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HAPE: What it Actually is and How to Avoid it

HAPE Hyperbaric Chamber

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 […]

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Artur | February 1, 2021
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HAPE: What Makes Altitude Sickness So Deadly in the High Mountains?

Objective hazards in the mountains are comprised of two main categories: environmental factors and human factors. Before heading into the wilderness, a human will make considerations for what to bring in case of an emergency. HAPE is a risk, an almost silent killer which creeps in during situations where rescues are often impossible, like on the side of a mountain. […]

Elliot Levey | February 1, 2020
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High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema: The Invisible Killer

Use of supplemental oxygen

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, […]

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Alex Camerino | February 1, 2020
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The Tortoise and the HAPE: Steady High-Altitude Ascents Win the Race (and Save Lives)

Mountaineering, HAPE, AMS, HACE

  High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) is a terminal reaction of the lungs to low-oxygen conditions and is the number one cause of death in high altitude environments. When it comes to mountaineering and backcountry snow sports, the excitement of peak-bagging, if not managed with caution and preparedness, can be costly. We all know the fable of the tortoise and the […]

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Sydney Stephens | October 1, 2017
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All Skiers Prone to Altitude Disease, H.A.P.E

HAPE Occurs in Many Popular Ski Resorts

High Altitude Pulmonary Edema or HAPE is a life-threatening disease where excess fluid develops in the lungs, meaning people are unable to perform gas exchange properly and have a difficult time breathing. This is when someone is not getting enough oxygen to function normally, and typically effects mountaineers at altitudes above 2,500 meters. This affects hundreds of skiers each year, […]

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Kristen Strom | October 1, 2017
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HAPE – Altitude’s Silent Killer

Kilian Jornet Everest Record

  Mild altitude sickness, or AMS (acute mountain sickness) is a common issue that most people have probably experienced when traveling in the mountains. With symptoms similar to a hangover, it’s usually nothing more than a minor annoyance but can develop into a life threatening condition know as HAPE. High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, or HAPE, is a a condition involving […]

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Mike Lavery | October 1, 2017
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Altitude Sickness | How to Recognise, Cure and Prevent Severe Acute Mountain Sickness

altitude sickness, hape, hace, climbing, mountaineering, everest, death zone

There are two ways of categorizing death at altitude; traumatic and non-traumatic. Traumatic deaths occur from the usual hazards of mountaineering; falls, avalanches, and extreme weather. They usually occur lower down rather than high up, and are quite unusual. It’s more likely that climbers die from non-traumatic causes, most notably altitude-related illnesses.  Altitude sickness has three forms. Mild altitude sickness is called acute mountain sickness […]

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Steven Agar | August 21, 2017
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HAPE: No One is Immune

Hikers on Mountain

According to an investigation report in the Academic Forensic Pathology journal published in 2018, an estimated 30 million people travel to high elevations every year in the western United States alone. Every single time a person travels to high elevations, they put themselves at risk for experiencing high-altitude pulmonary edema, more commonly known as HAPE. This sometimes-overlooked high-altitude illness (HAI) […]

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Liam Abbott | December 8, 2016
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High Altitude Sickness – Knowing This Could Save Your Life

altitude sickness, hape, hace, climbing, mountaineering

We all know of someone that arrived in resort but didn’t make it on the hill because they got hit with high altitude sickness. But did you know that without treatment, complications can occur and altitude sickness can quickly become fatal? Altitude sickness can strike when you travel to a high altitude above sea level too quickly (usually above 3,000m […]

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Boo Radley | December 4, 2016
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