Word to the Wise: Follow Your Own Advice for High Altitude Events

Sitting on my hotel room balcony at the beautiful Montage Big Sky Resort in Montana, I can see white-tipped mountains, endless rows of pine trees sprinkled with  sparkling snow, and the sun feels so close that even though it’s less than 50 degrees out, I’m out here in a t-shirt and feeling overheated. In the mountains, in Montana, in November, with snow on the ground. It’s a weird, beautiful experience coming from my home state of Michigan!

Now let’s roll back to 2018 for a moment. I’m climbing a flight of stairs at Snowbird, Utah, and find myself completely winded at the top, stopping to catch my breath. My legs feel the climb and my head becomes dizzy. My stomach turns a little and by the end of the night, I’ve had a couple nosebleeds. There are beautiful mountains outside blanketed in a deep snow but I find it hard to appreciate the view because I feel terrible.

The elevation is not all that different at either of these locations - although significantly higher than my sea level hometown. So what’s the difference in my experiences? The first time around I was too busy to pay attention to the tips we gave our attendees and didn’t adhere to our own advice. This time for Big Sky, I did. And if you’re heading to an event in higher elevation than you’re used to, I highly recommend you take these tips to heart!

• Drink extra water to stay hydrated, maybe consider the electrolyte water or salt water options out there such as LMNT or LiquidIV. As you acclimate to higher altitudes and a more arid environment, your body loses water which can quickly lead to dehydration. It is recommended to drink about twice as much water at high altitudes as you do at home.
• Use the humidifier in your room at night - and throughout the day if you’re in your room. The dry air and cold temperatures often found in mountain regions can irritate the airways, leading to coughing and sneezing. It is recommended that you use the humidifiers provided by the hotel to help reduce dryness in the air to make the environment more comfortable. If one is not automatically provided in your room, ask the hotel if they have them onsite for loan.
• Be aware of the effects of alcohol and caffeine. Diuretics like alcohol and caffeinated beverages can deplete your body of water. Since higher altitudes can cause dehydration, be aware that alcohol and caffeine may impact you differently as your body acclimates. So drinking coffee doesn’t count as water here - bump up the water for each glass of coffee or alcohol.
• Ease into exercise. Give yourself time to adjust to the higher altitudes by easing into physical activity. You may want to reduce your physical activity up to 50% of what you normally do to make sure you don’t get dehydrated too quickly, and to understand the impact on your lungs and muscles while exercising.
• Use sun protection. For every 1,000 feet you climb above sea level, there is an estimated 10% increase in harmful sun rays. No matter the temperature and cloud cover, be prepared to protect yourself with a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and other forms of protection to ward off the rays.

If you’re heading up into the mountains for an event, you will certainly experience spectacular landscapes; prepare yourself for elevated conditions so you enjoy the views!