Altitude sickness can quickly turn adventures in Colorado’s high country into misadventures, especially for out-of-staters who flock to the state each year to ski. Last year, Colorado Ski Country reported a record number of 14.8 million visits to the state’s 27 lift-served ski areas, and that doesn’t include the backcountry. Those numbers are expected to grow even more this season.
Below, Laura Kelley, media relations professional in the CU Anschutz Office of Communications, speaks with Brian Strickland, MD, an instructor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine who specializes in altitude and wilderness medicine, about the dangers of altitude sickness and how travelers can better prepare to enjoy the powder this winter.