It may sound obvious, but a trekking holiday in distant lands is not made any easier by a lack of personal fitness. Not only will it make the days physically exhausting (Kilimanjaro involves climbing 1,219m/4,000ft, and the Inca Trail’s final days include an ascent of 1,097m/3,600ft) but exhaustion is a risk factor towards altitude sickness. Reduced oxygen levels the higher you go also may make those with fitness problems struggle – at the summit of Kilimanjaro there’s half of the oxygen available at sea level, so make sure you’re in peak shape to enjoy your triumphant moment without feeling ill.
You can help by training for around three months before you set off. You should be able to comfortably walk up and down 1000m/3,281ft with no difficulties to be truly ready for your big challenge (unless you’re going for an easier introductory trekking holiday, in which case you may be more relaxed in your training).
Look after each other
Assuming you’re not going alone (in which case a whole set of safety precautions come into play), be sure that you’re all looking out for each other. One of the main ways of staying safe is to recognise the signs of illness or fatigue early on.
Fluids
It’s common advice, but essential – stay hydrated! At lower levels, the heat and sweating will mean you lose a lot of liquid, while in the colder altitudes exercise will also result in dehydration. Drinking water, soups and beverages frequently will keep energy levels high and help maintain healthiness on your trekking holiday.
Sun Protection
Even when you’re at higher altitudes, it is important to be protected from the sun’s rays. The sun can be intense, and the thin air makes sun cream, a hat, covered skin and lip protection all important to staying hydrated and healthy.
Traveller’s Tummy
Stomach upsets and diarrhoea can be a problem in developing countries, which many adventure holidays tend to visit. It can sometimes be serious; with dehydration and salt loss resulting in a lack of energy and complications – the last thing you need when trying to complete your trek! The best approach to counter this is to drink only properly boiled, filtered or sterilised water, ensure you frequently wash your hands with soap, avoid ice cubes and ice cream, peel all fruit and avoid hand-to-mouth touching.
Altitude Illness
At altitudes above 2000 metres (common on more advanced trekking holidays), the body has to acclimatise to reduced levels of oxygen. The most important factor in reducing the severity of the condition is slow and steady acclimatisation – a gentle progression will prevent your body from getting any sudden shocks. There are three major kinds of Altitude Illness:
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)
AMS is rarely deadly and quite easily treated. Its symptoms include a headache, and one or more of fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and poor or disturbed sleep. The best way of avoiding altitude sickness is to make a slow and steady height gain over a period of days, and by resting regularly to acclimatise. Acclimatisation is also aided by eating and drinking properly. You can lose a lot of fluid at high altitudes, so keep an eye on your urine, which should be regular and pale – if it’s infrequent or too dark then you are not drinking enough and should consume more!
The best cure for those who get mild to moderate AMS is to rest at the same or a lower level which should allow the body to acclimatise, and the symptoms to dissipate before you continue. It’s worth noting that hypothermia, dehydration and low blood sugar share many of the same symptoms, so it’s a good idea to work with the treatments of these too. Keep the sufferer warm, hydrated and well fed until their condition improves to be on the safe side. You will then be able to proceed on your adventure holiday when the symptoms disappear – this will happen at some point between a few hours and a few days.
There are more dangerous conditions which require an immediate retreat to lower heights to save lives. These are pretty rare, but if there is any doubt as to the severity of an individuals condition then the individual suffering should descend immediately.
High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE)
HACE can kill very quickly if not treated, so it important to retreat to a lower altitude if the following symptoms appear: a severe headache, vomiting, blurred vision and prolonged lethargy. If the patient remains at a high altitude, this will progress to unsteadiness, drowsiness, confusion and eventually a coma. A good test is to ask the subject to walk heel-to-toe in a straight line or do a simple maths test, as someone with HACE will find this extremely difficult.
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)
The main symptom to look out for is severe breathlessness. Although you expect a certain shortage of breath when trekking, if the subject is breathless when compared to those around them (and even at rest) this is a sign they may have HAPE. Other symptoms can often be similar to a chest infection, but at altitude they should be taken very seriously. These include a cough (which may produce white or pink frothy sputum), an elevated body temperature and lips turning blue.
To reiterate, if either of these symptoms appear, you need to head to a significantly lower altitude immediately even if it is the middle of the night! This should be followed by a follow up visit to a hospital to ensure a full return to health.
Don’t let this put you off the trekking holiday of a lifetime! Heading out to the Everest Base Camp or towards Machu Pichu are rightly considered amongst the most memorable experiences a traveller can have. And if you follow the advice of this guide, your trekking holiday should have all of the pleasure with none of the pain.
Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who have provided trekking holidays for over 20 years. They now offer treks and tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.
