High altitude-we all enjoy that tremendous view from a high summit, but there are risks in going to high altitude, and it's important to understand these risks. As you go up a mountain, the air becomes less compressed and is therefore thinner. Continuing to higher altitudes without proper acclimatization can lead to potentially serious, even life-threatening illnesses.
Although the percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere is the same, the thinner air means there is less oxygen to breathe. The body makes a wide range of changes in order to cope better with the lack of oxygen at high altitude. This process is called acclimatization. If you haven't been to high altitude before, it's important to be cautious. The major cause of altitude illnesses is going too high too fast. A number of changes take place in the body to allow it to operate with decreased oxygen. Keep in mind that different people will acclimatize at different rates. Make sure all of your party is properly acclimatized before going higher.
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