Altitude, Bogotá

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Chronic hypoxia - Quito, Bogota, La Paz, Cuzc, etc
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akken 5 reviews

Don't know if you've been to BOG before. Presuming you haven't you should take note of Bogota's 8000-plus foot elevation before planning strenuous physical activity. If you plan about three days to to let your body adapt to the low ambient oxygen levels, you'll normally be fine. This has nothing to do with age nor physical condition nor athletic prowess, necessarily. I can tell you that even freuqent exposure to altitude changes doesn't help. The condition is called chronic hypoxia. As pilots are taught, one of the first symptoms of hypoxia in any form is euphoria, the idea held by the oxygen starved brain that things are getting better and better. So?
So, this means one of the worst guides to your hypoxic state or lack thereof is
your own impressions about it. So give yourself three nights, then ask yourself how you feel, then take on activities gradually. Pushing yourself when you feel tired at high elevations can exacerbate brain and tissue anoxia to the point where you either need suplemental oxygen or an immediate descent to lower elevations.

Updated Mar 26, 2011

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Adapting to high altitude
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3.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

Ames24 60 reviews

Remember that Bogotá is quite a high altitude, 2800ish m. Montserrate is ~ 3200ish m. if I'm right. So upon arrival in Bogotá (if you're from a much lower altitude place), take it easy the first few days, don't go on super walk-abouts. Things will feel a little lighter at first (your baggage) as your blood adapts to the different oxygen level in the air. Also don't eat too much at first. Of course, on your trip DO stick to bottled water EVEN THOUGH THE COLOMBIAN PEOPLE will claim that their water is among the best in the world.

Written Dec 26, 2002

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 Remember that Bogotá is quite a high altitude, 2800ish m. Montserrate is ~ 3200ish m. if I'm right. So upon arrival in Bogotá (if you're from a much lower... 

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