As riders, mountaineers, and out doors people, we know that some of the best of what the outdoors has to offer is often found above tree line. Here in Colorado, for example, many of the 10th Mountain Division huts are at or above 12,000 feet. This kind of altitude is a strain for even the […]
ACT System vs. Oxygen Therapy
We’ve all heard about physical therapy, but have you heard of oxygen therapy? Many have confused the term oxygen therapy with the effects of an ACT system. What are the differences between what the ACT system does and oxygen therapy? Let us explain. Oxygen therapy is a method for treating illnesses such as COPD by […]
Preventing Altitude Sickness: One Homeowner’s Story of a Second Home in Vail
The dream has always been owning a second home in Vail, CO (altitude of 8,120 to 11,570 feet above sea level). The ability to host our out of town visitors was something we had looked forward to for years. Once we were finally able to make our dream of owning a mountain home a reality […]
Trouble Sleeping at Altitude? A New Solution
If you love the mountains but visiting or living at altitude makes you toss and turn in bed, you’re not alone. IF YOU LOVE THE MOUNTAINS but visiting or living at altitude makes you toss and turn in bed, you’re not alone. Oxygen levels in most Colorado ski areas are about 30% lower than at sea […]
COVID-19 Lung Injury is Not High Altitude Pulmonary Edema
As medical providers around the world struggle to care for patients with acute respiratory failure secondary to corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), extensive efforts have been made to compare this entity to other forms of acute respiratory failure observed prior to the current pandemic. Among the variety of theories put forth, one argument that has been made and amplified via social […]
A Powder-Hound’s Guide to Vail and Beaver Creek Mountains
I remember my first visit to the white room. It was the winter of 2010–11, when Vail racked up 459 inches (38 feet!) of snow. Nearly every morning, I’d jump out of bed and stuff my feet into my sometimes still-damp boots and shuffle down to the bus stop at the bottom of Chamonix Lane […]
How Does Oxygen Prevent Mountain Sickness?
If you experience dizziness, nausea, headaches, or shortness of breath during traveling to high altitudes, acute mountain sickness might be the reason behind it. Acute mountain sickness – also known as altitude sickness or high altitude pulmonary edema – occurs at high elevation (roughly 8,000 feet or 2,400 meters above sea level). Many symptoms of […]
What can I do to cure or treat altitude sickness?
Altitude sickness is an uncomfortable and disrupting condition that affects some individuals when they travel to high-altitude destinations. As you climb to a higher altitude, the amount of oxygen you breathe in declines due to “thin air”. Once you reach heights of over 8,000 feet, the oxygen levels in the air gets significantly lower. It […]
How can I avoid altitude sickness?
Altitude sickness, also commonly known as mountain sickness, is an illness caused due to decreasing amount of oxygen at above sea level altitudes usually around 4,800 ft. This sickness mainly occurs when individuals travel from lower altitudes to higher altitude in less than one day. There are many signs of altitude sickness, and in general […]