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High Altitude Seriousness | Better Know It Better

 

 

 

High Altitude Seriousness

 

    You    Get    

ecstasy    joy    fulfillment    accomplishment

fun     enjoyment      memories

 

 

You Fight

Dizziness          Headache       Stomach Problems   Nausea          AMS        Loss of Appetite    HAPE    Cough    Confusions         Ataxia     Cold

Breathlessness   Fatigue      HACE      DEATH

 

 

  1. What is high altitude
  2. What are the effects of high altitude on humans?
  3. What is Acute Mountain Sickness?
  4. How serious can High Altitude be?
  5. What Is High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) ?
  6. What Is High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) ?
  7. How do a human body adapt to high altitude naturally?
  8. 3 rules of Acclimatization
  9. What is Diamox? How does it help?
  10. What is Periodic Breathing?
  11. Does sleeping pills help?

 


 

Mountains rise up form the ground and the highest mountain peak in our world is Mount Everest, which is 8850 meters higher than the sea level. However, the conditions on the top of Mt. Everest is not the same as that at our home. Its extreme and is difficult for human beings to survive for a long time there. Apart from the visible differences in the terrain and geographic features, the major 'invisible difference' is the effects of the high altitude on human body. That is what makes it the 'first challenge of a mountaineer'. Be it for achieving the summit or just for the love of it, human beings have been challenging it are successfully achieving it.


Perhaps its the nature of us humans to accept challenges and to see the World beyond the challenges... The love of the mountains is such a sport that makes us venture outdoors, as the mountains wont be coming to us anyways ;-) In dong so, a mountaineer has to overcome lots of challenges of harsh and extreme weather, rough and volatile terrain, living and sustaining out of one's comfort zone, physical demands and the most important of them all - The Chemistry Of High Altitude.

 

 


 

What is high altitude?

 

Mountaineering involves scaling altitudes and due to the change in atmospheric pressure with altitude ( inversely proportional ), our body's default environment changes. We need to adapt to those changes in environment physically and mentally, within our time frame, to achieve our objectives in the mountains. This has raised the importance of studying the high altitude and its effects on the human body, so that we can find a formula to break the challenge. This study classifies the High Altitude according to its magnitude. The most common classification is - 

8000 ft - 12000 ft: High Altitude
12000 ft - 18000 ft: Very High Altitude
18000 ft and above: Extremely High Altitude

26000 ft and above: Death Zone

 

 

 


 

What are the effects of high altitude on humans?

As we know that with increase in altitude, the atmospheric pressure decreases. The concentration of oxygen at sea level is 21% approximately and the mercuric pressure is approximately 760 mmHg.  Our body is very well adapted to these conditions. However, with increase in altitude, the atmospheric pressure decreases which gives more space for the air molecules to spread wide apart from each other. So, even if the concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere remains constant, our oxygen molecule intake per breath decreases. Just to imagine, if we had been breathing 100 oxygen molecules per breath, at 3000 meters we would be breathing in about 80 oxygen molecules per breath.

 

That's unusual for our body which detects the change and responds to the change by increasing in our breathing rate ( hypoxia) to meet the oxygen deficiency. We call it 'breathlessness' in laymen terms. We try to breathe more to consume more air. On the other hand, the body increases the Hemoglobin count in our blood which are the oxygen carriers, to hold more oxygen molecules in our blood. This process thickens our blood and hence our heart now needs to pump thicker blood to the extreme organs, which further results in increased pressure on our heart. So a slight increase in blood pressure and pulse rate in the high altitude is our body's reaction to respond to the change environment, and is usually considered normal as you cannot do much about it.

 

In order to breathe more oxygen from the air by increasing the breathe rate, we also loose Carbon Dioxide at a faster rate due to exhalation. The concentration of CO2 goes below normal due to it. Excessive hypoxia makes our blood alkaline and our kidneys react immediately by eliminating bicarbonates with the urine to restore the blood pH level. That's why we urinate more in High Altitude.

