The most popular areas for high altitude trekking and climbing are in this part of the world.
From Nepal, Pakistan or India it is usually possible to make a gradual ascent into the mountains – ideally avoiding the highest landing strips. 84% of people flying in to the Hotel Everest View (3,860m) suffered AMS.
A gradual ascent to the Tibetan plateau is impossible, so AMS symptoms must be carefully monitored and exercise kept to a minimum until acclimatised.
While cycling from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp, a group had crossed two 5,000m passes in 8 days. On day 9, at 4,150m, one member of the team woke up feeling dizzy and nauseous, was shivering and unable to walk straight. By midday, with no improvement, the group decided to go down. This was over a 5,150m pass. The casualty turned blue, was hardly breathing, ‘rattling’ and frothing at the mouth. Once over the pass, her condition improved. The group stayed at 4,100m that night and the local doctor wrongly diagnosed high blood pressure. Luckily they met a climbing doctor with drugs to treat altitude illness. They dropped to 2,400m by truck the next day and finally on to Kathmandu for medical attention.