The short answer
Mild headache, poor sleep and slight tiredness are common at height, but some signs call for a stop and usually a descent: a headache that keeps getting worse, vomiting, unusual confusion or irritability, trouble walking in a straight line, breathlessness at rest, or a wet-sounding cough. These can point to serious altitude illness.
Tell your guide the moment you notice them. Do not go higher with worsening symptoms, do not sleep higher, and do not walk down alone if you are unwell. A good guide and a good group treat turning back as a sound decision, not a failure, and the mountain will still be there another year.
Key facts
- Stop signs
- Worsening headache, confusion, unsteady walk
- Chest signs
- Breathless at rest, wet cough
- Action
- Tell the guide, do not go higher
- Never
- Go down alone while unwell
How it works
- Check in with yourself each eveningHeadache, appetite, sleep, breathing.
- Report changes honestlyEven small ones, so the guide can plan.
- Stop climbing if symptoms worsenRest or go lower, as advised.
- Never descend alone when unwellGo with the guide or a companion.
Insider tip
Agree before you start that anyone can call a stop.
Avoid this
Do not hide symptoms to keep to the schedule.
Related questions
Is a headache always a problem?
A mild one is common; a worsening one is a warning.
Who decides to turn back?
Listen to your guide and be honest about how you feel.
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