 

At around 5000 meters, the pressure is approximately half compared to that at sea level and at the summit of Mt. Everest, its one-third. Our body is not just used to this deficiency of oxygen in our blood, hence we face several problems which clubbed together is called Acute Mountain Sickness ( AMS) or simply Altitude Sickness.

 

 

 

 


 

What is Acute Mountain Sickness?

As described above, AMS is caused by our body's inability or slowness to adapt to the high altitude. Our body's chemistry, unable to cope up to the harsh conditions, start to deteriorate and fail. It initially rings the bell by showing various symptoms ( single or combined ) like headache, dizziness, fatigue, breathlessness, nausea, feeling vomitish, etc. These symptoms clubbed together is called Acute Mountain Sickness.

Symptoms: headache, dizziness, fatigue, breathlessness, nausea, feeling vomitish, loss of appetite

Treatment: resolves on its own after spending some time in that altitude.  Mild analgesic or ibubrufen may be given for headache. Hydrate the victim and recheck after some time. Do not exert physically and rest in camp. Keep a strict watch on the victim. Restrict further ascent until the symptoms vanish, else descend if symptoms persist.  You may put the patient on Acetazolomide ( Diamox - 125mg twice a day post food, if required 250 mg twice a day) for the night and 
if symptoms still persist, descend is the only solution. Do not force food. Let hunger come naturally. Its very unusual for our body to not feel hungry at that altitude where our metabolism increases and we exhaust easily. The most important decision to keep in mind is NOT TO CLIMB UP WITH THE SYMPTOMS

 

 


 

How serious can High Altitude be?

Usually, AMS heals on its own when ample amount of time is spent at that altitude. However, further ascend should not be allowed if the symptoms do not resolve. AMS should always be seen as a dangerous alarm for two of the deadliest and fatal conditions at High Altitude - High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)  and High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE)

If AMS alarm is not heard, you might be taking yourself to your death bed high up in the mountains.

 

 


 

What Is High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) ?

HAPE is a condition in which the pressure in our pulmonary artery increase so much that it ruptures the week capillaries, specially that of our lungs which is badly Hypoxic. This results in leakage of fluids in our lungs and we have difficulty breathing. HAPE generally happens on the second night, but you should always be on check. Cold conditions increase artery pressure, and increase chances of HAPE.

Symptoms: Breathlessness at rest, fast and shallow breathing, extreme fatigue, cough, sometimes blood in cough, gurgling breaths and dizziness.

Treatments: You cannot treat HAPE at high altitude. You can only reduce the symptoms by giving drugs like Nifidipine ( 8mg). Provide supplementary Oxygen. Victim should be kept warm. Sometime, you might put the victim on Acetazolomide (Diamox) + Nifidipine. Stop any exertion, even while descending. The ultimate course of action is immediate evacuation as soon as possible, even during night if required. The symptoms resolves on descend, but the victim must be taken to hospital for proper management.

Caution should be made not to confuse HAPE with bronchitis, pneumonia or asthma. A HAPE patient will improve on descending. 


 


 

What Is High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) ?
 

HACE is a condition in which brain functions improperly due to the effects of altitude. The pressure in the cerebral membrane increase and the brain swells. It can be very dangerous and sometimes might not give you time to react. 

Symptoms: Loss of cordination ( ataxia), ability to think, change in one's behavior, agressiveness, irritated behavior, confusion.

Treatments: Similarly to that of HAPE, high altitude is not the place to treat HACE. Only solution is to descend, and HACE patients show quick signs of recovery on descending good altitude. Medicines like Dexamethasone ( 8mg) can be given, sometimes along with Acetazolomide ( Diamox) to give you time to work out evacuation, if required even at night.


 


 

How do a human body adapt to high altitude naturally?
 

To our relief, our body is a miracle machine. Acclimatization is the process by which our body adapts to the extreme conditions of High Altitude Hypoxia.

Acclimatization is the process in which an individual body copes up and adjusts to the change in its environment. The various factors of the environment change may be cold, heat, altitude from sea level, atmospheric pressure, etc. It allows the body to remain normal and maintain performance across a range of environmental conditions.

