is a good idea to use any prescription drug. There are several reason for this; Diamox appears to hide some of the symptoms of the edemas, so rather than preventing them it may just disguise them until it is too late. As it is a powerful diuretic it can also lead to problems with hydration if you are not careful to drink plenty.
WARNING
Our treks and expeditions are designed with an acclimatisation program that will suit the majority of people including about 90-95% of our clients. (Though 10-20% may experience some symptoms such as headache and loss of appetite in the early stages). However for about 5% of the population who adapt least well to high altitude our acclimatisation program will be too fast for comfort (and indeed any commercial trip to high altitude will be too fast).
