The Ultimate Guide to High-Altitude Mountaineering Water Intake: Improve Your Climbing Experience

Introduction

Are you experiencing headaches? Do you easily get fatigued, or find it hard to recover from fatigue? Are you experiencing swelling or constipation? Are you suffering from cerebral edema or pulmonary edema?

These are common challenges faced by every mountaineer during climbing expeditions. Here, we introduce a universal remedy for high-altitude mountaineering – water!

In modern sports theory, replenishing water in the body is highly important and valued by many. Water is the only element in the body that can be sensed when it is lacking. When you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated by more than 2%. Therefore, even when not thirsty during exercise, water should still be consumed.

The Impact of Dehydration in Mountaineering

Even a slight loss of water (dehydration) can impair physical performance. Losing 15% of water can be life-threatening.

Dehydration during exercise can lead to:

• Decreased blood volume
• Reduced blood flow to the skin
• Reduced blood flow to muscles
• Increased body temperature
• Fatigue
• Decreased blood pressure
• Dizziness
• Fainting

Why Water is Essential for Climbers

Replenishing freshwater during exercise will “close” thirst and “open” the kidneys. Along with water, a certain amount of electrolytes (Na, K, Ca, Mg) should be replenished to maintain ionic balance in the blood.

In laboratory tests, it was found that the thirst caused by losing 4 quarts of sweat can be quenched with just 1 pint of freshwater in a short time (1 quart = 2 pints), while consuming sports drinks with electrolyte components can reduce urine output by 33%.

The average person should consume 2-3 liters of water per day.

Common Mistakes in High-Altitude Mountaineering Water Intake

Mountaineering, like all other sports, has its unique characteristics. However, in today’s mountaineering, the attention to water replenishment has not received enough attention. As mountaineering becomes more accepted by people, the following phenomena are common:

1. Many people have long durations of high-altitude sickness due to insufficient water intake after reaching base camp, and some even fail to complete their planned climbing itinerary.
2. During the trek, due to fatigue, cold, and inconvenience, many people cannot actively replenish water in time, or unknowingly replenish water before feeling thirsty, leading to increased climbing fatigue and high-altitude sickness. During mountaineering training, in order to train the so-called “thirst and hunger resistance,” water intake is reduced or stopped during high-intensity training, not realizing that this long-term dehydration will greatly reduce the body’s function and affect the training effect.
3. After reaching the camp, especially at high altitudes, many people cannot or do not want to drink a large amount of water due to fatigue, and the difficulty of melting snow for water. Instead, they only sleep and rest, causing the high-altitude sickness to worsen the next day or fatigue to not recover.
4. In order to enhance the taste, many people drink coffee, tea, chocolate, and even alcohol. However, coffee, tea, and chocolate have diuretic effects and can only provide 50% effective water. The metabolism of alcohol requires a large amount of water, thus affecting the sufficient intake of water.

Physiological Changes at High Altitudes and Water Needs

Unlike other sports, mountaineering is a special activity. Mountaineering is generally carried out in a special environment with high altitude and hypoxia, which puts pressure on the body while exercising and adds hypoxic pressure. Many new problems arise, which place higher demands on water replenishment in high-altitude mountaineering activities:

Because of hypoxia, your body needs more red blood cells! This allows the blood to carry more oxygen, transporting it to your various tissues. After reaching high altitudes, the spine will quickly produce a large number of new red blood cells, but the new red blood cells will make your blood thicker.

Due to the dry and thin air at high altitudes, the amount of water lost through respiration increases significantly, making the body prone to dehydration, further increasing the viscosity of the blood.

To cope with hypoxia, the body increases its breathing rate and depth, causing excessive carbon dioxide to be excreted, resulting in the body’s fluid environment becoming more alkaline, leading to “alkalosis.” Alkalosis will cause an imbalance of ions, causing body tissues and cells to begin to accumulate fluid, leading to edema, and even causing blood to become thicker.

Thicker blood means slower blood circulation, and blood cannot quickly reach the capillaries, resulting in slow and inefficient oxygen delivery. Various organs of the body react due to hypoxia (such as headaches), your muscles cannot get sufficient oxygen, leading to climbing fatigue and slow recovery, making it difficult for the body to recover.

Thick blood causes slow microcirculation in the extremities, making it difficult to obtain enough energy, and making various degrees of frostbite more likely to occur.

