Altitude Sickness & Health Guide for Nepal Trekkers

Staying Healthy in Nepal

Altitude Sickness (AMS)

Altitude sickness can affect anyone above roughly 2,500m, regardless of fitness. Symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness and poor sleep. Severe symptoms — confusion, breathlessness at rest or loss of balance — require immediate descent and medical help.

How to Reduce Risk

• Ascend gradually and follow your guide's acclimatisation plan
• Stay well hydrated
• Avoid alcohol at altitude
• Never ignore symptoms to keep up with the group
• Choose itineraries with rest days

Water and Food

Drink only boiled, filtered or treated water. Choose freshly cooked meals; dal bhat is safe, nutritious and reliable.

Vaccinations

Speak to your doctor or travel clinic before you go about routine vaccines and others such as hepatitis A and typhoid.

Travel Insurance

Choose a policy that covers trekking at your maximum altitude and helicopter evacuation. This is essential for any high-altitude trek.

Emergency

Helicopter rescue is available from main trekking regions but is only possible in suitable weather and costs thousands of dollars without insurance.