High Altitude Living Effects & Altitude Sickness Info
There is nothing worse than getting sick while you are on vacation. You will find a few tips below that will help you avoid altitude sickness during your vacation to Colorado. There is also information about the highest ski resorts in the state, and a list with a few different ways that the high altitude can effect your everyday life.
Colorado’s Highest Ski Resorts
The max. elevation stats that are shown below include hiking-only accessed terrain. These ski resorts have the highest altitude above sea level in Colorado.
High Altitude Sickness
There are several different levels of altitude sickness. The least severe of these sicknesses causes people to display flu-like symptoms. In worst case scenarios; altitude sickness can become a deadly threat – but this type of severe illness is not common at altitudes of 8,000 – 11,000 feet (this is the altitude range of most Colorado ski terrain).
One of the best ways to prevent altitude sickness is by drinking extra amounts of water. Dehydration is often referred to as a contributing factor as well as symptom of altitude sickness. The air above 8,000 feet cannot hold as much moisture as it can at sea level. The dry air of the high mountains causes humans to lose more moisture through the breathing process.
Ascending slowly into the mountains is also a great way to prevent altitude sickness. However, in Colorado this is a bit impractical, inconvenient, and usually unnecessary. You will find very few skiers who spend 2-3 days in Denver before ascending into the foothills of the Rockies. The risk of becoming sick is not high enough to warrant this.
If you do become sick while you are on vacation here and you believe that you are suffering from altitude sickness – drink lots of water, get some rest, and consider visiting a local oxygen bar. Many of the ski towns here have oxygen cafes where you can relax and get hooked up to a tank of flavored oxygen. This can provide a near-instant remedy for mild altitude sickness if your symptoms have just barely begun to show.
High Altitude Effects on Everyday Living
The high altitude of the Colorado Rockies has effects on our everyday lives that range from subtle to drastic. Some of these concepts are common knowledge, some are lesser known to the general public that lives at sea level. Most of these effects are a result of the thinner air which holds less moisture.