ALTITUDE AT CUSCO: 7 WAYS TO BE PREPARED

1. Drink water and hydrate yourself everyday:

While you are in the high Andes, you should drink more water than at home!
Journeys such as Salkantay trekking take you to high areas where the weather is dry; therefore, your body will need more water to keep hydrated. Otherwise, you might dehydrate and get worst symptoms of “soroche”.
Altitude at Cusco can modify your experience completely.

2. Light meals:

It is advisable to eat light meals that are easy for digestion to compensate the altitude at Cusco as well as the first day there.
The symptoms of “soroche” include digestive problems, because when someone reaches high altitude (such as the rainbow mountain full day tour), digestion gets slower. In addition, avoid eating meat and heavy meals at least 1 day.
This is one of the best high altitude sickness prevention!

3. Avoid alcoholic beverages:

The day before your arrival to Cusco city, as well as the first day there, you must not drink any alcoholic drink.
This secret to avoid altitude sickness is based on researches that show alcohol increases the symptoms of altitude sickness (soroche). Furthermore, at high altitudes, you might get drunk quickly.
You must wait a couple of days to enjoy pisco sour on the great Andean trail to Machupicchu!

4. Chew coca leaves:

This is the traditional way to consume coca leaves and avoid having problems with the altitude at Cusco!
By the way, it is not only chewing coca leaves also; you have to keep it in your mouth for a while, consequently, a natural juice will come out and you need to swallow it.
In addition, you can chew coca leaves with some sweet balls of ashes from fruits, and herbs. Those small black balls make the coca effects faster. After that, you can throw away or swallow the leaves.
Keep some coca leaves in your backpack for the Inca quarry trail to Machupicchu!

5. Take it easy:

Keep in mind that you are traveling to high places (such as the inca journey to Machupicchu) where there is not the same quantity of oxygen as at sea level. Therefore, no matter if you do not have any symptom of altitude sickness, do not hike mountains, run long distances or do exercises. At least the first 24 hours after arrival to Cusco.

6. Drink coca tea:

This ancestral leaf has become the most valuable Andean item when you want to make some offerings to mountains, when you are on a hike or when you have digestive problems. When it comes to the altitude at Cusco, it boasts many nutrients and alkaloids that make stable the cardiorespiratory system, thus the red globules will be able to breathe easier, which means the improvement of body oxygenation.
We recommend you to bring some coca leaves with you for trekking journeys such as Humantay full day hike!

7. Take sorojchi pills:

To buy these pills, you do not need any doctor’s prescription, and this tip to avoid altitude sickness is recommended only when symptoms get stronger and stronger.
It stimulates the central nervous system to irrigate mire blood to brain as well as to improve the breathing.
It will be more effective if you take the pill 12 hours before going to high destinations such as the small Cusco over the mountains to Machupicchu tour.

ALTITUDE AT CUSCO DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A PROBLEM

These were some tips to know how to prevent altitude sickness when traveling along Cusco and Peru. By the way if you want to contact us only click here!