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Altai Tavan Bogd National Park

Altai Tavan Bogd National Park (Mongolian: Алтай Таван богд байгалийн цогцолбор газар) is located on the westernmost point of Mongolia in Bayan-Ulgii Province. This vast mountainous park borders China and Russia with views of Kazakhstan from the highest peak in Mongolia.

Understand
The snow-capped Kuiten Uul mountain, 4374 m (14,201 ft), is the highest of the five peaks of Tavan Bogd Mountains (literally '5 Saints') that gives the park its name. It covers an area of 630,000 ha and is home to three large freshwater lakes and 34 glaciers, plus several waterfalls. The largest, Potanin Glacier, covers 23 km2. Tavan Bogd Mountains are considered sacred to local Kazakhs, Tuvans, and Mongolians. The park stretches from Russia along the Chinese border, following the Altai Mountain Range that divides China, Russia, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan, for over 200 km. Ancient tribes have left many artifacts, using the region for religious ceremonies. Today, tens of thousands of petroglyphs in the park are part of a World Heritage Site. In addition there are numerous Turkic Stone Men and stone burial mounds.

The busy season is from June to October when temperatures are warmer, snow has melted, and tour camps and shuttles are operating. The busiest time is August and September when the weather is best for mountain climbing. Also around the eagle festivals when tourist add a trip to the countryside. Though the park is still accessible year round with activities like snow skiing and eagle hunting during the cold winter months.

History
The Altai Mountains have been inhabited for around 12,000 years. The oldest images in the park are from 11,000 to 6,000 BC with hunting large mammals and ancient cultures. Thousands of years of petroglyphs show the transition from hunter-gatherer to pastoralism and later to the current semi-nomadic that developed over the last 3,000 to 4,000 years. Around 4,000 years ago, the use of horses and domestication of animals led to the rise of the Blue Turks (whose language is the root of Kazakh and Turkish). These successful warriors left upright carved stone statues known as Turkic Stone Men spread over the Altai Mountains.

Later in 700 BC, a group of horse-riding warrior nomads known as the Scythians starting from the Altai Mountains to conquer a region stretching to the Black Sea. They faded after being defeated by Alexander the Great in modern day Turkmenistan in 329 BC, but not before leaving many stone burial mounds in the Altai. These mounds, or Khirigsuur, were designed to preserve bodies in frozen ground with horses, weapons, armor, and food for the afterlife. On such mound was discovered to contain a Scythian warrior in full battle regalia in a 2005 research expedition. In 100 AD, the Huns migrated through the region from the steppes of Mongolia to wreak havoc on Europe around 400 AD. Around this same time, reindeer herding tribes from Siberia, called Tuvans, began expanding south into the mountains.

The mountains and much of the surrounding region including the early Silk Road to the south fell under control of Turkic-Uighur Khannate (kingdom) after 600 AD until Genghis Khan conquered it along with most of Asia from 1260. The Uighurs and Turks were incorporated into the army of the Khan. After Genghis death, the empire was divided between his sons, with the Altai forming the border between the Golden Horde (Russia), Chagatai Khan (Central Asia), and Yuan Dynasty (China). The region changed hands several times due to infighting and dividing territories the Mongol Empire declined. The region fell under control of the Yuan Dynasty until they declined in 1370. The region was then ruled by independent Oirat Mongol tribes until conquered by the Qing Dynasty in 18th century.

Between 1840s and 1940s, many Kazakhs moved into the Altai mountains to escape persecution and domination by Russians and later Soviets and Chinese Communists. Mongolia became a satellite state of the USSR after a long bloody civil war from 1911 to 1924. For the next 70 years, Tavan Bogd was an isolated border zone closed to all but a few ignored Kazakh herders and army patrols.

Landscape
Altai Tavan Bogd has some of the most stunning scenery in all of Mongolia with towering white mountains, glaciers, deep lush valleys, and large lakes. The park is divided into 2 regions, the Tavan Bogd Mountains in the northwest and the Lakes Region to the southeast. The park stretches along the Chinese border from the Russian border to 200 km south following the Altai Mountains, which form the borders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. Glacial melt and annual snow fall supplies 3 large lakes inside the park that form the head waters of the Hovd River.

