Hunters are not immune to acute mountain sickness, also known as altitude sickness. It can completely ruin your hunt or worse. Here’s how to avoid it and what to do if you get sick on your hunt.
If you’ve ever dreamed of hunting Stone’s or Dall sheep, elk in Colorado’s alpine, or Wyoming’s high-country mule deer, you know these North American big game species do not live at sea level. They thrive at altitudes far above the valley floor. Most hunters who plan the trip of a lifetime do not live at 10,000 feet, which means you are at risk of altitude sickness ruining your hunt.
Please note that I am not a medical doctor—far from it. Much of the following info is gleaned from personal experience and from a book that should be in every pack: Adventure Medical Kits A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine. It is written by an M.D. and will help you pass the time as you wait out rainstorms in the tent. Plus, the knowledge within it just might save your life.
What is Altitude Sickness?
As you climb up a mountain and gain elevation, air pressure decreases. Less air pressure at higher elevations means there are fewer oxygen molecules for you to breathe. The lack of oxygen in the air means you have to breathe faster to get the same amount of oxygen. All of this extra breathing makes you work harder on the mountain when you do anything. At just 6,000 feet, you exhale twice as often as at sea level. That results in an additional quart of water loss every day. Your body’s inability to get as much oxygen causes a number of symptoms, which make up altitude sickness.
Symptoms of Altitude Sickness
Symptoms can range from feeling hungover to having a bad case of the flu. Headaches are typically the first sign, followed by dizziness, vomiting, fatigue, trouble sleeping, and lack of sweat. These are all signs of dehydration. You can experience altitude sickness at 5,000 feet, but most start feeling symptoms around 8,000, and they get more pronounced the higher you go.
Altitude Sickness Can Kill You
While annoying and uncomfortable, altitude sickness can get worse. Way worse. High altitude pulmonary edema or HAPE, is a build-up of fluid in the lungs and can be fatal within hours. Hunters with HAPE will be breathless even after rest and might have a cough, which produces white or pink frothy sputum. High altitude cerebral edema or, HACE, is a build-up of fluid in the brain. A severe headache, vomiting, and lethargy will progress to unsteadiness, confusion, drowsiness, and ultimately coma. HACE can kill you in only a few hours. A person with HACE will find it difficult to walk heel-to-toe in a straight line. For both HACE and HAPE, immediate descent and medical attention are vital.
How to Avoid Altitude Sickness: READ
Remember this acronym: READ. Rest at camp. Exercise at home. Acclimatize to the elevation. Drink plenty of water. Again, drink more water and avoid alcohol, which will dehydrate you even more.
Spend a day or two in camp acclimatizing to the altitude. The American Heart Association recommends two days of acclimation at 8,000 feet and one day for each 2,000 feet above that. Given more time and a slower gain in altitude, your body will gradually adjust and lessen or avoid symptoms of altitude sickness.
Being fit helps, too. It lowers your heart rate and increases your red blood cell count. Those red blood cells are important because they carry oxygen.
The American Heart Association published an article in 2021 that said visiting high-altitude locations may be dangerous for people with high blood pressure or certain heart conditions. It’s worth a read. If you plan on hunting at an elevation your body isn’t used to, it’s also a good idea to check with your doctor before you head out into the hills.
PJ DelHomme is the owner of Crazy Canyon Journal, a side project of Crazy Canyon Media.
