![]() According to the Eastbourne Herald, “Adam complained of feeling tired and unwell and said he was ‘feeling the altitude’ but did not think it was anything serious. In January 2013, Adam Savory, a 25-year-old backpacker from the UK, died from altitude sickness after taking a bus from Ica on Peru’s coast to Cusco. You shouldn’t be worried, but you should take at least some time to acclimatize - and you should take potential altitude sickness symptoms with the seriousness that they deserve.Ī handful of deaths caused by altitude sickness have occurred in the last few years among travelers visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu. If your symptoms worsen, seek medical help immediately.ĭeaths caused by altitude sickness during trips to Machu Picchu are rare, so I’m not highlighting any of these to make you worried. This is normally Acetazolamide (diamox), which is the most common type of “soroche pill.” Also consider dropping down a couple of thousand feet to a lower altitude, perhaps to a nearby town like Ollantaytambo (9,160 ft/2,792 m) or Pisac (8,907 ft/2,715 m). If you are feeling the effects of altitude and begin to feel nauseous, dizzy or start having headaches, you can head to a local pharmacy and buy some altitude medication. The most responsible tour operators will ensure that your health is at the top of their list when you go to Machu Picchu. You have a list of our hand-picked best inca trail tour operators here. Take it easy on the first day drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, and maybe chew a bunch of coca leaves or drink a few cups of coca tea (but avoid coca if you might have a drug test when you get back home.Īlso, hire a reputable and responsible tour operator for your tours to MAchu Picchu. In a perfect world, you should adapt your travel itinerary to include at least 24 hours in Cusco before going to Machu Picchu or doing any other strenuous treks or tours in the region. Flying in from near sea-level, however, can be a real shock to the system. If you take the bus from Lima to Cusco, you’ll be slowing climbing for 20 hours or so, giving your body some time to adapt. This is particularly important if you are flying straight to Cusco from Lima or any other low-lying city. But you really should try to acclimatize for at least a day - ideally two - when you first arrive at altitude, be it in Cusco or any other town or city in the Cusco Region that sits around, or more importantly above, the 8,000 feet (2,500 m) mark. It’s easy to be nonchalant about the risk of altitude sickness while visiting Machu Picchu. Rather, it’s the time they spend at higher altitudes before and after visiting Machu Picchu. The examples above, most notably Cusco, make it clear that it’s not necessarily the Machu Picchu altitude that’s the real risk to travelers. Machu Picchu Mountain, meanwhile, towers above the archaeological site, its peak reaching up above the 10,000 feet (3,048 meter) mark. Huayna Picchu rises to a height of 8,920 feet (2,720 meters) above sea level. Then there are the two mountains that rise up above Machu Picchu, both of which are open to the public with the correct permits. Mount Salkantay, at 20,574 feet (6,271 m) above sea level, is one of the highest mountains in Peru. The Salkantay trek, for example, reaches its highest point at the Salkantay Pass at 15,213 feet (4,638 meters). Alternative treks to Machu Picchu also rise up well into the altitude sickness zone. You can see an Inca Trail elevation profile here. The highest point along the classic Inca Trail trek - Dead Woman’s Pass - reaches an altitude of 13,828 feet (4,215 meters). ![]() And Cusco lies at 11,152 feet (3,399m) above sea level, well above Machu Picchu and above the point at which altitude sickness can occur. Cusco is the traditional tourist hub for the majority of visitors to Machu Picchu.
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