Tavan Bogd Mountains are the highest mountains in Mongolia, with Khuiten Uul ('Cold Peak') at 4374 m (14,201 ft) being the highest. These permanently snow capped mountains form a bowl around the Potanin Glacier, which covers 23 square km. The other peaks are Nairamdal ('Friendship', 4180 m), Malchin ('herder', 4050 m), Bürged ('Eagle', 4068 m) and Olgii ('Cradle', 4050 m). From the peak of Kuiten Uul, it is possible to see Kazakhstan 30 km away on a clear day. Khuiten Uul was renamed Ikh Mongol ('Great Mongol') by President Enkhbayar when he climbed it in 2006, though this is widely ignored and possibly reversed by the new government. There is still a monument at the base commemorating the accomplishment.

Lakes Region is a beautiful area surrounding 3 large fresh water lakes. Khurgan Nuur and Khoten Nuur are attached by a small channel with many small creeks flowing into the lakes from surrounding mountains. Two of these creeks form waterfalls of 7 to 10 m in height. A small bridge crosses the channel. These lakes are full of fish and many species of bird. Dayan Nuur is a smaller lake 20 km south of the 2 larger lakes. Shiveed Khairkhan Mountain near the lakes has Argali Sheep living near its peak.

Flora and fauna
The national park, being one of the most isolated places in Mongolia, is home to many large mammals, majestic birds, several prized species of fish, plus countless wildflowers, grasslands, and larch forests. During the spring, the snow melts, valleys turn green, and millions of migratory crane, gulls, hawks, and other birds crowd the many lakes.

The numerous varieties of wildflowers and flowering bushes, many endemic to the Altai Mountains, attract tourists from around the world. Due to the dry climate, most are small, colorful flowers on bushes. The blue aromatic flowers of the Caryopteris, or Blue Mist, is the most common. Other common flowers are the Edelweiss, a white star-shaped flower, and the Geranium, a mountain flower found in many different colors. There are 974 plant species, of which 60 are found no where else, in the Altai Mountain range. These include 26 species of orchids and 35 ferns. The region is noted for its especially diverse range of colors of lichen and moss. Rare species of plants include Isoetus lacustris, Brunnera siberica, Erythronium sibiricum, and 2 species of monkshood. Flowers are best in the mountains while forests grow on the northern faces of mountains (due to most moisture being from Siberia). River valleys are green during summer.

The fauna of the park is noted for its many large animals, including the largest wild sheep, fastest falcon, and largest eagle in the wild. The number of large mammals has made it popular with hunters for millennia with gray wolves, brown bears, Beech marten, marmots, red deer, and the Corsac fox still being common today. While the mammoth, ostriches, and rhinoceros (visible on older petroglyphs) have long since gone extinct at least locally, many rare and endangered species still live inside the park. These include the Argali sheep, the largest wild sheep in the world, with curled horns of a male weighing over 20 kg, and the Ibex, with large backward curved horns, which both live on mountain peaks in pockets throughout the region. Before hunting was banned, people would pay over US$40,000 to kill one of the Altai subspecies of Argali. The snow leopard and lynx are believed to be inside the park, but are so rare and elusive, their tracks are seldom ever seen.

The large predatory birds of the Altai is among its most stunning features. The Golden Eagle, with its 8 ft wingspan, is impressive already before being pressed into hunting at command by local nomads. Several species of falcon are found in the Altai including the highly prized saker, peregrine, gyrfalcon, and Altai falcons (possibly a hybrid of gyr and saker). The Cinereous vulture can be as tall as a man, has 10 ft wingspan, and can eat full grown livestock. Another impressive bird, the Eurasian Eagle Owl, and the snowcock are year-round residents. Many migratory birds pass through each spring and fall on transit between Siberia and Southeast Asia. The Eurasian spoonbill, relict gull, Black Kite hawk, and 6 of the 15 species of crane in the world.

