Altitude Acclimatization Advice from Princeton University

Altitude Acclimatization Advice from Princeton University

 By Kathleen Lisson

In the publication ‘Princeton University's Outdoor Action Guide to High Altitude: Acclimatization and Illnesses,’ Rick Curtis, Director, Outdoor Action Program offers recommendations for trekkers climbing at altitude.

His most valuable tips for me were to engage in light activity during the day. Light activity is “better than sleeping because respiration decreases during sleep, exacerbating the symptoms.”
Curtis also recommends “eating a high carbohydrate diet (more than 70% of your calories from carbohydrates) while at altitude.”

Curtis also shared a test for moderate Acute Mountain sickness (AMS) – “have the person ‘walk a straight line’ heel to toe. Just like a sobriety test, a person with ataxia will be unable to walk a straight line. This is a clear indication that immediate descent is required. It is important to get the person to descend before the ataxia reaches the point where they cannot walk on their own.”

I did not know that above 10,000 feet most trekkers experience Cheyne-Stokes Respirations. I think that my altitude sickness prescription should ensure that this does not happen to me.

Read the Princeton University's Outdoor Action Guide to High Altitude: Acclimatization and Illnesses report at
http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/safety/altitude.html