 Poster: A snowHead
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Does anyone suffer from the altitude when they go skiing. Almost every ski holiday I go on I'm pretty sick on the 2nd day as in a stomach upset.
Usually the flights out are at something like 7am so I'd have to be in the airport by 5am. This normally doesn't do me much good either.
I'm wondering is the sickness a combination of the early morning, then a days skiing and then the following morning I'm knackered or is it due to the altitude as a couple of my friends have suggested.
Is there anything to do to relieve this? Or does anyone else have a similar problem? Or am I a freak? 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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anna_1104,
The highest resort I have stayed in was at 1900m with skiing upto 3000m. I have no problem with being at 1900m, however just feel a little short of breath above 2800m sometimes.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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anna_1104, what kind of altitude are you talking about? My sister, who suffers from migraines, tends to have them in the mountains; she thinks it may be a combination of changing atmospheric pressure, and maybe dehydration - though she tries to drink plenty of water.
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I've stayed at approximately 4000m in Peru. We were advised to take altitude sickness pills which calmed the effects. However, my doctor did say that altitude sickness effects everyone is very different ways regardless of age, fitness etc.
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could be the extra high mineral content in the mountain water!
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anna_1104, unless you're skiing, on day one, on a very high glacier, it's unlikely you'd be suffering from altitude sickness in Europe. Probably just tiredness and some dehydration - both from flight and from fact that most alpine accommodation is overheated and very dry. Try and make sure you're fit enough for that first day's skiing (it's easy to knacker yourself on the first day without realising it) and drink loads of water from the start of the journey.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Take a few Anadin when you leave home, then every 4 hours or so, this will thin your blood and can prevent the effects of altitude, stop taking when you have arrived in resort, unless you feel dizzy then pop a couple as required.
It works for me as well as water of course.
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anna_1104, stomach upset is a standard symptom of Altitude Sickness.
Altitude sickness is usually associated with staying above 2500m, but susceptability varies and some suffer at lower altitudes.
Diamox (Acetazolamide) may help with your symptoms.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Why don't you have a lie in on the first day and then walk round the resort to acclimatize and get used to the change in elevation. Drink lots of water and maybe have a shot of the local firewater to relax you.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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anna_1104, I doubt it is altitude related. It may be that you are tired from getting up early possibly associated with drinking lots of coffee, not enough water, irregular eating patterns and food types and a day of vigorous activity oh and finally non local tap water. All of this combined may give you a bit of a stomach upset.
Question first all the above before you put it all down to sleeping at ~ 1500-1800m.
Just another question but what are you normally eating on your first day in a resort? Is it dodgy 3* half board hotel food, ultra rich 5* chalet food, greasy pizza/kebab or home cooked food?
I generally feel sick on travel day but this is because I finish packing at ~ 1am go to sleep at 2am and get up to go to airport at 4am! At food times I know I need to eat but my body is generaly a little to tired to digest properly.
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anna_1104, I had Acute Mountain Sickness a year or two back, staying in Tignes. posted this about it:
"I had AMS at Tignes in November. didn't recognise it at first (thought I was just unfit and hung-over ) Skied like a complete gonk. We were only there 3 days and being November went straight up to 3500 on the glacier and stayed there.
Did some web research (and asked around on here snowHead ) and what emerged was, fast ascents are bad (so shooting up the funicular in 7 minutes didn't help), exertion is bad (so having to walk uphill to get to the pistes didn't help either), dehydration is VERY bad, (didn't drink enough water, should be something like a litre every couple of hours), and staying high for extended periods is bad (spent the day at 3500, slept at 2100). In combination these resulted in AMS for me.
Went back at Christmas, and apart from sleeping at 2100, changed everything above. Drank much more water, rode chair lifts and skied down, stayed 'low' for the first couple of days, (still drank beer though!). Result was no AMS at all.
Best advice I can give would be to drink plenty of water, phase in going high, maybe ski the lower stuff for the first couple of days, don't stay up there all day, and try to stay (sleep) below 1800 if possible. HTH "
More info in the 'conditioning of the legs" thread on Bend Ze Knees.
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You know it makes sense.
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Well I'm going to Val Thorens, so will be sleeping around 2300m... will try ski down to Les Menuires the first couple of days maybe. I was planning on drinking loads of water as I was afraid that the sickness was caused by dehydration.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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One thing I've found that makes a difference to me was when I bought a "hydration pack". Carrying enough liquid around was always a pain. With one of those babies strapped to your back there's plenty for the whole day, or if you're really thirsty you can top up at lunchtime.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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A friend I went to TIgnes with last year was really worried as the only other time (in 20 years) that she had been that high up she had suffered what everyone believed was altitude sickness. HOwever this year she had no problems whatsoever. I wonder if she really did have it previously? Anyone know if each person is specifically more/less susceptible or whether your susceptibility alters with age? It must be related to the oxygen supply to the body's tissues, so is there a link to a change in blood pressure? When she went on the prev trip she doesn't know if she had high BP or not, but subsequently has found that she has, and is taking medication- relevant?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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NewSkier, when I went to Nepal recently, I was told that it strikes people completely unpredictably. But I got the impression that if you are susceptible, then you'll always get it at a certain altitude. There was a woman on our party who expected to get it and did (she said she was usually sick in the Alps too, even at relatively low altitudes) another person who was quite unwell for a half a day and most of us who didn't suffer at all, even at about 4,300m after a stiff climb on a hot day. However, I think that quite a lot of people, including me, had troubling sleeping well at 3,500m or so.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hurtle, my busband and I walked to about 16,000 ft on Mount Kenya. He suffered from AS a little, I did not. We had spent 24 hours there, and lived in Nairobi, so were were fairly well acclimatised.We met a very fit Royal Marine, walking down. He was v disappointed as his severe AS had prevented his reaching the summit (something we had not aimed to do, we were just out for a day's walk from the basecamp place at 10,000ft. His guide had alerted him to his condition, and they were both heading down. It certainly strikes people at random, and is no respector of age or fitness! The blood pressure idea is interesting - it sounds plausible that there is a connection.
If I suffered at all from AS I don't think I'd go to Val Thorens...
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pam w,
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If I suffered at all from AS I don't think I'd go to Val Thorens...
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Absolutely!
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