However, high altitude climbers who ignore the warnings of AMS symptoms frequently come to tragic ends. In the fall of 1995 CMC leader Pemba Sherpa helped locate a Gamow bag for treating a French climber who was collapsed and semi-conscious at 16,600 feet on a trekker's route in Nepal. The climber was successfully evacuated afterwards. In 1993 CMCer Kevin Haight reported that one of his German climbing companions became ill and lost consciousness at the 14,500-foot Plaza de Mulas camp on Aconcagua. Summit photo on 21,000 foot Illimani, Bolivia.
Author is on the right.
Photo by Beth Slichter. Following a few simple guidelines will prevent acute mountain sickness in most cases. During the progression up the mountain it is good practice to hike to higher altitudes and return to lower camps for sleeping. During acclimatization to high altitude the human body needs to process more water than normal. Finding the water or melting snow, and treating it or boiling it takes time and effort, but it is crucial.