I have just came back from the Himalayas trek with NUS mountaineering club (MIR). It was a good and memorable journey during my 3rd summer at NUS.
The trek was 17-day long and we went through many areas of Jammu & Kashmir state (India) and Himalayas range. What we lived with: nomadic lifestyle, Tibetan cultures (houses, tent, monasteries) and people, and North Indian foods.
The trek route is as followed:
Day 1-2: Singapore - KL - New Delhi - Manali
Day 3-4: Manali - Jispa - Baralacha
Day 5-7: Baralacha - Lachalung - Leh
Day 8-10: Leh - Latio - LaLungLa
Day 11-13: LaLungLa - Nimaling - Larsa
Day 14-15: Larsa - Shang Sumdo - Leh (Rizong Monastery)
Day 16-17: Leh - New Delhi - KL - SG
With some future treks in mind, I will pen down some tips for the preparation that I learnt from the trip. This will be a good reference for me and for those who want to join mountain trekking in the future. Pls note that this is only my personal experience after the Himalayas trek. The checklist for other treks may be a little different.
The most concerned issue with high altitude trek is the Acute Mountain Sickness (or AMS). AMS badly affects our health, strength, endurance during the trek, and thus should be minimized as much as possible. Below is some pieces of information about AMS I gathered myself from the trek and found on some online articles. Following the AMS information is the trek's checklist.
About AMS:
- Occurs at high altitude above 2,400 meters (8,000 feet)
- Due to the combination of low oxygen level and low air pressure. At 3,600 meters, the pressure is only 480mmHg (sea-level pressure is 780mmHg); thus there is 40% less oxygen (Traveldoctor).
- Symptoms: rapid pulse, headache, sleeping difficulty, abnormal dream, nausea, vomitting, loss of appetite, loss of concentration, fatique.
Prevent AMS:
- Acclimatization: climb up slowly at high altitude (above 2,500 meters); walk up slowly, do not run or jump. Try to stop for one day/half a day for every 600 meters above 2,500 meters for the body to acclimatize. Camp, pitch tent, and sleep at lower altitude. Never try to walk fast to catch up with friends when you feel tired; instead, walk and ascend the mountain at your own pace!
- Drink lots of fluids/water to prevent dehydration. At high altitude, the air is thin and dry; water loss occurs quite rapidly on the skin, lung, and through urination. Wear windbreaker while trekking to maintain body temperature and prevent dehydration. Avoid alcoholic drink, which increases urination.
- Take Diamox (acetazolamide) at least 8 hours before climbing. Diamox improves breathing at high altitude. Diamox increases the bicarbonate excretion at the kidneys, acidifying the blood. This stimulates ventilation, which increases the amount of oxygen in the blood.
- Eat high calorie diet, with meat and carb. Avoid alcohol and drugs. Never skip meals.
- If your body starts panting, stop walking and regulate your breath. If AMS symptoms increase, descend!
- Although you will have (light) headache while trekking, DO NOT sleep or lay down to rest right after you reach the camp site because this will make your AMS more severe. Instead, drink up and do light activities such as leisurely walking around, chatting with trekking friends.
- Take panadols/paracetamols when having light headache.
Checklist:
Essential
- Clothes (wear 3-4 layers): thermo layer, t-shirt (dri-fit), thick coat (only wear this layer when at night when the weather is very cold), and windbreaker.
- Bottom: thermo layer, trekking pants.
- Beanie, gloves, sunglasses
- Socks (polyester)
- Trekking shoes (waterproof recommended)
- Water bottles (vol. of 1 liter, 2-3 bottles)
- Paracetamols
- Diamox
- Sun-block (spf>50), Vaseline (this works much better than lips balm), moisturizer
- Wet wipes, toilet paper
- Torch light/headlamp
- Chocolates
- Hand sanitiser
- Sleeping bag
Optional
- Cap
- Camera
- Walking stick
- Bandannas
- Sandals
- Vitamin C
- Snack bar
- Compass, thermometer
