Altitude Sickness and Acclimatisation

It is common in the Himalayas to trek above 4,500 and sometimes 5,500m. There is no need to worry unduly about altitude, but above 3,000 air becomes thinner and your performance may be affected. No one understands why some people are affected and others not.
Being young strong and fit is no guarantee of success. The only way to acclimatize is to ascend slowly. Our routes have been carefully designed based a year of experience managing possible altitude related difficulties. On this trek we do not ascend above 5,600.

Be aware that altitude sickness can be fatal, so if your leader advises you to stay at a certain altitude or descend, please do as instructed. He has the experience and is there to ensure your safety. If you do need to descend you will be accompanied by one of our team and a porter and will be well looked after. The descent may be just a short – term measure and does not necessarily mean you will be unable to complete your ascent. There is no shame in being affected or not reaching the highest point on a trek.

In addition we carry a Portable Altitude Chamber (PAC) on all of your trekking trips in Nepal. If you are suffering form altitude sickness and conditions do not allow for an immediate descent your leader will arrange for you to use the PAC. The PAC works by increasing the pressure inside the chamber, using a foot pump. At high altitude, this increased pressure delivers a therapeutically significant amount of extra oxygen which simulates a descent.