Acclimatization is the only better answer to High Altitude Conditions. We need to acclimatize well to complete a high altitude trek. Our body is designed to acclimatize naturally. 

 

How Do Human Body Acclimatize To High Altitude ? With increase in altitude, the atmospheric pressure decreases which gives more space to the air molecules and the oxygen molecules goes far apart from each other. This results is low oxygen molecule per breath. Our body detects that and responds by increasing in breathe rate ( hypoxia) We call it breathlessness in laymen terms. We try to breathe more to consume more air. On the other hand, the body increases the Hemoglobin count in our blood which are the oxygen carriers to hold more oxygen molecules in our blood. This process thickens our blood and hence our heart now need to pump thicker blood to the extreme organs, which further results in increased blood pressure. So a slight increased blood pressure and pulse rate in the high altitude is normal.

Acclimatization is a process which takes time depending on the individual body. Few acclimatize faster, whereas few take little more time. There are two kinds of acclimatization - Shorter and Longer. Longer acclimatization might take long time. The approximate formula is the altitude in kilometers multiplied by 11.6 days. So to acclimatize for a normal trek that goes up to 4000 meters, it might take 4 X 11.6 = 46 days!!

 

3 rules of Acclimatization

Acclimatization has 3 rules, which if followed, maximum acclimatization can be achieved.

  • Climb High Sleep Low
  • Slow Ascend, Do Not Over Exert 
  • Hydrate Hydrate and Hydrate 

also read 13 Ways to Acclimatize Naturally


 

What is Diamox? How does it help?

Diamox is acetazolomide which aids faster acclimatization. Diamox is a diuretic and helps the kidneys excrete the bicarbonates. As a result of Hypoxia, our body breathes rapidly, which decreases the saturation and partial pressure of CO2 in our body. This increases the pH of our blood and makes it alkaline. It is here where Diamox come into picture and does its work. It is a diuretic and helps remove excess water and salt from the body, making the blood thinner and hence lowering the blood pressure as well. 

Dosage: 125 mg 12 hourly. For very high altitude, 250mg 12 hourly, post meals.

DIAMOX DOES NOT HEAL AMS, IT JUST SPEEDS UP ACCLIMATIZATION. PEOPLE EVEN ON DIAMOX DIE OF HAPE AND HACE.

 

 


 

What is Periodic Breathing?

Periodic breathing is a irregular pattern of breathing that occurs at high altitude, specially during night. The breath might stop for  few seconds and it might create tremendous anxiety preventing you to sleep further. Do not worry, its normal, and betters with proper acclimatization. Diamox helps with periodic breathing, 125 mg before sleep.

Sleeping is very important to you as a better sleep means faster acclimatization and better recovery for the next day


 


 

Does sleeping pills help?

Sleeping pills should not be taken at high altitude. It might throw you into problems at high altitude to AMS. Melatonin is an OTC sleep aid that helps many and has no contraindications at altitude. One prescription sleep aid that has shown NOT to disturb breathing at sleep is zoldipem; you may want to discuss taking this medication with your personal physician. Any other hypnotics/tranquilizers should probably not be used at altitude.?

 


 

 
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    • 🔼 Highest Altitude: 4200m
    • 🛑 Grade: Moderate ( know trek grades )
    • 👍 Best Time: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
    • 🚩 Starts From: Sankri
    • 🚩 Ends In: Sankri
    • 🌏 Region: India - Uttrakhand
    • 🎌 Country: India
    • 🛪  Nearest Airport: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, Uttrakhand
    • 🚉 Nearest Rail Head: Dehradun, Uttrakhand
    Treks On Offer
View User Profile for Suman

Every day I keep learning new things, but as of now, I think I can describe myself as a Loyal Himalayan Lover, Avid Trekker, Student Of Mountaineering, Amateur Photographer and an Enthusiastic Anthropologist. I am a Computer Science Engineer by education and previously worked as a Software Developer for premium IT companies. However, I quit the luxury of a high-earning corporate job and left behind the herd to walk towards the spiritual path laid down by the Godly Himalayas. At the age of 27 with no savings at all and being the only son from a lower-middle-class family, it was too young to fight against the family who in turn had to fight against the rules laid down by society. However, with my determination and perseverance, everything became smooth by passing time.