Due to reduced water intake and edema, the large intestine cannot obtain enough water to dilute waste, leading to difficulty in excretion, and even severe constipation.

Therefore, in high-altitude climbing, every climber should consume more water every day to achieve water balance in the body, so as to adapt to high altitudes in a short time, achieve good physical condition and physical fitness, get rid of headaches, swelling, hemorrhoids, fatigue, and other painful conditions. It can be said that water is a universal remedy for high-altitude mountaineering!

Precautions for High-Altitude Water Replenishment

1. Consume a large amount of water every day, roughly 4-5 liters/day;
2. Drink 1-2 liters of water 1-2 hours before departure;
3. During the climbing process, replenish water whenever possible;
4. After reaching the camp, even if very tired, do not immediately sleep, spend some time melting snow, and drink about 2 liters of water.
5. Coffee, tea, and chocolate have diuretic effects, providing only 50% effective water, so it is necessary to reduce the intake of such beverages.
6. If you want to reach the summit or relieve headaches sooner, do not drink alcohol. The metabolism of alcohol requires a large amount of water (when drunk, everyone will be very thirsty), which is a huge burden on your body.
7. Adding sugar to water can quickly replenish energy during the trek and increase taste. A mixture of various sugars will accelerate sugar absorption (glucose, fructose – honey, sucrose…); adding a certain amount of Na, K, Ca, Mg ions to water will improve the ionic balance of body fluids; adding some vitamins can effectively supplement vitamin intake and alleviate “alkalosis” in the body.

It can be seen that drinking water thoroughly determines our climbing and health conditions at high altitudes. Drinking water correctly will allow us to go further and climb higher!

Preparation Before High-Altitude Activities

Mental Preparation: Good mental resilience is key to overcoming difficulties and high-altitude sickness. Optimistic individuals tend to have milder reactions, while those burdened with fear or excessive mental stress may experience worsened symptoms.

Physical and Fitness Preparation: Before going to high altitudes, it’s important to ensure your body is in good physical condition. Training specific to high-altitude activities, such as mountaineering or trekking, is essential. However, for most leisure outdoor activities at high altitudes, focus should be on preventing altitude sickness. Altitude sickness is not necessarily related to physical strength but to the body’s adaptation and adjustment capabilities, so there’s no need to train excessively. If you’re unsure, you can engage in aerobic exercises a month or two before the trip, such as jogging. However, in the week leading up to the trip, it’s important to rest and avoid strenuous exercise.

Knowledge Preparation: Understanding the high-altitude environment, sports, medical care, climate, and customs is essential. Having a good grasp of high-altitude adaptation and mountain sickness and how to deal with them is crucial for a safe and smooth high-altitude experience.

Equipment Preparation: Depending on the type of high-altitude activity (e.g., hiking, cycling, driving), adequate equipment should be prepared. In addition to personal gear, it’s important to have appropriate seasonal clothing, as high-altitude areas experience large temperature differences between day and night and abrupt weather changes. Even in clear summer weather, warm clothing and rain gear are necessary.

Protection Measures

Mastering methods to deal with altitude sickness can reduce its impact on your high-altitude activities, enhancing your overall experience and happiness.

Hydration: Drinking plenty of water is the best way to alleviate altitude sickness. Drink water frequently, but control the amount each time. Upon arrival at your destination, drink a large amount of water to hydrate fully.

Cold Protection: High-altitude areas are characterized by low temperatures, with a general temperature drop of 5-6°C per 1000 meters in altitude gain. There are significant temperature differences between morning and evening, and in some areas, the temperature difference can reach 15-20°C. Weather changes quickly, so it’s important to protect against cold to prevent colds. When engaging in outdoor activities in the plains, changing clothes frequently to adjust for temperature is common practice. However, in high-altitude areas, you should change into warm clothing as soon as you step out of the vehicle, based on not feeling hot. Waiting until you feel cold means that the cold has already begun to invade and stimulate the body’s reaction, making it easy to catch a cold. Remember, the highlands are the enemy of cold sufferers. Even a slight respiratory infection can increase the risk of high-altitude pulmonary edema. If you notice early symptoms of a cold, take cold medicine immediately. Waiting until the symptoms worsen will generally be ineffective. For those experiencing severe respiratory distress due to altitude sickness, if it is decided to descend and stop high-altitude activities, oxygen can be appropriately used to alleviate the suffering.

