Winter Sports · General · Snow and mountain science
How Does High Altitude Affect the Body? An Altitude Guide for Skiers
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), altitude sickness (acute mountain sickness, AMS) mostly affects unacclimatised people sleeping above 2,450 metres; in Colorado it occurs in about 25% of visitors who sleep at that altitude. The symptoms are a headache together with loss of appetite, dizziness, fatigue or nausea, and they usually start within 2–12 hours. At ski resorts in Türkiye the ski area can go above 3,000 metres (Erciyes 3,346 m), but accommodation is usually much lower down, so going high during the day and sleeping lower down reduces the risk. The CDC recommends avoiding alcohol for the first 48 hours. Altitude also increases UV radiation: by about 10% for every 1,000 metres.
The higher you go, the lower the pressure of the oxygen in the air, and the body needs time to adjust. According to the CDC's 2026 travel health guidance:
Who is at risk? Anyone unacclimatised who sleeps at 2,450 metres or higher.
How common is it? In Colorado it affects about 25% of visitors who sleep above 2,450 metres.
Symptoms: A headache together with at least one of loss of appetite, dizziness, fatigue or nausea.
When? It usually starts 2–12 hours after arrival and often resolves within 12–48 hours.
Does being fit protect you? No: according to the CDC, training and fitness do not affect the risk of altitude sickness.
The key distinction for skiers: where do you sleep?
What determines the risk of altitude sickness most is not the altitude you climb to during the day but the altitude you sleep at. Even though the ski areas at resorts in Türkiye go above 3,000 metres, accommodation is usually much lower down: on Doğadayız Erciyes programmes you stay in Cappadocia (Ürgüp), and in Sarıkamış the hotel is at the base of the ski area. So for a skier who goes high during the day and sleeps lower down, the risk is lower than for someone who sleeps high up. This is an assessment drawn from the CDC's criterion based on sleeping altitude; even so, if you feel a headache, unusual tiredness or nausea at the top, take it seriously.
Precautions (CDC)
Ascend slowly: If you sleep above 3,000 metres, increase your sleeping altitude by no more than 500 metres per night.
Avoid alcohol for the first 48 hours.
Only light exercise for the first 48 hours: On a ski holiday this is not always possible; keep your pace low on the first day and take frequent breaks.
Do not go higher if you have symptoms: According to the CDC, descending 300 metres or more quickly improves altitude sickness.
Warning signs
Rarely, more serious conditions can occur:
Confusion or loss of balance (staggering when walking): may be a sign of high-altitude cerebral oedema.
Shortness of breath out of proportion to effort, and a cough: may be a sign of high-altitude pulmonary oedema; according to the CDC, it occurs in about 1 in 10,000 skiers in Colorado.
According to the World Health Organization, UV levels rise by about 10% for every 1,000 metres, and fresh snow reflects up to 80% of UV radiation. Someone skiing at 3,000 metres is exposed to intense UV from both the altitude and the snow: goggles, high-factor sunscreen and lip protection are essential. For your eyes, see our guide Snow Blindness and the Effects of UV Rays.
Altitude and fatigue
At altitude you run out of breath more quickly, and in the first few days your legs tire faster. This also affects your skiing technique: when you get tired, your control drops. Splitting up the day, taking frequent breaks and stopping when you are tired are the basis of safety both at altitude and on any slope; to prepare, see our guide Physical Preparation for Skiing and Snowboarding.
Altitude and your activity holiday
On an activity holiday, the rhythm of the day is built around this: skiing on high slopes while staying lower down, keeping the pace low on the first day and resting at the end of the day. On Doğadayız Erciyes programmes you stay in Cappadocia, and in Sarıkamış at the mountain hotel beside the slopes; the evenings spent with the group turn the programme into a social adventure holiday.
Doğadayız Packages
Doğadayız packages for your level
Winter activity holidays with accommodation, ski pass and equipment included, shared with a group.
The easiest way to learn to ski: a winter activity holiday
An activity holiday puts a sport at the heart of your trip: transport, accommodation and meals are planned, so you can focus on learning on the slopes. On Doğadayız winter activity holidays, accommodation, ski pass and ski or snowboard equipment are included in every package; course packages include basic lessons with instructors affiliated with the Turkish Ski Federation, while experience packages let you practise on the slopes at your own level.
What makes the programme different is the group: sharing the slopes with people at a similar level, dinners and nights out together, and a group leader by your side at all times. Solo travellers become part of this social adventure holiday from day one. That is why we describe our programmes as a social adventure holiday.
You can, but the risk mainly affects people sleeping above 2,450 metres. According to the CDC, it occurs in about 25% of visitors who sleep at that altitude in Colorado. Going high during the day and sleeping lower down reduces the risk.
What are the symptoms of altitude sickness?
A headache together with loss of appetite, dizziness, fatigue or nausea. Symptoms usually start 2–12 hours after arrival and often resolve within 12–48 hours. Descending 300 metres or more quickly brings improvement.
Is drinking alcohol at altitude harmful?
The CDC recommends avoiding alcohol for the first 48 hours after going up to altitude. Besides, alcohol and skiing do not mix; skiing after drinking increases the risk of accidents.
How high is Erciyes?
The summit of Mount Erciyes is 3,917 metres; the ski area goes up to 3,346 metres. On Doğadayız Erciyes programmes, you stay in Cappadocia, which is much lower down.
Snow blindness (photokeratitis) is when UV rays reflected off snow burn the front surface of the eye (the cornea); it is a kind of sunburn. According to the World Health Organization, fresh snow reflects up to 80% of UV radiation, and UV levels rise by about 10% for every 1,000 metres. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the symptoms (pain, redness, a gritty feeling, watering, sensitivity to light, blurred vision) appear after the damage has been done, 30 minutes to 12 hours after exposure, and usually clear up within 1–2 days. The way to protect yourself is a pair of goggles that blocks at least 99% of UV rays — even on overcast days.
Wind chill is when the temperature you feel is lower than the actual air temperature because the wind quickly carries heat away from exposed skin. According to an information card from Turkey's Ministry of Labour and Social Security, at −5 °C a 30 km/h wind feels like −13 °C. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, when the wind chill is between −28 °C and −39 °C, exposed skin can freeze in 10–30 minutes; at lower values this drops to a few minutes. When skiing, you create part of the wind yourself: skin cools very quickly when you are coming down fast and especially when you are sitting facing into the wind on a chairlift.
Physical preparation for skiing and snowboarding gives you two things: less fatigue in the first few days and keeping control at the end of the day. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends arriving in good condition, stopping when you get tired, and warming up for 3–5 minutes before skiing and starting with a few slow runs; many skiing injuries happen at the end of the day. To be honest, though, according to a systematic review there is not enough evidence that fitness training reduces injuries in recreational skiers; the evidence is strongest for knee injury awareness training and, in snowboarding, for wrist guards.
