Tips for altitude sickness Tibet

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Day 18: Shigatse - Tips for altitude sickness Tibet - Lhasa

Today is our last full day of this trip to Tibet and we have to move from Shigatse to Lhasa, after these last two days at the Everest Base Camp, in a 6-hour journey to cover 270 kilometers and that is how it happened to us in all the routes of the route by Tibet by car, although the roads themselves are in very good condition, the speed controls are extremely hard, making it necessary to travel for example 38 kilometers in 75 minutes, something that if not you meet, implies withdrawal of points plus the corresponding fine.

Today's route, from Shigatse to Lhasa

On the way today we have one of Tibet's toughest controls in this regard, so we left Shigatse after having breakfast at the Shigatse Hotel, when it's 8 in the morning, this time surrounded by landscapes with much more vegetation than the tours in previous days, which were much more arid.
After a couple of stops to stretch your legs and long conversations with Pasang, we arrive in Lhasa at 14:30 in the afternoon, passing by the train station, then cross the bridge from where you have spectacular views of the Palace from Potala, the first we saw when we arrived after enjoying the Train of the Clouds for 48 hours, with which we started this incredible trip to Tibet. Is this another one of the many signs that this trip is leaving us?


Already in the center of Lhasa, the first thing you do is approach directly to the office of Sichuan Airlines, with whom we will fly tomorrow from Lhasa to Chengdu, to confirm the flights and also, from our mobile, confirm and check in from the application from KLM for tomorrow, since our flight from Chengdu, where we will make a stopover of just over three hours, we will fly to Amsterdam and then to Barcelona again with KLM, as we did to travel to Tibet on the flight from Barcelona.

KLM application

With all the subject of confirmed flights, Pasang and Tre take us to the Tashitakge Hotel Lhasa, where we stayed every day we were in Lhasa at the beginning of the trip and where we return to spend this last night in the city.
After checking in and leaving the backpacks we go directly to eat and how could it be otherwise, after the table we take the opportunity to enjoy and soak up the Barkhor area in these last hours in the city.

Barkhor

Barkhor

If we realize and without looking at the clock throughout the afternoon, when our body begins to ask us for a break, we decide that the time has come to say goodbye to Lhasa, deciding before this farewell to travel for the last time the Barora kora, one of most incredible and most wonderful experiences we have had on our trips and that many times you repeat it, it will always be different.

Kora from Barkhor

Tips for altitude sickness in Tibet

We don't want to finish this article without giving you some advice on altitude sickness in Tibet, one of the factors that we believe, more should be taken into account in a trip like this, in which the whole trip takes place above 3500 meters of altitude.
Although these tips do not mean that you should not consult with a doctor, it is more, we always recommend doing so, either to answer any questions about vaccination, altitude sickness or any medical issue, since it is the professionals who can really give you a complete answer and above all, knowing what they are talking about.
Therefore, these tips are drawn from our own experience and the recommendations they gave us, without being valid for all travelers.

The most frequent symptoms of altitude sickness are vomiting, headache, stomach ache and / or fatigue, symptoms that should be observed in order to act accordingly.

- After visiting the International Health Center, our doctor advised us, as for the other occasions in which we have been to destinations at heights above 3000 meters, to take Edemox.
It is a medication that, without being specific for altitude sickness, palliates its effects. It should be taken twice a day, one pill every 12 hours, starting two days before reaching maximum height and continue two days after leaving that height.
This is the general guideline, although in our case, having an itinerary in which the altitude was considerable at many points, we recommended doing 2 courses of medication: one before arriving in Lhasa, which we would begin to take on the Shanghai train to Lhasa and another that would begin 2 days before arriving at Everest Base Camp, the point where we would be at a higher altitude, sleeping at 5200 meters above sea level.
- Another of the tips for altitude sickness in Tibet what our doctor gave us was to take glucose and caffeine, during the days of the trip, since these two components also alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness. For this we buy Biodramina tablets with caffeine and Glucose tablets for athletes.
We were given a guideline of taking one every 6/8 hours. Being already taking Edemox, we prefer to lower the dose a little, taking them only on the days we were going to be over 4500 meters and with a regimen of 1 tablet every 12 hours.
- It is convenient to carry in the medicine cabinet, in addition to your usual medication, if you take it and the medication that your doctor has recommended for altitude sickness, ibuprofen for headache.

As we have already mentioned, we want to emphasize that these recommendations are medical, so we advise you to talk to a doctor before buying or taking anything, since according to your medical history, these recommendations may be more or less valid.

