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Avoid altitude sickness on your ski/snowboard vacation

You’ve planned the winter vacation you’ve always dreamed of. You head west to the Rockies for a week of powder skiing. Bags are packed, gear stored, and you can’t wait to hit the slopes.

You fly into Salt Lake International Airport (5000) feet from your home at sea level. Great that you can leave home, get here and do some racing the afternoon you arrive. What could be better? You get your rental car and drive up the canyon to the resort with a base level of 8000ft, get on the elevator and go up to 10,000ft. Do some runs, have some cocktails and a nice dinner when you’re done skiing, you are on vacation after all.

The next morning you don’t feel so good. You’re lazy, nauseous, have a headache, and maybe you’re short of breath. What a bad time to catch the flu! It sounds a lot like the flu or a hangover, but what you are probably suffering from is altitude sickness.

Altitude sickness can affect anyone, adults or children, when traveling from a lower elevation to a higher one. Not everyone suffers from it and it is relatively easy to avoid and take care of so that it does not ruin your vacation.

Here are some tips to follow to help you feel your best:

  • Hydrate. Drink twice as much water as you think you need, especially if you are coming from sea level. Start hydrating before you arrive, flying will also dehydrate you. Take water with you on the mountain, whether it’s a water bottle or a hydration system like a camelback. Use bottled water if you absolutely have to, but water from the taps on the mountain will probably taste better!
  • Avoid dehydration. Yes, drink all of the fluids listed above, but avoid dehydrating ones like caffeine, salt, and alcohol. It doesn’t mean you can’t have an après-ski cocktail, just go easy, especially the first night on the lift.
  • eat carbohydrates Carbohydrates actually require less oxygen to metabolize and digest. Don’t worry about the calories, you will burn them on the mountain and the carbohydrates will give you the energy to do it.
  • Take it easy. If possible, plan to spend your first night at a lower elevation in the city and not at 10,000 feet. Taking a night to acclimatize will go a long way in helping your body adjust. Have a nice dinner, attend a concert, explore the city. Plan ahead for things to do that first night on the town. Most likely everyone is tired of traveling anyway.

If it is not possible to spend a night at a lower altitude, at least take it easy on the first day on the mountain. Take the time to recover your snow legs and explore the mountain in easy stages. Save the black diamonds for later.

There are also some drugs and energy drinks on the market that claim to prepare you for higher lifts and eliminate any adjustment period. I’ve never heard of them working, but I haven’t talked to many people who have used them either.

Other suggestions to help prepare for a trip to high altitude that I have seen are to take iron supplements or take Ginkgo. None of these have science behind them, but there is some logic. Iron helps your body make more hemoglobin, which is usually seen in people who live at higher altitudes. Gingko improves circulation, which means more blood circulates carrying more oxygen throughout your body.

Altitude sickness is generally harmless and short-lived. Once your body adjusts to the altitude, you’ll feel better. That takes time and you don’t want to spend your ski vacation feeling bad and unable to ski. The best way to prevent and defend against that feeling of discomfort is hydration. Keep your fluids up before your trip and especially while you’re on the mountain. It may be cold, but you’re doing a lot of activities that use up those fluids.

If hydration and rest do not resolve the situation, you will need medical attention. Many ski resorts have available clinics or ski patrols experienced in treating altitude sickness. You may have caught the flu!

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