Why trust this guide?
Each guide keeps the answer near the top, separates stable facts from changing operational details, names its author and reviewer, and links to responsible sources.
Meet the team and review standard →Altitude safety depends on the pace, sleeping-altitude profile and honest symptom reporting; fitness alone does not prevent altitude illness.
Safety decision aid
Stop, descend and seek help when symptoms worsen
Online guidance cannot diagnose illness. Tell your guide early and seek professional medical advice whenever symptoms are concerning.
- StopPause the ascent and assess with your guide.
- DescendGo lower if symptoms do not settle or are severe.
- EvacuateUse medical care, rescue coordination and insurance support when needed.
What this means
HACE may develop from severe altitude illness and can progress rapidly. A person who appears intoxicated, cannot walk a straight line or becomes difficult to wake needs immediate help.
What to do on the trail
- Confusion, disorientation or unusual behavior
- Ataxia: stumbling or inability to walk heel-to-toe
- Severe drowsiness, reduced responsiveness or seizure
- A rapid change in mental state at altitude
Do not leave the person alone or send them ahead. Stop ascent, arrange urgent descent and professional care, and use oxygen or prescribed emergency treatment only under an appropriate plan.
Build it into the itinerary
Share the plan with every trek member before departure. Agree who makes the decision to stop or descend, where the nearest help is expected and how the operator and insurer will be contacted.
Current weather, transport, local medical access and trail conditions can change. Reconfirm the operational plan in Kathmandu and again with the guide before the high stages.
Important planning links
Build the complete trek plan
Useful answers
Frequently asked questions
Is a severe headache required for HACE?
No. Neurological change and poor coordination are more important warning signs. Do not wait for every symptom to appear.
Can a person with HACE sleep it off?
No. Reduced responsiveness can be a sign of deterioration. Treat suspected HACE as an emergency requiring urgent descent and medical care.
Sources and fact-checking
Changing prices, fees, aviation arrangements, local procedures, weather and lodge availability should be reconfirmed before travel. Altitudes, distances and walking times are approximate planning values.
Supports: high-altitude illness prevention, recognition and descent-oriented safety guidance. Period: current guidance. Accessed: August 7, 2026.
Supports: acclimatization principles and emergency altitude-illness context. Period: current travel-health guidance. Accessed: August 7, 2026.
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