5 Ways to Prevented Altitude Sickness

One of the things that we notice a lot here at Ski Butlers is that a lot of our customers tend to come from areas of lower elevation. While getting out to these mountains can be stressful all on its own. It’s never a good time to finally get to the mountains after all that traveling to realize that you have caught a case of altitude sickness. 

The lower oxygen levels and humidity can cause all sorts of problems if not thought about beforehand. This always seems to be at the back of people’s minds once they get to their ski destination but trust us, you don’t want to miss out on maybe one of the best days of skiing you’ll have all year just because you didn’t prepare properly. 

1. Drink Plenty of Liquids

This might come as a no-brainer, but drinking lots of liquids (without alcohol) before your trip even begins is one of the easiest ways to prevent yourself from having altitude sickness. The higher you get in elevation, the easier it is for you to become dehydrated which can lead to headaches and nausea which is never a good time. Remember to chug plenty of water throughout your trip so you’ll be good to go once you hit the slopes. 

2. Sleep

Another one easily missed but extremely important is sleep. If you’re coming from the East coast, although it’s only a two hour time difference, that’s enough to mess up your entire sleep cycle and leave you with less sleep than you want. Less sleep can worsen your altitude sickness symptoms while also extending them so make sure you’re getting enough shut eye so you can make it up for first chair. 

3. Don’t Overdo It

So you’ve finally made it out to one of these massive resorts and you can’t wait to hit all the bowls, chutes, and groomers you’ve been watching videos on for the past few months. As excited as you may be, over exerting yourself early on can lead to altitude sickness overtime which could end up ruining the rest of your vacation. Remember those runs aren’t going anywhere and taking it easy at first will help you endure through it all. 

4. Sunscreen

One of the easiest things to forget while you’re skiing is applying sunscreen, and then reapplying sunscreen, and for safe measure, reapplying sunscreen again. You might not be used to this but at these high elevations the sun’s rays can cause a lot more damage than you may think, even when it’s cloudy outside. Too much sun exposure can also lead to dehydration and if you read above then you know this is just another thing that can lead to altitude sickness. 

5. Listen to your body

Don’t forget to listen to your body and know when to stop. The skiing might be great but if you’re breathing hard and having trouble on the mountain, it’s never a bad idea to just call it quits for the day. Remember the skiing will always be here but you might not so don’t waste your precious ski time and wait until you’re better rested.