What You Should Consider When Planning a Ski Trip With ski season rapidly approaching, skiers are starting to think about upcoming ski trips. Ski trips can be overwhelming, so it is important to remember certain tricks when planning your next ski adventure. Picking a Resort There are several amazing mountains to visit for skiing. When considering different options, it is essential to keep in mind that the difficulty of […] Industry News Breya Bergom | October 27, 2021 0 Comments
Getting a Leg up on HAPE: How to Reduce Risk and Onset It was during the late spring of 2016 when I first learned about HAPE. I was daydreaming in a college lecture hall, thinking about two climbers who were attempting to summit Mt. Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. I had been captivated by their story as they were using social media platforms like SnapChat and Instagram to capture their […] Climbing Katy McClintic | February 1, 2021 0 Comments
HAPE: Preparing for Lung Juice The Dangers of High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) With the ongoing spread of COVID-19, travelers have discovered a newfound respect for endurance and health. When it comes to planning a trip up to the mountains at higher elevations, there are countless potential problems that travelers, like skiers and hikers, may have to confront. High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema, or HAPE, is a […] Brains Jesse | February 1, 2021 0 Comments
HAPE: More Than Just Mountain Views Taking Your Breath Away Adventuring to high elevated places can be exciting and breathtaking – literally. High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), a fatal form of altitude sickness, is a medical condition that occurs at high elevation. Usually 2500m (8,202 ft) and up. At high altitudes the oxygen in the air gets thinner, causing hypoxia, lack of oxygen in the lungs. Less oxygen means that […] Brains Aunika Skogen | February 1, 2021 0 Comments
HAPE and the Threat it Brings to Pre-Season Training It’s the time of year where skiers and riders are the most excited of all. Temperatures are dropping, snow may be sprinkling some peaks, and the professionals are already out on snow doing their thing. The hustle of the beginning of another competition (or leisure) season has begun. The pros are lucky and usually get to jump into action right […] Industry News Phil Tremblay | February 1, 2021 0 Comments
HAPE: What it Actually is and How to Avoid it High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, or HAPE for short, is something every hiker wants to avoid at all costs. HAPE is a life-threatening form of non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Mayoclinic.org says this happens when you gain elevation at a rapid rate and your lungs start to constrict, causing increased pressure. This increase in pressure causes fluid to leak to your lung tissue […] Brains Artur | February 1, 2021 0 Comments
Danger at Elevation from High Altitude Pulmonary Edema Mountaineering does not come without a certain risk. The obvious dangers of physical injury come to mind when planning an expedition, but hidden physiological factors can also prove fatal. One of these conditions is Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), which stems from a failure to properly acclimatize to a higher elevation, and can lead to a more fatal illness known […] Brains Alex Mangels | February 1, 2021 0 Comments
HAPE – Understanding the Most Serious Form Of Altitude Sickness With several US and European ski resorts reaching altitudes above 10,000 feet, altitude sickness is not an unknown factor to the readers here at Snowbrains. It is, however, less commonly known that a serious form of altitude sickness, known as High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema, can strike even at moderate high-altitudes from about 8,000 feet (or 2,440m) and does not just afflict […] Brains Julia Schneemann | February 1, 2021 0 Comments
Altitude Sickness – Keep it on the Down Low Altitude Sickness is an all-too-common affliction for mountain newcomers and is always on the radar for even the most veteran mountain-enjoyers. As one increases in altitude, the surrounding air pressure decreases as less air is pushing down from above. Despite common misconceptions, there is no ‘less oxygen’ at higher altitudes — the oxygen content of air hovers around 21% throughout […] Brains Samuel Lawrence | February 1, 2021 0 Comments
Sucking Wind- Considerations for Identifying and Treating HAPE Among hardcore alpinists and weekend ski warriors alike, most have experienced altitude sickness at some point recreating at high elevations. With symptoms very similar to a nasty hangover, altitude sickness is often accompanied by headaches, vomiting, shortness of breath, and inability to walk in a straight line. While altitude sickness is not deemed to be life-threatening, if left unchecked, it […] Industry News Spencer Cox | February 20, 2020 0 Comments
