Hypothermia?

These mountains, some of the highest in the world, enjoy a temperate climate with sunny days, cold nights and a yearly mean temperature of 16°C (61°F).

Hypothermia is much less a risk in the Cordillera Blanca than most other high mountains.

Still, you may get wet & cold. It may go well below freezing. Wind chill makes it feel much colder. We read one trip report where a solo hiker was lost & hypothermic.

Tim Leadem of the Sierra Club calls hypothermia the greatest single cause of death among amateur hikers.

Hypothermia is profuse loss of heat from the body core. Despite all warnings, a surprising percentage of hikers still set off with insufficient clothing.

Signs & Symptoms of Hypothermia:

• shivering (may be absent in later stages)
• numbness
• lack of co-ordination, slurred speech
• confused or unusual behaviour, poor judgement
• body temperature below 35 degrees C (95 degrees F)
• loss of consciousness (in extreme cases)

First Aid:

• remove wet clothing and dry the casualty
• put on dry clothes
• keep the head warm
• put the hiker into a pre-warmed sleeping bag
• add hot water bottles into the bag or, even better, have another hiker strip down to underwear and climb into the sleeping bag with the victim to share body heat
• if the casualty is alert, have them drink warm liquids & high calorie hot food

The best strategy is prevention. Stay warm and dry. If you start to get a chill, drop what you are doing and climb into your sleeping bag until warm.

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Heat Exhaustion? Sunburn?

Bring a broad brimmed hat or a bandana — it's easy to get burned. The air is thin at high altitude.

Though rare on mountain hikes, you still should be alert to prevent a progressive overheating emergency. Watch for signs of heat cramps, which often precedes heat exhaustion, and the potentially fatal heat stroke.

Signs & symptoms of heat cramps:

• severe muscle contractions, usually in the legs and the abdomen
• normal body temperature (usually)

Treatment:

• cool the body (wet the clothes)
• have casualty rest in a cool place
• drink fluids
• stretch and massage muscles

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Dehydration?

Keep water bottles filled. There is plenty of H2O on Santa Cruz except for the steep bit to Punta Union pass.

On a high altitude trek, plan to drink more liquids than normal. It is not unusual to drink 4 - 6 litres of fluid / day).

And keep your water bottle handy. Consider adding powders to make fluid intake a little more palatable.

Many hikers are using Platypus, Camelbak, or Dromedary hydration systems these days – but good old water bottle(s) will do just as well.

Check the colour of your urine as an indicator to see if you are drinking enough liquids.

Stay hydrated.