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
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 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
The Tortoise and the HAPE: Steady High-Altitude Ascents Win the Race (and Save Lives) 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 […] Brains Sydney Stephens | October 1, 2017 0 Comments
All Skiers Prone to Altitude Disease, H.A.P.E 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, […] Industry News Kristen Strom | October 1, 2017 0 Comments
HAPE – Altitude’s Silent Killer 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 […] Climbing Mike Lavery | October 1, 2017 0 Comments
Altitude Sickness | How to Recognise, Cure and Prevent Severe Acute Mountain Sickness 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 […] Climbing Steven Agar | August 21, 2017 3 Comments
HAPE: No One is Immune 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) […] Brains Liam Abbott | December 8, 2016 0 Comments
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