Wow it has been almost 2 months since I returned from Nepal and less than a month before I begin my journey to Peru on the other side of the world. People often associate Everest with Nepal but only true outdoor enthusiasts would have heard of the Cordillera Huayhuash which is where I’m heading to in Peru (the first question that literally everyone asked me when I said I’m going to Peru is ‘oh so are you going to Machu Picchu?’ as though that is the one and only attraction in Peru). However, that doesn’t make the Cordillera Huayhuash less commanding of respect by those who make the pilgrimage.

In Peru, I would be spending most of 2 weeks above 4,000m and there are a lot of lessons I learned in Nepal about trekking and living at high altitude that I hope will carry me through another successful expedition. I wrote the following ‘tips for surviving a high altitude trek in Nepal’ at the end of my trip and am sharing it here now both as a source of well-meaning advice and a note to self should I ever forget:

On the way to Cho La pass, which is the highest I’ve ever been at 5,420m

– Prepare your stomach with probiotics

– Go vegetarian. Eggs are fine too. All meat is brought up from lower elevations on someone’s unrefrigerated back

– For the same reason, avoid dairy. Unless it’s locally made stuff like yak cheese

– Drinks lots of water, preferably hot, and eat lots of carbs to stave off acute mountain sickness (AMS)

– Don’t freak out at every small symptom of AMS. Most people get at least a mild version of it that can go away as you acclimatize

– Pack as many rolls of toilet paper as possible. It is a precious commodity. 1 roll costs upwards of 2usd and the price rises the higher you go

– Don’t buy bottled water. Keep plastic waste off the mountains. Purify your tap water using a UV water purifier called Steripen

– Bring a hot water bottle and fill it up with boiling water to hug to bed on those cold cold nights