High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) Can Occur At Lower Altitudes High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a life-threatening accumulation of fluid in the lungs that occurs in healthy people used to living at low altitudes who travel above 2,500 meters (8,200 ft). However, cases have also been reported between (1,500–2,500 m.) or (4,900–8,200 ft.) in more vulnerable people. HAPE remains the major cause of death related to high-altitude exposure. Before HAPE was understood […] Climbing Nick Retterer | February 1, 2020 0 Comments
The Dangers Of Getting Too High: High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) It was a cold, brisk, Saturday morning as Ryan flew up the skin track, eager to reach the summit. Bogged down from a stressful week in the office, Ryan had left his house in San Francisco that morning and headed to Tahoe for a refreshing day in the backcountry with his friend, Mike. However, something was wrong, and Ryan didn’t […] Brains Miles Wong | February 1, 2020 0 Comments
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, “HAPE” – More Than Just Altitude Sickness When travelling from low elevation to higher altitude environments, we often notice that our breathing gets heavier, our heartbeat increases, and we may start to experience dizziness and dehydration. We frequently attribute these signs as the common precursors to altitude sickness or new elevation and changes in climate. When managed properly, these signs typically subside as you adapt to your […] Brains Taylor Stephan | February 1, 2020 0 Comments
What is HAPE? Prepare for your Ascent When it comes to planning your next 8,000 ft peak or higher, High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) is a serious factor to consider. HAPE is a form of respiratory failure due to the accumulation of fluid in the lungs, most commonly occurring after ascending to high altitudes. The most common cases appear in patients who have recently traveled from low […] Corinne Doerner | February 1, 2020 0 Comments
HAPE: The High-Altitude Killer What is HAPE? The most common cause of death directly attributed to altitude is High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, or “HAPE.” Caused by a lack of oxygen, HAPE is an advanced stage of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). In conjunction with the breakdown of glucose, fats, and amino acids, oxygen is necessary for our bodies to produce energy. Too little of it […] Brains Tony Miller | February 1, 2020 0 Comments
HAPE: High-Altitudes And The Effects On Your Lungs Introduction Traveling to high-altitude places is becoming increasingly ever-so-popular, especially for outdoor lovers and adventure seekers. In Nepal, home to eight of the 14 tallest mountains in the world, the Department of Tourism issued a record-breaking 408 permits to climb Mt. Everest alone, and many more issued to summit the other extreme altitude mountains throughout the country. The demand for […] Steven Snyder | February 1, 2020 0 Comments
High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema: The Invisible Killer While there are many risks associated with being at altitude such as hypothermia or dehydration, High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) is the most deadly. Pulmonary Edema is fluid in the lungs and, as the name suggests, HAPE is fluid in the lungs due to prolonged time at high elevations. Typically, HAPE tends to occur in people that are above 8,000 ft, […] Backcountry Alex Camerino | February 1, 2020 0 Comments
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema | Know What it is and What to Do According to the Mayo Clinic high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), not to be confused with pneumonia, is caused when the vessels in the lungs constrict, eventually making fluid leak to the lung tissues and into air sacs. Despite how uninviting and scary this sounds, especially to those who play or live in higher elevations it’s quite an important condition to […] Backcountry Mitchell Milbauer | February 1, 2020 0 Comments
Quickly Ascending High Altitudes Could be Hazardous to Your Health There are plenty of ways to prepare for a high altitude climb, and being aware of the risks of High-altitude pulmonary edema should be on your list. High-altitude pulmonary edema, or HAPE, is a life-threatening accumulation of fluid in the lungs that occurs when climbers ascend high altitudes too quickly. Usually, it’s seen in travelers who live at low altitudes. […] Brains Sophia Rose | February 1, 2020 0 Comments
Scientists Warn of the Dangers Between Mistaking COVID-19 for High Altitude Pulmonary Edema As the 2020 pandemic continues to escalate doctors are warning of the dangers of equating the coronavirus to High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE). While the symptoms of the two can be similar, the two are very different, and equating the two can be life-threatening. Both conditions can cause respiratory failure, trouble breathing, and extremely low oxygen levels in the blood, […] Industry News Ryan Flynn | February 1, 2020 0 Comments
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