Above about 3,000 meters, apunamiento or soroche can be an annoyance and even a danger, especially to older people with respiratory problems. Even among young, robust individuals, a quick rise from sea level to the altiplano can cause intense headaches, vertigo, either drowsiness or insomnia, shortness of breath, and other symptoms. Combined with hypothermia, it can be life-threatening.

For most people, rest and relaxation help relieve symptoms as the body adapts to the reduced oxygen at higher altitudes; aspirin or a comparable painkiller will combat headache. If symptoms persist or worsen, moving to a lower elevation should have the desired effect. Some individuals have died at elevations above 4,000 meters; it is better to stay at an intermediate altitude than to climb directly from sea level to such high elevations. Do not overeat, avoid or limit alcohol consumption, and drink extra fluids.

Stephen Bezruchka’s Altitude Illness, Prevention & Treatment (Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1994) deals with the topic in detail; the fifth edition of James A. Wilkerson’s edited collection Medicine for Mountaineering & Other Wilderness Activities (Seattle: The Mountaineers, 2001) discusses other potential problems.