Dietary Structure: In a high-altitude, low-oxygen environment, the body’s metabolism is affected, and the functions of the digestive system (stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder) are relatively weakened. Therefore, the body’s ability to digest and absorb food is reduced. Conversely, the body’s energy and vitamin consumption increase significantly. Studies have shown that the daily energy consumption in high-altitude areas is 3%-5% higher than usual, and it is directly proportional to the altitude. The vitamin consumption in hypoxic conditions is 2-5 times that of normal conditions. Therefore, in high-altitude diets, the emphasis should be on the body’s ability to tolerate the digestive system and improving nutritional balance.

High-Altitude Activity Skills: When first arriving at high altitudes, it’s important to control your exercise rhythm, intensity, frequency, and volume. All activities should be done slowly, even tasks as simple as going to the bathroom should be done slowly, especially as altitude increases. This is particularly important for team members who like to move around a lot.

Sleep Adjustment: Nights at high altitudes are often more difficult than days, and sleeping can be uncomfortable, often leading to insomnia or shallow sleep. The lower air pressure and reduced oxygen content in the air at night, coupled with decreased photosynthesis by plants, further reduce oxygen levels, affecting the quality of sleep. Insomnia and shallow sleep are common at high altitudes.

UV Protection: The high altitude and thin air on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau reduce the barrier to ultraviolet rays, which can easily damage the skin and eyes, especially in snowy areas. Protective measures must be taken to avoid harm. Even on cloudy days, sunscreen should be used because UV rays can still burn the skin. Sun hats, sunglasses, sleeves, and headscarves are necessary. Both men and women need sun protection.

Training for High-Altitude Mountaineering

During mountain climbing, climbers need to endure pressures such as dehydration, malnutrition, cold, hypoxia, sleep deprivation, and muscle fatigue. It is very necessary to carry out training in both physical and mental aspects to cope with these pressures. On the one hand, climbers need to have a clear mind to deal with the complex environment and changing conditions in the mountains. On the other hand, mountaineering requires both long-term endurance output and short-term explosiveness and progress. Therefore, climbers need to have comprehensive physical qualities and arrange strength and endurance training reasonably before climbing to ensure peak physical fitness during climbing.

Training Principles

Through training of considerable intensity, the body can be stimulated to secrete hormones and regulate itself physiologically, ultimately improving athletic ability. This is the principle of training. In general, the improvement of athletic ability does not occur during training but during the subsequent recovery period. Therefore, post-training recovery is equally important as the training itself. Without sufficient recovery after training, not only will the purpose of improving athletic level not be achieved, but it may also have a counterproductive effect. The intensity of training must be appropriate; too little intensity cannot stimulate the body to adapt, while too much intensity can cause injury. Recovery requires not only rest and nutrition but also sufficient time, although it cannot be too long, or else the body will return to its pre-training state.

Training Cycle Arrangement

Short-term explosive power and long-term endurance output have opposite requirements for muscle nature. The same muscle cannot have both good endurance and good explosiveness. The human skeletal muscle is composed of two different types of muscle fibers, with red muscle fibers determining endurance and white muscle fibers determining explosiveness. The ratio of the two is mainly determined by genetics. Training can target red muscle fibers or white muscle fibers, but it cannot target both. Otherwise, there will be no good training effect in both endurance and explosiveness. Therefore, strength training can be the focus of the first stage to build a sufficient strength foundation (higher than the strength required for climbing). Then, in the second stage, endurance training can be conducted, during which the strength will decrease, coinciding with the strength required for climbing.

Current sports physiology theories suggest that athletes should not maintain the same training intensity for a long time, but should gradually progress and arrange training plans reasonably so that they can reach their peak physical fitness at key competitions. Whether this training concept is effective for mountaineers has not been tested yet. However, the experiences of many mountaineers indicate that increasing training intensity in the 3-4 weeks before climbing, and then resting and recovering in the last week before climbing, can help peak physical fitness during climbing. While increasing training intensity, attention should be paid to nutritional supplementation, with an intake of about 250g of carbohydrates per day to ensure glycogen supply. During the rest and recovery period, attention should also be paid to the rhythm of life and nutrition to ensure that there is no lactic acid residue in the body when climbing begins. If you are not able to accurately grasp the rhythm of recovery, you can extend the rest and recovery period to avoid fighting fatigue as much as possible.

