Rule #1: DESCENT IS THE ONLY REAL CURE
If you have anything worse than a mild headache → go down.
Everything else just buys time to get you lower.
Mild AMS (headache, nausea, tired)
- Stop and rest
- Drink water + electrolytes
- Take 125–250 mg Diamox (if you’re already on it, double the dose once)
- Optional: 400–600 mg ibuprofen for headache
- Wait 4–12 hours → if better, continue slowly; if worse → descend 500–1,000 m
Moderate/Severe AMS, HAPE, or HACE → EMERGENCY
- IMMEDIATE DESCENT (500–1,000 m as fast as possible)
- Supplemental oxygen (turned on the second symptoms are confirmed)
- Dexamethasone 4–8 mg immediately (for HACE or severe AMS)
- Gamow bag (if available and descent is delayed)
- Helicopter evacuation if descent isn’t fast enough or climber can’t walk
We have never lost a climber because we follow this exact order without hesitation.
What We Carry on Every Single Climb
- 2 large oxygen bottles + regulators
- Pulse oximeters (used twice daily + any time someone feels off)
- Full emergency meds (Diamox, dexamethasone, nifedipine for HAPE)
- Portable hyperbaric chamber (Gamow bag) on all 8–9 day routes
- Stretcher and helicopter on speed-dial
Real-Life Example (February 2025)
Climber at 5,200 m: severe headache, ataxia, oxygen 62 %
→ 8 mg dexamethasone + oxygen on
→ Into Gamow bag for 45 minutes (bought us time)
→ Carried down 800 m on stretcher
→ Full recovery in 4 hours, back to normal next day
What NOT to Do
- Never “wait and see” with worsening symptoms
- Never give sleeping pills or alcohol
- Never let someone “tough it out” on summit night if they’re stumbling
Prevention Is Still Better Than Treatment
That’s why we only sell 7–9 day routes.
More days = your body adapts = almost zero serious cases.
Ready to climb with a team that treats altitude sickness like the emergency it is?
We don’t just talk safety—we live it on every trip.
Drop your dates and climb with zero altitude worries.
Book Your Safe Climb | Download Emergency Protocol PDF | Talk to Our Safety Team
When altitude hits, seconds matter. We’re ready. 🗻🚁