Culture
The people living inside the park are one of the main draws. Kazakhs and Tuvan nomadic herders live inside the park and visiting them is part of most tours. The Kazakhs are the most numerous and the ones that do eagle hunting. They are known for their colorful large ger with rich embroidered wall hangings and their warm hospitality. Tuvans occupy the Tsagaan Gol valley and have different clothes, food, and language than Mongols. Tuvan men sing deep eerie long-songs using throat-singing, though very few Tuvans in this isolated pocket have mastered the art. Kazakhs live around the lake, as well as Tsagaan Salaa and Takhiltyn Havtsal (and most of the rest of the park). Those living inside the park have retained their traditional culture to a greater degree than probably any Kazakh in Central Asia. They have preserved their arts and music, and have practiced the ancient sport of eagle hunting continuously throughout the Soviet era when it was suppressed elsewhere. Many inside the park have never lived anywhere else and can't even speak Mongolian, the national language.

Climate
In the park region there would be snow until end of May.

Rainy season is from mid of July to mid-August. Average temperature in Summer: Day: 16-25°C, Night: 7-13°C

Get in
Altai Tavan Bogd is 180 km from the provincial capital of Ölgii. You will have to start in the city unless you are going with a tour operator that gets the permits in advance. It will take 7 hours with stops (5 hours non-stop) due to the rough, non-existent roads, high mountain passes, and lack of bridges, though a very scenic drive. Most visitors to the park go as part of a tour group or with a guide, though plenty go without one. A trip to the park should be at least 5 days, 7 to visit the mountains and glacier.

By car
You can hire a Russian jeep or microbus and driver to reach the park from Ölgii, where the National Park Headquarters is located. Usually drivers gather at the Bazaar to find customers, just look for a jeep with "Tourist" posted on the window. Tour guides, hotels, and the Visitor Center can help you with arranging a ride, and get cheaper rates and better drivers (some drivers will drink vodka on the trip). If driving there yourself, ask a guide to draw you a route as paths will change and some rivers are passable only part of the year.

By shuttle
Two tour companies offer shuttle services to either the Tavan Bogd North Ranger Station, which is 20 km from the Tavan Bogd Mountains Base Camp, or the Syrgil Rangers Station between the 2 lakes. These are offered during the busy season from June to October.

 * Kazakh Tour has shuttles to the both sides of the park each Sunday, the Tavan Bogd Mountains North Ranger Station (the northern of the 2 valleys leading to the mountain) and the bridge between Khoton and Khurgan Lakes (hiking or horse ride between these two places is a popular trek). The van is US$214 divided between passengers (up to 8). Shuttle begins on June 22.

By foot
It is possible to hike, ride a horse, or mountain bike to the park from Ölgii or a nearby village. There are few restrictions when traveling across Mongolia, except for river crossings. If going from Ölgii, make sure to pack plenty of food, as village shops will have limited selection. Also make sure to consult with tour guides about which routes are best, and issue you may face, especially about river crossings and mountain passes. You can rent horses in Ölgii, and possibly in the villages with the help of a guide. Mountain bikes are available in the city as part of tour packages.

Fees and permits
There are two permits required to enter the park, a park permit and a border permit. The Park Permit is available at the Visitor Information Center in Ölgii or at one of the Park Ranger Stations near Tavan Bogd Mountains and on the Hovd River south of Tsengel (on the way to the lakes). Each person should have one, which is 3000 ₮ for foreigners and 1500 ₮ for Mongolians. All visitors must go to a Ranger Station upon entering the park. There are 2 near Tavan Bogd in each of the 2 valleys approaching the mountain, plus an additional one in Syrgil between the lakes (after the Hovd River Ranger Station).

