Acute Mountain Sickmess

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is a real problem affecting mountaineers who ascend too quickly. Only one person or so dies on the Annapurna circuit each year, largely due to the efforts of the Himalayan Rescue Association. Thanks!

Several days before we arrived in Thorong Phedi we heard stories about a Chinese man that was evacuated by helicopter. Trekker friends with defeated looks on their faces who had turned around to spend another night acclimatizing at a lower altitude were becoming a common sight on the trail. Thorong Phedi was full of people who were spending an extra night acclimatizing after failed attempts to cross the pass.

The reality of what we were doing was beginning to hit home.

Those who do not listen to their bodies and continue to ascend risk the dangerous complications of HACE and HAPE.
HACE - High Altitude Cerebral Edema: Potentially deadly accumulation of fluid in the brain.
HAPE - High Altitude Pulmonary Edema: Potentially deadly accumulation of fluid in the lungs.

A lesser known danger is that of HAFE.
HAFE - High Altitude Flatulence Explosions: Potentially deadly forms of gaseous explosions that occur unexpectedly at altitude. The risk is amplified by eating large quantities of lentil soup and snoozing in sleeping bags. Beware!