It wasn't easy for me as I learnt the hard way from mistakes - my own and by observing others. I fought 2 major road accidents that broke my right tibia and femur. I underwent 7 surgeries that kept me away from the mountains, but I patiently fought them all to get back to trekking again in the Himalayas with rods and plates in my bones. Despite doctors saying I cannot walk properly ever again to getting back to trekking on the difficult routes again, Life made me understand very clearly what it wants out of me in this World. It wants me to serve the Himalayas and its community, live a peaceful, content and simple life. That's what I have dedicated my this life to. I am not religious, but spiritual. The Himalayas define my road.

The Himalayas today is spammed by mushrooming trek agencies and big companies who take pride in being India's Largest, biggest, oldest, etc. They are exploiting everything for the sake of profit. It is in dire need of regulation by credible Government authorities, Sustainable Tourism Practices needs to be forced upon every organisation, Small Group Sizes needs to be mandated, Fixed camping should be restricted in alpine zones and Negative Ecological Impact Trekking Protocols should be laid down immediately by governing bodies. With all these objectives, I founded Himalayan High in the year 2015. Learn more about Himalayan High on About Himalayan High

Posted by Suman Chowdhury Thursday, April 7, 2016 3:17:00 AM

Celebrating 10+ Years of Himalayan Excellence

Over 10000+ Successful Summits with a remarkable 85% summit success ratio and 0% casualties.

Suman Chowdhury Montu Kumar Stanzin Clement Raju

Making Life Extra-Adventurous, We Create Experiences For Our Living

We are Incredible India and Indian Mountaineering Foundation approved proficient adventure tour operator and mountaineering experts serving exclusively in the Himalayas of India, Nepal, and Bhutan. We operate in the altitude range from 4000 to 7500 meters and support mountaineers from all around the globe, and of all grade in achieving their dream.

We pledge to realize our client''s mountain goals by all means and effort. From the moment you start communicating with us, we start building your experience right away by crafting an authentic, raw and immersive travel experiences in the Himalayan, blending uncompromized safety standards with deeper knowledge of the terrain, locality, sprituality, and professional skills which have been roughened and shaped by loads of successes and failures in the Himalayas. We maintain a harmonious balance between luxury and comfort on the treks, Our entire team from top to bottom, is very friendly, highly flexible, and, most importantly are genuinely committed towards your goals and will leave no stones unturned to realize the success on the summit.

Since our inception, we have been devotionally committed to responsible tourism with strict adherence to eco-friendly and low-impact trekking practices. While there are a lot of companies boasting of being the largest, crowdiest, cheapest or oldest in the Country, we in Himalayan High take immense pride in being one of the smallest, yet the strongest and most trustworthy service provider in the Indian Himalayas. Our professionalism, mountaineering expertise, morality, work ethics and business conduct talk for itself as we are a growing business without putting any effort towards glamorous marketting because thats not where our audiences are, and thats not what our clients seek as well!

Our pioneering SMALL GROUP Policy, coupled with a trekker to guide ratio of 1:2, provides us unparalleled flexibility and strength which stands as the bedrock of our exceptional success on the summits in the field of mountaineering. With us, you are in the absolute right hands to build your experience. Its not just because we are professionals doing our duty, but because most of our initial efforts are put towards understanding you and your requirements first, and not to draw you towards a rigid travel plan and ride you through. Our reviews boasts of the same.

Come, join us to gift yourself a life-changing experience in the mighty Himalayas. We believe, if a person is not changed from inside after visiting the Himalayas, he actually didn't visit at all!

Atithi Devo Bhava!