The border permits are required for going within 100 km of an international border of Mongolia. Permits for the Chinese border zone are available at the Border Patrol Office in Ölgii (near the river, 1 km west of the bridge). Permits for the Russian border are only available in Tsaagannuur village, near the Russian border crossing and 70 km north of Ölgii. The Russian border permit is required if going north of Pontuninii Glacier and to Khuiten Uul Mountain. It may also be required if rivers near Tsengel are too high to cross and require taking a northern route to the mountains. The Russian permit is not required if you enter the park near the lakes. It will be best to take a local along when going to the border patrol, as they don't always like talking to people they can't understand (i.e. don't speak Mongolian or Russian). Permits are 3000 ₮ per group. If you plan to enter with one group and then separate in the park, get multiple permits. Anyone without a border permit will be driven back to Ölgii by the army at their expense plus a large fine. Also when entering from the lakes side, you will need to check in at the patrol station in Syrgil or one of the other stations near the lakes. There are 6 bases near the lakes and further south.

Fishing permits are available from June 15 to April 15. They are available at the Nature Protection Office next to Khaan Bank (XAAH БAHK) on the square in Ölgii, or the village government in Tsengel. Permits are 3500 ₮ and good for the entire trip. However, you may not need a permit if fly fishing and keeping only enough for a meal (though you should consult a guide for appropriate limits).

See
Spectacular scenery, countless archeological sites, and nomadic families sharing the same space means that there is much to see in all areas of the park. From the Tavan Bogd Mountains, that give the park its name, to the large glacial lakes to the south, each area of the park has a unique appeal including 3 areas comprising a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Throughout the park are foxes, wolves, eagles, falcons, and more common animals. The more endangered animals are found only in small pockets of the park.

Do
There are plenty of reasons why Tavan Bogd is the most visited National Park in western Mongolia. The park has many different activities that allow for an exciting and varied travel experience within the park. Most people trek between the lakes and the mountains, climb the shortest of the 5 Saints, and visit local nomadic Kazakh and Tuvan families. More adventurous tourists will climb the highest of the mountains, raft down the river, and skiing down the mountains.

Cultural experiences
Visiting nomadic families inside the part is an obligatory part of any visit to the park and is possible both summer and winter. Even if you have visited families elsewhere in Mongolia, it is worth seeing Kazakh and Tuvan families. You can stop by for milky tea or a meal while on a trek, or stay the night. Some of the Kazakhs are eagle hunters, and you can ask to hold the eagles or watch their training during the summer months. Or you can watch the daily routine of a real nomad of herding animals, milking goats and horses, gathering dung, cooking, and cleaning. Depending on time of year, you get to see them move camp (which takes a day to break, move, and set up camp). The generous hospitality of locals has long been a draw to the park, though you should be prepared to give gifts of money or household goods. They are hosting tourists throughout the summer so they can't be too generous. Kazakhs and Tuvans speak languages that most Mongol tour guides don't understand.

Summer activities

 * Photography. Mongolia is the destination offering endless travel experience.  Immerse yourself in the heartland of uniquely captivating images. Untouched virgin landscape, snow-capped mountain ranges, glaciers, big lakes, rivers, wild life, multi ethnic diversity and famous Golden Eagle Festival! This festival is one of the traditional cultural heritage and all visitors can experience while travelling in Mongolia.  The Eagle Festival is held during the first weekend in October, run by the Mongolian Eagle Hunter's Association. During the two days festival you have the chance to get thousands of amazing images of trained Eagles. Mongol Altai mountains – country’s largest and highest mountain range with glacier topped peaks over 3000 meters, crystal clean mountain rivers and glistening streams where inhabit world’s largest wild sheep -argali, ibex, snow leopard, wolves, eagles and many other bird species.
 * Photography. Mongolia is the destination offering endless travel experience.  Immerse yourself in the heartland of uniquely captivating images. Untouched virgin landscape, snow-capped mountain ranges, glaciers, big lakes, rivers, wild life, multi ethnic diversity and famous Golden Eagle Festival! This festival is one of the traditional cultural heritage and all visitors can experience while travelling in Mongolia.  The Eagle Festival is held during the first weekend in October, run by the Mongolian Eagle Hunter's Association. During the two days festival you have the chance to get thousands of amazing images of trained Eagles. Mongol Altai mountains – country’s largest and highest mountain range with glacier topped peaks over 3000 meters, crystal clean mountain rivers and glistening streams where inhabit world’s largest wild sheep -argali, ibex, snow leopard, wolves, eagles and many other bird species.
 * Photography. Mongolia is the destination offering endless travel experience.  Immerse yourself in the heartland of uniquely captivating images. Untouched virgin landscape, snow-capped mountain ranges, glaciers, big lakes, rivers, wild life, multi ethnic diversity and famous Golden Eagle Festival! This festival is one of the traditional cultural heritage and all visitors can experience while travelling in Mongolia.  The Eagle Festival is held during the first weekend in October, run by the Mongolian Eagle Hunter's Association. During the two days festival you have the chance to get thousands of amazing images of trained Eagles. Mongol Altai mountains – country’s largest and highest mountain range with glacier topped peaks over 3000 meters, crystal clean mountain rivers and glistening streams where inhabit world’s largest wild sheep -argali, ibex, snow leopard, wolves, eagles and many other bird species.