Female climbers may be concerned about the impact of their menstrual cycle on their strength and endurance qualities, which is not scientifically based. However, if they are too concerned, they can also use medication to control their menstrual cycle. Take contraceptive pills for a few weeks before climbing and stop taking them 10 days before climbing. The menstrual period will end just before climbing begins. However, in the second half of the menstrual period, body temperature may rise, leading to an increased cardiovascular load. There is not much scientific conclusion on this aspect, because professional athletes usually have a low body fat content and are more prone to menstrual irregularities than ordinary women, so the differences in menstrual reactions among different people are large.

Strength Training

The purpose of strength training is to increase the volume and strength of specific muscle groups. For climbers, strength training is mainly to strengthen muscle and ligament endurance, improve motor coordination, rather than increase muscle volume, but the basic training principles still apply.

Strength Training Methods

The basic method of strength training is repetitive conforming training, which means that the target muscles contract and relax under specific conformance, and several repetitions make up a set, with multiple sets per training.

For the same load exercise, the greater the load, the fewer repetitions. The last exercise of each set should be just reaching voluntary exhaustion. Voluntary exhaustion refers to the trainer being able to complete the active part of the action (lifting the load) and then just being able to complete the passive part (controlling the descent of the load) independently, which means that without assistance, the next repetition cannot be completed. The smaller the load, the more repetitions can be completed before exhaustion.

Mountain sports require climbers to improve their strength-to-weight ratio. During training, the focus should be on improving strength while avoiding muscle enlargement as much as possible. Therefore, when performing strength training, the load level should be adjusted to allow each set to complete 2-4 repetitions. The active phase of each movement should be completed quickly, while the passive phase should be slowly lowered. There should be a 2-3 minute rest between sets, and each exercise should be changed after 3 sets, with a total of 6 sets per exercise, with a minimum of 2 repetitions per set. When you can do 3 repetitions per set and repeat 6 sets, you can increase the load so that each set returns to 2 repetitions.

Strength Training Exercises

Given the characteristics of mountaineering, climbers need to perform specialized strength training for muscles such as the abdominals, back muscles, pulling muscles, grip muscles, and leg muscles. There are various methods of strength training, and some of the easier ones to implement include sit-ups (or hanging leg raises), pull-ups (or using a lat pulldown machine), standing finger flexion exercises (using a barbell), and leg extension exercises. Performing these exercises in a single strength training session will exceed the body’s recovery capacity. Therefore, the exercises should be divided into two groups and alternated on different days.

Before performing 2-4 repetitions per set, a total of 6 sets of strength exercises, warm-up exercises must be done first. You can start by moving on a stationary bike for 5-10 minutes to increase blood circulation levels. Then, perform warm-up exercises to develop shoulder and arm thrusts, with no more than 8 repetitions per exercise, as doing more can lead to overall fatigue, preventing full recovery before formal training begins. Rest between sets of warm-up exercises should be 1-2 minutes.

Precautions for Strength Training

During strength training, if the training methods, intensity, and rhythm arrangement are unreasonable, it will affect the training effect and may even cause injuries.

