The soldiers at the posts, for their part, keep an eye open for any dangerous mass that can come tumbling down. We do it either by using dynamite or by firing on it. At some places you can bring it down by simply shouting at it. Then, the soldiers are vulnerable to other vagaries of the terrain. Besides frostbite, pneumonia and other accompanying ailments, you can get high-altitude pulmonary oedema, the deadly disease that results in an accumulation of fluid in your lungs.
Doctors say it can afflict anyone, however well acclimatised, however fit.
Once the patient is placed inside, the atmospheric pressure and oxygen content is artificially lowered. Besides the physical aspects, this winter warfare is a tremendous strain on a soldier's mind. The feeling of physical isolation the posts inflict on its occupants is enough to bring about hallucination, loss of memory and depression. To combat this, the soldiers are housed in habitats of fibre-reinforced plastic bunkers at the posts. This ensures that four to six men or eight to 10 men stay together.