Tour guides
There is not a lot of infrastructure in Mongolia in general, and Bayan-Ölgii especially. There are no paved roads or many places to stay or eat or even buy food outside of the provincial capital. The park is completely pristine, without even border fences between Russia and China. Therefore, most visitors use one of the several tour groups located in Ölgii for transportation, camping equipment, food, and guides. The largest companies offer unguided tour options to the main National Parks with only transportation and supplies, but no guide, cook, or other services, while other activities like mountain climbing, whitewater rafting, or going with an eagle hunter on a hunt will require a guide for most people.

Buy
Buy a good map of the area before you go. You can get topo maps and travel maps at the State Department Store in Ulaanbaatar. The bookstore on the 6th floor has maps of various regions and parks in Mongolia. You will not be able to buy one in Ölgii, but you could make a copy or print one off the internet. Several of the tour guides have good maps that they use.

There is only one small seasonal shop in Syrgal, a small clump of houses near the Rangers Station and bridge between Khoton and Khurgan Nuur (Lake). Don't expect to get supplies here. You may have to bang on the door to get them to open as customers are irregular. It is best to stock up on food and other necessities in Ölgii. There are several supermarkets and a bazaar in the city that carry a wide variety of food, fruits, vegetables, beverages, and Chinese goods. If driving to the park yourself, there is 80-grade gasoline available in the soum centers (villages). Prices will be slightly higher than gas prices in Ölgii.

Most prices are in Mongolian Togrogs (₮), though tour guides and tourist activities will be priced in dollars.

Eat
There are no restaurants in the park. Take any food you need with you. Local Kazakh foods are generally meat and... more meat, especially in the countryside. Goat, sheep, horse, camel and cow. Most food will be meat, flour, maybe potatoes, and a large amount of cooking oil.

You will most likely "go native" and eat with the locals. It's customary, and generally a nice thing, to bring some onions, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, a bag of noodles, or rice, as food items you can give to the woman of the house, who mainly prepares all meals. This is easy if you've hired a car and driver for your trip. You can get these items in any quantity at the open air Bazaar in Ölgii. A really interesting place to go. Your driver or guide can help here. You'll also want to take along bottles of water for the ride. Also bring any herbs, tomato sauce, or soy sauce to help make the food tastier to your personal preference.

If you are really staying with locals in the park, it's also nice to give a needed household item as a token of your appreciation. Candles, packets of matches, a small block of green tea, and of course candy or chocolates for the table and kids. It's not mandatory of course, but a nice gesture.

Drink
Again, no restaurants in the park. Bring bottled or boiled water with you and the means to purify or boil water when camping and travelling. Lots of water around, just take the usual precautions. When with the locals, there's always the usual favorites, milk tea and koumis (a fizzy, sour fermented horse milk).

Sleep
There is no permanent year-round lodging inside the park. Some gers (felt tents) are set up inside the park during the summer for tourists to stay. Even the residents of the park leave during the winter to go to their winter pastures.