1. Avoiding sports injuries: When performing strength training, the first consideration should be how to avoid sports injuries. If the trainee has no previous experience in sports training, it is important to proceed gradually, control the training intensity, and avoid bending the limbs into angles that are prone to injury under load. If the trainee already has a certain training foundation, analyze their weak points in terms of strength and make up for them through targeted training. Patellofemoral syndrome is a common sports injury among climbers, characterized by knee pain when descending, and in severe cases, difficulty bending the legs. Whether using elastic bandages or knee pads to fix the knee joint, or resting and icing, can only temporarily relieve the pain without truly solving the problem. The most effective treatment is to exercise the muscles around the knee joint. For example, perform static exercises such as squatting and marching to enhance muscle strength to maintain patellar stability.
2. Ligament stretching: Most athletes stretch their ligaments during warm-up and relaxation periods to avoid injury and achieve better relaxation effects. The basic principle of ligament stretching is the same as other sports training. If the goal is to improve flexibility, stretch to the limit and then recover fully. The problem is that ligaments have much weaker recovery abilities than muscle groups, so stretching ligaments can easily lead to sports injuries. If the purpose of stretching ligaments is to improve flexibility, it is best to do so under the guidance of a professional coach to avoid making incorrect movements.
3. Recovery: To ensure the effectiveness of training, not only scientific training but also good recovery is essential. Effective recovery is particularly important in both strength training and endurance training, both between sets and between two training sessions.
   1. Recovery shower: Invented by the French and now used by almost all elite athletes worldwide, the recovery shower can be said to be one of the best recovery methods. This method requires starting a shower immediately after training, with hot water at the highest temperature the body can tolerate for 5 minutes to fully dilate the blood vessels. Then slowly lower the water temperature until it reaches the lowest temperature the body can tolerate. Direct the water flow to the head and the muscles that were just exercised, and feel the blood vessels gradually constricting. Keep it for 2-4 minutes until the body cools down completely. As the body gradually adapts, the cooling time can be gradually extended, and the water temperature should also be gradually reduced. Then switch back to hot water to stimulate the blood vessels to dilate again and carry away the lactic acid in the muscles. This process should be repeated at least twice, finishing with a cold water rinse to promote fatigue elimination.
   2. Recovery walk or ride: Several hours after training, eating, and resting, spend 30 minutes walking or riding a bike, maintaining the heart rate at 60-70% of the anaerobic threshold. This can promote the metabolism of waste products in the muscles and increase the body’s demand for glucose. In addition, a small amount of food should be consumed after activity.
   3. Eating: If arranged properly, eating immediately after training can also accelerate recovery. Consuming 225g of carbohydrates within 20 minutes after training can activate the resynthesis of glycogen. Then, have a formal meal within 1 hour, mainly consisting of carbohydrates and supplemented with an appropriate amount of protein, which is most beneficial for the recovery process.
   4. Sleep: Many athletes take a nap after training, which can not only repair damaged muscle tissue but also burn body fat. In addition, adequate sleep and deep tissue massage can accelerate recovery. Look for a well-trained massage therapist every 10-15 days who knows how to reshape muscle structure and reduce muscle clumps.

Endurance Training

Principles of Endurance Training

For mountaineers, endurance training is particularly important. The main goals of endurance training are as follows:

1. Increase maximal oxygen uptake to enhance the body’s ability to supply oxygen to muscles.
2. Increase anaerobic threshold to enhance the muscles’ aerobic metabolism ability and reduce lactate production.
3. Improve body mechanical efficiency, which needs to be strengthened through different training methods.

Concepts

During endurance training, it is necessary to have sufficient specificity and appropriate form. The intensity should be sufficient to stimulate the body but not too great. Therefore, the key issue lies in measuring exercise intensity. If you cannot measure your exercise intensity during training, it is impossible to train scientifically.

Resting Heart Rate

The heart rate after adequate rest is the resting heart rate, such as the morning pulse value measured just after waking up. For an ordinary man without any exercise training, the average resting heart rate is about 72 beats per minute, while for women of the same age, it is about 10 beats per minute higher than that of men. Well-trained athletes usually have a resting heart rate of 40-50 beats per minute. The morning pulse should be measured after a good night’s sleep, maintaining a supine position during measurement, otherwise, it will affect the measurement results.

Maximal Heart Rate

During exercise training, as the exercise load increases, oxygen consumption and heart rate also increase. At maximum load intensity, oxygen consumption and heart rate no longer increase continuously. The heart rate reaches its highest level, which is the maximum heart rate. The previously common formula for calculating maximum heart rate was: maximum heart rate (beats per minute) = 220 – age. However, this formula has a large error and is now rarely used. A more accurate calculation formula is: maximum heart rate (male) = 217 – age × 0.85, maximum heart rate (female) = 209 – age × 0.7. Climbers can perform a 4-minute maximum intensity sprint on a treadmill or track, at which point the heart rate is basically equal to the maximum heart rate.

Load Intensity

The load intensity is roughly divided into four ranges. When the heart rate is 50% of the maximum heart rate, there is basically no fatigue, and such training only promotes body recovery without any improvement. When the heart rate is 65% of the maximum heart rate, there is slight fatigue, but there is basically no improvement. Such training is only suitable for warm-up, relaxation, and weight loss. When the heart rate is 75-85% of the maximum heart rate, there is fatigue, but there is basically no lactate accumulation in the muscles. Well-trained endurance athletes can maintain this intensity for several hours. When the heart rate is 85-100% of the maximum heart rate, the load intensity exceeds the anaerobic threshold, and lactate accumulates in the muscles. Athletes can only maintain this intensity for a short time.