We are proudly recognized by

adventure Tour operator association of india recognition incredible india recognition indian mountaineering foundation recognition west bengal tourism development recognition

Our Minimum Guaranteed Promises And Unique Value Proposition

Commitment Towards Exceeding Expectations, Satisfied Customers and Happy Ecology

  • Objective Oriented - Safety First

    With an unwavering focus on the objectives of the trek, we plan the best for summit success while always prioritizing safety, and have a proven track record of keeping our this promise intact right from inception till date

  • Intimate & Immersive Journeys

    Committed to organizing lesser-done, un-crowded, less than 10 members trekking groups, ensuring an intimate and immersive trekking experience. Personalized plan make our treks dynamic, flexible, and successful

  • Professionals On The Job

    Our highly trained leaders are sons of the land and are professionals at their job. They possess extensive Himalayan experience and expertise, prioritizing trail safety and adeptly managing diverse trekking scenarios

  • Expert High Altitude Care

    Our high altitude expertise ensure impeccable medical safety, resulting in zero injuries or fatalities in our expedition history right from inception, reflecting our knowledge & commitment to a set protocols, alertness, and mountain discipline.

  • Superior Sleep Comfort

    We arrange a cozy camping experience with double foam waterproof mattresses, down sleeping bag inners, sub-zero outer sleeping bags, air pillows, and double-layered all-weather tents for superior insulation and comfort during your trek

  • Eco-friendly Hygienic Toilets

    We prioritize eco-friendly, hygienic camp toilets, minimizing environmental impact and prioritizing trekker comfort and well-being. Our human waste management in the Himalayas ensures a leave-no-trace approach strengthening sustainibility

  • Tailored & Flexible Arrangements

    Our team is dedicated to meeting your unique and demanding requirements, offering flexibility, customization, and personalization throughout the journey ensuring creation of lifelong memories and friendly bond

  • Hygienic Dining & High Altitude Menu

    Enjoy a cozy dining experience in our mess tent, furnished with camping tables, stools, solar lanterns and buffet meals perfectly suited for high altitudes. Indulge in a variety of local delicacies and comforting meals that are easily digestible, fulfilling, and energizing

  • Unmedicated Natural Acclimatization

    We focus only on natural acclimatization for success on the mountains and our belief in our bodily capacities has given us tremendous success. Disregarding means of chemical acclimatization with use of diamox and other shortcut medicines, we rather take pride in achieving success in the purest form

  • Safe Water - Safe Trek

    We take enough caution to prioritize your health by serving natural stream water that is filtered, boiled, and treated with water purifiers before it is provided to you. We also suggest our clients take double precautions at their end too, answering our diverse sensitivity to the water

  • Best Guide-to-Trekker Ratio 1:2

    We provide the industry's best guide-to-trekker ratio of 1:2 for all semi-technical and technical climbs, ensuring personalized attention and support throughout your journey. This results in exceptional trial support and response to emergencies or crisis situations

  • Emmergency & Rescue Planning

    We take a lot of care for managing emergencies and evacuation on the trek and take all required steps firstly to prevent, and then to respond to it on uneventful situations. Small things like taking extra resources, monitoring daily health, etc are a part of it.

  • Leave No Trace Policy

    We implement a comprehensive waste management process from procurement to disposal. Our commitment extends beyond social media posts, ensuring proper waste disposal without leaving a trace. It starts from what we buy, to what we carry on the trek to what we bring back.

  • Low Impact on Ecology

    Our commitment to smaller group sizes, eco-friendly methodologies, waste management practices, zero tolerance for fixed camps, and utilizing natural resources in the required quantity minimize our impact on the ecology, allowing for sustainable and responsible treks.

  • Boosting Microeconomy

    As part of our commitment to supporting local communities, we hire local resources and make all non-equipment and trek leader-related purchases locally. By doing so, we contribute to the growth of the microeconomy in the regions we operate. We wish to do more of it in the future.

Chasing Dreams And Creating Lifetime Memories

For 10+ years

                                       
© All Rights Reserved, 2014 - 2024

HIMALAYAN HIGH ALTITUDE TREKS AND EXPEDITIONS (OPC) PRIVATE LIMITED

We are ecologically sustainable and low-impact trekking company in India working in the range of 3500 to 7500 meters only

We only organize lesser done, uncrowded, customizable & personalized, small-group private trekking tours in the himalayas of India, Nepal and Bhutan

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 +91 9434062849


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We are proudly recognized by

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Atithi Devo Bhava!