Lodging
Most of the tour companies who travel in the park will bring you to their own pre-arranged accommodation, either their own lodge or camp set up. There are a few very scattered ger (yurt) camps around, but you'll have to check with the park office for their current locations.

Inside the park, there are no commercial lodges, hotels, backpackers hostels, etc. There are small hotels in the nearby villages of Tsengel and Altai. Though, these are a considerable distance from much of the park. Independent travelers can find lodging with local Kazakh herders if they want to get a very enjoyable and interesting local experience. If you do this, pay them for your stay. Income opportunities for these people are very limited. US$4-8 a night is acceptable and good value for the experience. When traveling further into the mountains, there is no lodging.

There are now several herder communities who have gotten together and can provide some primitive services such as accommodation and guiding. Check with the park information office to find where these are if you want to visit a real community based tourist venture. It can be a great experience, but be prepared for basic, very basic. The local tour companies can book lodging with local herders for you. They have agreements on the rates and take a 10% fee for booking (as required by Mongolian law).

Camping
If traveling with a tour company they will (or should) have everything you need for a comfortable camping experience. Take pains to make sure they are reputable and do have what you need. Ask the park information office about good camping areas in the park.

There are very few designated camping sites around the park, so it's basically up to you where you want to put your bones for the night. If around a herder family, it's a common courtesy to ask if you can camp close to their ger (yurt). Most will enjoy having you there, and you will be secure for the night.

The same rules for camping apply here as anywhere else in the world. If you pack it in, pack it out! This is especially important in and around the base camp area for the Tavan Bogd (five kings) range, where serious high alpine climbing can be had. It is a very fragile area and easily disturbed by human use.

As for camping toilet needs, there are no toilets. Just do what the locals do. Don't worry; Mongolians aren't prudes.

Stay safe
When traveling in the park, especially if you're an individual or an independent group, it's best to register with the park office and let them know your intentions. There is no "rescue" service of any kind in Mongolia, but at least they'll know where to begin looking for you if you do go missing or get hurt. Locals are very kind and helpful, but if you do get seriously injured, it will basically be up to your own initiative and strength to get you out of there. Good seasonal clothing, first aid kit, backcountry equipment for the activity you're planning, a good map, and a little knowledge of the area are essential.

Wildlife
There are wolves, bears, foxes, and other potentially dangerous animals inside the park. Locals will warn you to watch out for wolves especially when traveling alone. However, attacks on people are very rare, and wolves are afraid of humans. You stand a much better chance of being bitten by a dog near one of the encampments. Another concern is diseases carried by animals. Locals eat marmots, though this can be dangerous, as they carry bubonic plague. To ask if you are being served marmot in Kazakh say "soor bar ma?".

Border
There is no fence or markers for the border with Russia. The Chinese have placed concrete pillars on the border with Chinese flags on it. If you see one on a mountain peak, turn around. It is possible to get lost and wander into Russia if you are not with an experienced local guide. There have been 2 such cases of a tourist and a separate guide getting picked up by the Russian Army. They were turned over to the Mongolian Army and driven back to Ölgii at their own expense. A good map or GPS is essential if traveling without a guide.

Crime
There is potential to run into a few rogues along your route. It is a wild place and far from anywhere. That's what's appealing. Hopefully as a traveller you already have the experience to read situations as they arise when coming across certain individuals. When camping for the night, it's a good idea to ask a local herder to camp near their ger (yurt) for extra safety. If that's not possible, be discreet in choosing where to set up the tent. Though crime is very rare inside the park, most issues that do occur involve drunk men. Be careful when vodka is present.

Food and health issues
Be careful when drinking water or eating uncooked food from locals. Livestock are kept near rivers during the summer and water pollution from animals is an issue. Kazakhs adhere to Muslim customs of washing hands, though this can be more ceremonial than effective at times. Health issues can arise from falls, altitude, or cold weather. The entrance of the park is 6 to 8 hours away from the nearest hospital and another 4-hour flight to the nearest trauma center in Ulaanbaatar. There is no cell phone coverage in the park, so be careful and don't do anything too stupid. If you do need help, go to one of the 3 ranger stations or 3 border patrol bases (located at the north end of Hoton Nuur Lake, across the river from Syrgil, and on the south shore of the southernmost of the 3 lakes, Dayan Lake).