Maximal Oxygen Uptake

Maximal oxygen uptake refers to the oxygen uptake rate of the body when the load intensity reaches its limit. The maximal oxygen uptake is determined by the circulatory system function, not the specific muscle function, and is mainly determined by genetics. However, you can improve it through long-term regular endurance training or temporarily enhance it by taking some nutritional supplements. In mountaineering, maximal oxygen uptake has a significant impact on the climbing speed of climbers in high-altitude areas. Climbers with higher maximal oxygen uptake usually climb faster, so they are exposed to objective dangers for a shorter time, making it easier to ensure safety and achieve success.

Methods of Endurance Training

The three goals of endurance training are: increasing maximal oxygen uptake, increasing anaerobic threshold, and improving body mechanical efficiency. The following methods can be used: interval training, continuous training, and long-term training.

Interval Training

Interval training is the best way to increase maximal oxygen uptake. Interval training refers to first performing short-duration high-intensity training, then resting and recovering for a period of time until the lactic acid in the body is almost completely decomposed, and then performing the next set of high-intensity training, followed by the next set of rest and recovery, repeating this process for several sets. Each set of training lasts for several minutes to ten minutes, and the intensity is 85-100% of the heart rate corresponding to the maximal oxygen uptake (the maximum heart rate is about 10% higher than the heart rate corresponding to the maximal oxygen uptake). Interval training not only consumes a lot of energy but also puts considerable pressure on muscles and connective tissues. Therefore, it takes several days for recovery and adjustment to fully recover. If the next interval training is carried out without waiting for the body to fully recover, it will only backfire and cause damage to the body.

Continuous Training

The main purpose of continuous training is to improve aerobic metabolism capacity. The intensity of continuous training should be 65-75% of the heart rate corresponding to the maximal oxygen uptake, and the duration should be 45-120 minutes. The training frequency should be maintained at 3-4 times per week.

Long-term Training

Training for several years can improve the body’s mechanical efficiency in movement, although the improvement is not as significant as that in maximal oxygen uptake and anaerobic threshold. Currently, there are no specific experiments on mountaineering, but experiments on athletes in other sports show that the more complex and skillful the training, the easier it is to improve body mechanical efficiency.

High-Altitude Training

High-altitude training is not the same as high-altitude adaptation. The purpose of adaptation is “activity at high altitude, rest at low altitude”, while high-altitude training is exactly the opposite, requiring “rest at high altitude, training at low altitude”. The reason for training at low altitude is to ensure adequate oxygen supply to the body to maintain training intensity. The reason for returning to high altitude for rest is to gradually adapt to high altitude while the body gradually recovers.

Training Methods

Endurance training for climbers should focus on the muscle groups used by climbers. For example, cycling can be used to simulate real-life competition situations and accumulate experience. Although athletes still need to engage in certain real-world training, mountaineering is different. No equipment can simulate actual climbing situations, whether it is a step machine or a weighted walking machine, they are far from actual climbing. Therefore, to achieve the best training effect, you should choose a steep slope, repeatedly perform weighted climbing training, and pay attention to protecting your knees when descending.

FAQs

What are the signs of dehydration in high-altitude mountaineering?

Dehydration can manifest as headaches, fatigue, dizziness, decreased blood pressure, and fainting. Recognizing these signs early is crucial for maintaining health and performance.

How much water should I drink during a high-altitude climb?

Climbers should aim to consume 4-5 liters of water daily. This helps counteract the increased water loss due to dry air and physical exertion.

Why is water with electrolytes important?

Electrolytes help maintain the ionic balance in the blood, which is essential for muscle function and overall hydration. Sports drinks with electrolytes can be beneficial in reducing urine output and maintaining hydration.

Can I drink coffee or tea during a climb?

While coffee and tea can be consumed, they have diuretic effects and provide only 50% effective water. It is better to focus on pure water or electrolyte-rich drinks.

Is alcohol consumption advisable during mountaineering?

No, alcohol should be avoided as its metabolism requires a large amount of water, which can lead to dehydration and increased physical strain.

What can I add to my water to improve hydration?

Adding sugar can quickly replenish energy, and mixing various types of sugars can accelerate absorption. Including Na, K, Ca, and Mg ions, along with vitamins, can improve the ionic balance and alleviate alkalosis.

Conclusion

Understanding and properly managing water intake is crucial for high-altitude mountaineering. By following the guidelines and precautions outlined above, climbers can improve their performance, prevent dehydration, and maintain overall health during their expeditions. Remember, water is not just a necessity but a vital component for success and safety in high-altitude environments.