Acclimatization in Huaraz for Height
If coming from sea level, we recommend that you arrive in Huaraz at least two days before the beginning of the trek to help acclimatize you to the altitude. It is advisable to have a full day in Huaraz to recover from your trip, and it is essential that you take a minimum of two-day excursions at higher altitudes to help with acclimatization, beginning with the half-day hike to Pukaventana.
If you have been at high altitude before reaching Huaraz, but you have not walked above 4,000 meters during that time, it is essential that before the trek you make at least one full day of acclimatization that will take you to an altitude of around 4500 meters.
For this we have developed a series of acclimatization programs suitable in preparation for a walk of several days in the Huaraz region.
Hike to Lagoon willcacocha (3700m.)
Hike to Lagoon 69 (4600m.)
Hike to Lagoon Churup (4450m.)
Hike to Lagoon Tambillos(4400m.)
Hike to Lagoon Parón (4140m.)
Hike to Lagoon Hualcancocha (4355m.)
Hike to Lagoon Uruscocha (4300m.)
Hike to Lagoon Aguac (4400m.)
Hike to Lagoon Auquiscocha (4350m.)
Appears more frequently in young individuals, probably because this is the largest population group exposed to this risk, and in children. It affects women and men equally, and it is believed that susceptibility to suffer from it tends to decrease with age. Therefore, the only possible prevention against altitude sickness is acclimatization.
Symptoms of altitude sickness:
- Cephalea (headache). Produced by cerebral hypoxia. It is usually pulsatile, frontal and bilateral, and worsens with exercise. It is the most frequent symptom (65% on arrival at base camp) and usually subsides with rest and analgesics.
- Nausea and vomiting. They favor dehydration. Heavy digestion may also occur.
- Anorexia (loss of appetite). It is usually constant in altitude sickness and increases with increasing altitude.
- Abnormal fatigue. With tiredness, weakness and indifference. Sometimes difficult to distinguish from exertional fatigue. When this fatigue reaches an extreme level, to the point of not getting up to eat, refusing liquid intake and not feeling like urinating for hours.