Go next
Altai Tavan Bogd is about as far away from the rest of the world as you can get. When you wish to return to civilization, turn around and go back to Ölgii. A few hundred miles past that, you will reach paved roads again.

 * Ölgii, the capital of Bayan-Ölgii Aimag (province) and center of Kazakh culture in Mongolia.
 * Tsambagarav National Park, on the other side of Bayan-Ölgii, has the 2nd-highest mountain in Mongolia and lots of wildlife, and Uriankhai and Kazakh nomads living inside the park.
 * The Altai Republic in Russia is right across the border with dense forests and the snow-capped Golden Mountains of Altai.
 * Hanas National Nature Reserve covers the Chinese side of the mountains, though travelling there will require a tour guide and visa beforehand.

title: Altai Tavan Bogd National Park


text:
Altamonte Springs

 Altamonte Springs is a northern suburb of Orlando in Seminole County, Florida.

Understand
The city's name is believed to come from the Spanish term for "high mountain." The population was about 42,000 and rising as of 2013. The city began its rise in growth and status in Metro Orlando in the early 1970s with the construction of the Altamonte Mall which was originally anchored by Sears, Burdines, Jordan Marsh and Robinson's of Florida. It was the metropolitan areas first two level shopping mall. The Interstate Mall across the highway also opened anchored by Montgomery Wards department store and AMC Interstate Six Theaters. Luxury modern apartment complexes were soon lining Wymore Rd., Lake Orienta and Palm Springs Dr. Many new homes subdivisions began sprouting up along Montgomery Rd., Maitland Ave and Palm Springs Dr. and the beautiful wooded areas surrounding Sanlando Springs, Wekiva Springs and the Wekiva River. Growth boomed through the 1970s and 1980s into the 1990s before leveling off around the new Millennium. Growth picked up again at a steady pace in the mid-2010s as the city became more established and considered a more "close in" location to Downtown Orlando and the booming offices of Maitland Center.

Get in
As in most of Florida, the easiest way to get in is by car.

Get around
The easiest way to get around is also by car.

By train
SunRail, +1-855-RAIL-411 (7245-411). It is limited to a north-south route through the center of the area, with a southern end in Poinciana, and northern end in DeBary. Bus connection is provided from Orlando International Airport to the Sand Lake Road station by Links 11, 42 and 111; and from Orlando-Sanford International Airport to the Sanford station by Link 46E.

Base one-way fare is $2, with an addition of $1 for each county line crossed. A round-trip ticket is slightly cheaper. There is no service on weekends and some federal holidays.

Parks

 * Hermit's Trail, Hermit's trail and Highway 436 - This small neighborhood park offers both active and passive recreation options including an equipped playground, and picnic pavilion.
 * Lake Lotus Nature Park, The park is a 150-acre nature preserve in west Altamonte Springs. Open Thursday-Sunday 8:30AM-5:30PM
 * Lake Orienta Public Boat Ramp and Recreational Area, A 1.5-acre picnic/recreation area with access to lake Orienta, which boasts 135 acres of lake that allows for fishing, skiing, and other water sports.
 * Sunshine Park, Located near Lake Orienta Elementary on Oakland Drive it's a one half-acre park with walkways and benches.
 * Turnbull Avenue Park, A neighborhood park with picnic tables and playground equipment.
 * Sunshine Park, Located near Lake Orienta Elementary on Oakland Drive it's a one half-acre park with walkways and benches.
 * Turnbull Avenue Park, A neighborhood park with picnic tables and playground equipment.
 * Sunshine Park, Located near Lake Orienta Elementary on Oakland Drive it's a one half-acre park with walkways and benches.
 * Turnbull Avenue Park, A neighborhood park with picnic tables and playground equipment.

