different kind of challenge in hiking is acclimating yourself to high altitudes. This especially holds true if mountaineering is your hiking brand-of-choice. It can be easy to forget that the air changes as you rise. You climb higher, the air gets thinner. Just because you’re still on terra firma does not mean the atmosphere remains the same. If you’ve ever read any mountaineering books, what can be most difficult about mountain climbing – aside from ascending any steep rock faces and escarpments – is getting used to the thinning air.

As you ascend and the air becomes thinner, you can feel almost asthmatic. No matter how deeply you inhale, you just can’t seem to get enough air. This is usually a sign that you need to stop, rest, and continue to get used to the thinning air. If you don’t rest and you continue to ascend without getting used to the new, lower levels of air and atmosphere, you may develop a case of Acute Mountain Sickness, or other types of Altitude Sickness, like High Altitude Pulmonary Edema or High Altitude Cerebral Edema. Though these sorts of things usually happen at over 8,000 feet, they can be fatal, and if you don’t take necessary precautions, they are almost inevitable.

When you’re high up, drink a lot of water, eat a lot of carbs, and maintain a steady pace. Don’t overexert yourself, don’t stagger your energy output, and try to avoid medications and inhalants to address the symptoms of high altitude. Everything is more potent, and has different effects, at high altitudes. Alcohol, for example. It is easier to get drunk at high altitude, and someone with a normally high tolerance becomes an everyday lightweight above 8,000 feet.

The key to high altitude is pacing. If you have a long climb in front of you, rest a day or two at logical stopping points so you can get acclimated to the new air. A little deliberation could save your life