- Drink at least 3 liters of water a day, this will make us hydrated and therefore, we have less symptoms of altitude sickness.
- Do not eat copious food during the first days of adaptation. It is advisable to eat hydrates, since they are slow digestion and therefore better for the body in these circumstances.
- Another of the tips for altitude sickness in Tibet It is not to drink alcohol, especially the first few days, when the body is fully adapted.
- It is not convenient to make unnecessary efforts. That photo that you like so much jumping in front of a spectacular landscape, better leave it for when you are fully adapted to the altitude.
- In relation to the above, it is best to move calmly, walk slowly and not run. Even if you do not feel bad and it does not seem so, when we are above 2700 meters, the oxygen is much lower, therefore, your body will need to make much more effort for any activity. It is best to take it easy.

Rongbuk Monastery with Everest in the background. Tips for altitude sickness in Tibet

- Wear the right clothes. Although this seems to have nothing to do with altitude sickness, it is closely related. One must think that in Tibet there is quite a difference in temperatures from one area to another and even in the same place, temperatures vary several degrees between day and night. Getting a cold in Tibet is not the same as doing it elsewhere, since you have to add the probable symptoms of altitude sickness to those caused by a cold. It is worth taking care of yourself.
- Although this is not essential, we do believe that it can help you if necessary. In addition to being a good psychological support, knowing that you carry it and being able to travel more calmly. We refer to oxygen. There are three options. In our case we carry an oxygen tank and a bottle, without having to use either, but knowing that we had them, the truth is that they helped us travel more quietly.
- Pharmacy oxygen. We bought it at a pharmacy in Lhasa. They are small boats, which are used to inhale several times. For what they explained to us, both in the pharmacy, as the doctor before we leave, it can be used in cases where you feel bad, although it is not at all advisable to do it on many occasions or as an adaptation, since your body will get used at these doses of oxygen and when you stop taking it, you will find it much worse.

Pharmacy oxygen

- Oxygen bottle. This you have to talk to the agency with which you have organized the trip. Would necessary especially for the highest points of the trip such as Lake Namtso, the mountain passes or if you go to the Everest Base Camp, where you sleep more than 5200 meters above sea level.

Oxygen tank

- Oxygen in the Train of the Clouds. The train that reaches Tibet is equipped with oxygen exits, both in the compartments, only in first class (soft berth), and in the halls in the rest of the classes. If you feel bad you just have to call someone from the staff to provide you with the tubes that are put in the nose so you can have your dose of oxygen. We do not need it, but we saw many travelers who needed it, especially from the moment we exceeded 3000 meters.

- Do not become obsessed with height. This is something much more important than it may seem initially and is that the psychological factor is much more treacherous That body many times. It is best not to think at all times at what altitude we are and always be aware of the body's reactions. Of course it is important that they are attentive, but not obsessed.
In our case, this is the only one of the tips for altitude sickness in Tibet that we do not follow to the letter and is that at the beginning we used a lot of an application that indicated the height to which we were in each moment.
In my case (Vanessa), there came a time when I was more attentive to the altitude than the experience, so I decided not to use it again and thus not be so aware of my body according to how high we were at each moment.

Altitude facing Everest. Tips for altitude sickness in Tibet

- In convenient to book the first day of the entire trip in Lhasa to adapt. The ideal thing would be to have no planned visit that day and rest or walk without much effort, always adapting to the height.

- Leave the excursions to Namtso Lake, for example, for the last days of your stay in Tibet, since to get there you have to pass a port over 5000 meters and the lake itself is 4700 meters above sea level.

Namtso Lake in Tibet

And most importantly, when the symptoms of altitude sickness do not subside and increasingly serious, even while at rest, you must go to the hospital or call the insurance to visit a doctor as soon as possible, to avoid more serious problems. Do not be scared, but altitude sickness is no nonsense and in the most serious cases, it can cause death.
Having good travel insurance and traveling with a trusted and specialized agency is a safe bet in this case.

Remember that any foreign traveler who wants to travel to Tibet must do so through an agency (IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TRAVEL TO TIBET FOR FREE), either by adding to a group or privately and having, before entering Tibet, a fixed route, that the agency will have submitted and must be approved by the Chinese authorities.
To obtain the visa and all permits, it is necessary that this itinerary be approved by the authorities. It is also not possible to modify the itinerary on the fly, something very important to keep in mind, as it will force you to be clear about what you want to visit from the first moment, since based on that, the agency will manage the permits.
In our case we have traveled with The China Guide, who managed all the permits after designing a personalized itinerary together, with a guide in Spanish and that has led us to enjoy as we had never imagined this magical place.

Day 19: Lhasa - Flight with KLM Chengdú - Amsterdam - Barcelona (Best photos of Tibet

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