Avoiding Altitude Sickness

The most common question a seasoned hiker gets is about gear. The next one is definitely on avoiding altitude sickness. If you’ve ever been faced with it on the trails, you know it’s something you definitely want to try to avoid. So, here are some tips on how you can prepare your body for your next big high altitude adventure!

1. Drink plenty of water and carb up! Just like any other hike, you want to make sure you’re staying well hydrated days before and on your hike. And don’t forget to have a nice carb loaded dinner the night before. Why? Because carbs equal energy. When you carb load, that energy gets stored up in your muscles for use when out on the trail! Once you’re out on the trail, you want a combination of carbs and proteins to keep you fueled.
2. Hike at high altitudes. If you’re prepping for a multi-day high altitude climb, the best thing you can do is hike in high altitudes. We have a lot of great options for high altitude (above 8,000 feet elevation) dayhikes here in Southern California. Any of the 6 Pack of Peaks work! But there are plenty of others in those peak’s surrounding areas that work just as well (minus the crowds). A search of the Forest Service’s website will render numerous other possibilities.
3. Take a red cell count boosting supplement. Your red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. So, a week before your trek, start taking natural supplements that will boost those red oxygen carrying wonders! Liquid chlorophyll and Ginko capsules are two amazing options. Since the Ginko comes in capsule form, you can carry it with you on the trail to be taken while you’re out and about.
4. Carry aviators breathing oxygen with you! This by far is my favorite option for avoiding altitude sickness. It just sounds cool. It’s a fast way to get a swig of 95% pure ABO. BOOST Oxygen is my favorite because it comes in a variety of sizes.
5. Take drugs. The legal kind, of course! If you’re skeptical of the natural supplements, you can also carry ibuprofen. It has been known to ward off altitude sickness if taken at the onset or before symptoms start. You can also ask your doctor for a prescription of Diamox. I try to avoid medications as much as possible, so I don’t know much about Diamox. But if it’s something you’re interested in researching, definitely ask your doctor about it.

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If you’re looking for some good articles on what altitude sickness feels like, they’re out there. I’ve encountered it once. The best way I can describe it is a really bad hangover! It was terrible and I hope I never go through it again. That’s why I’m also following the tips above to help at avoiding altitude sickness in the future. How do you avoid altitude sickness?