Safe Adventuring at High Altitude with Dr Andy Luks
Dr. Luks is back with another of his very practical and valuable seminars for outdoor adventurers on the fundamentals and practices of safe outdoor adventuring at high altitude. He covers the latest information and technical guidance on the impacts of altitude on the body, essential steps to prevent or reduce the risk of altitude illness, how to recognize the symptoms, and what to do if symptoms appear. This seminar is required for participants in upcoming Global Adventures at high altitude, and the session will include a discussion of real-world scenarios at the end. Mountaineers members and interested adventurers from the general public are welcome to attend!
Outdoor adventures at high altitudes expose the human body to effects ranging from mild to life-threatening. Fortunately, people planning such adventures have a lot of past research and practical guidelines available to them to reduce the likelihood of serious altitude illness, and to recognize and manage the symptoms if they occur on their trip to minimize negative outcomes. Dr Luks will bring his considerable clinical and research and personal experience to bear to share the latest knowledge and guidelines with Mountaineers who are planning to lead or participate in an adventure at high altitude.
At the end of the seminar we'll have a discussion of several practical scenarios related to the material.
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Andrew Luks,M.D.isa board certified pulmonary and critical care physician a at Harborview Medical Center and a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the University of Washington. In addition to his work caring for critically ill patients, Dr. Luks provides consultative services on an outpatient basis to individuals seeking advice about travel and other activities at high altitude, and is the lead author of the Wilderness Medical Society’s Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Altitude Illness and Ward, Milledge and West’s High Altitude Medicine and Physiology Outside of his work in these areas, Dr. Luks enjoys mountain climbing, back-country skiing and outdoor photography, and he has generously shared his time and expertise on multiple past occasions with Mountaineers members wishing to learn how to adventure safely at high altitude."
