Safety & Health

GENERALLY
People arriving to Quito by air often experience mild symptoms of altitude sickness. Just kicking back and relaxing for the first 24 hours after you arrive is the best way to deal with this. Avoid running around and make sure to drink lots of liquids...water. It's pretty normal to feel tired at first and don't expect to be able to do much physically, compared to what you do at home.The effects can last up to 48 hours and they might not even show at all, it depends on the person. But if symptoms persist than it would be recommendable to s likely a good idea to take youself down out of the mountains and into the jungle or to the beach.

Climbers and Hikers
The most important thing you can do is to plan a schedule that a little easier than you think you can handle. The biggest challenge is the altitude, especially if you´ve just arrived in the Andes,  never underestimate the power of acclimatization!

There are many ideas about the best ways to get used to high altitudes. One old idea was to go as high as possible in a truck and then camp there for three or four days, with a minimum level of exertion. Another idea is to do high climbs and sleep at a camp at a fairly low altitude, this theory was used for Everest climbers.We also reccomend that you rest as much as possible between camps. Although it´s completely unpredicable taking it slow should do the trick for most people. No matter how you cut it, acclimatizing will maximize your enjoyment of the climb, and that´s a proven fact.