Buy

 * Altamonte Mall
 * Scan Design- contemporary furniture
 * Uptown Altamonte
 * West Town Corners

Budget
There are a lot of chain restaurants.

Mid-range

 * Taste of India, State Road 434
 * "Murano's", Cranes Roost Park, Uptown Altamonte
 * Bubbalous Bodacious Barbecue, E. Altamonte Ave. (SR 436)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Altamonte Springs


text:
Altar Desert

The Altar Desert is a sandy region in the north of Sonora; it is part of the Sonoran Desert. The desert extends across much of the northern reach of the Gulf of California, spanning more than 100 kilometres (62 mi) east to west and over 50 kilometres (31 mi) north to south. It constitutes the largest continuous wilderness area within the Sonoran Desert.

Understand
The Altar desert lies above the northeast corner of the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California). The region is part of the 2 million-acre El Pinacate/Gran Desierto del Altar Biosphere Reserve, a Mexican National Preserve. The fishing village of El Golfo lies at the southwestern corner of the desert.

The Gran Desierto covers approximately 5,700 km² (2,200 sq mi), most of it in the Mexican state of Sonora. The northernmost edges reach across the international border into Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Arizona, United States. The region is dominated by sand sheets and dunes ranging in thickness from less than 1 km (0.62 mi) to greater than 12 km (7.5 mi). Most of the sand of the desert was delivered by the Colorado River during the Pleistocene, which flowed through the present-day Gran Desierto area approximately 120,000 years ago.

Flora
Large areas of the southern and eastern sand sea, especially near the margins, have a moderately dense (up to 20%) cover of perennial low shrubs and herbs such as bursage and longleaf jointfir with creosote bush in areas of thin sand cover. Palo verde, acacia, and ocotillo communities occur on alluvial slopes on the northern side of the sand sea, particularly in arroyos and washes.

Climate
The Gran Desierto has a warm to hot arid climate. Mean annual rainfall, most of which occurs between September and December, is 73 mm (2.9 in) at Puerto Peñasco, Sonora (located at the southeastern margin of the sand sea on the Gulf of California) and decreases northward toward Yuma, Arizona (on the northwestern edge) to 62 mm (2.4 in) per year. Mid-summer highs in excess of 45 °C (113 °F) are common in the central sand sea. Mid-winter lows of less than 10 °C (50 °F) are rare.

Get in
The Altar may be reached from San Luis Rio Colorado, south of Yuma Arizona.

Most of the area is protected; there are a few routes through the desert (next to the railway tracks) to El Golfo. Offroad cross-country travel is prohibited, though locals and American off-road groups still traverse the desert illegally on a regular basis.

See
The Gran Desierto is best known for its magnificent star dunes, many in excess of 100 metres (330 ft) high. More than two-thirds of the Gran Desierto is covered by sand sheets and sand streaks. The remaining area is split equally between a western population of star dunes and an eastern set of transverse or crescentic dunes. Some of the larger crescentic dunes in the northeastern sand sea exhibit reversing crests, a transitional morphological feature associated with star dunes.

title: Altar Desert


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Altavas

Altavas is a 4th class municipality in the province of Aklan, Philippines.

Altavas is generally peaceful. The people of Altavas are deeply religious, congenially friendly, hospitable, and respectful.

A hundred years ago, Altavas was just like one of the many barangays existing today. It was part of Batan town and also under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of New Washington (formerly called Lagatic). If Altavas, as it is today, has achieved the status of a regular municipality, it was purely accidental. It was the result of the constant threat of Moro pirates among the inhabitants along the seashores of Batan. Fearful of being molested by Moro Pirates, they moved inland and settled in the place which is now the Poblacion of Altavas. These evacuees later became the nucleus of the present population of the town.

Get in
Altavas is accessible by air, land and water transportation.

By plane
Travel to Aklan by air from Manila and Cebu. By jet, it takes 45 minutes from Manila five times daily. From Cebu, there is a flight every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

There are two domestic airport located in Aklan. Feeder airport in Caticlan through Philippine Airlines operates in Kalibo  minor commercial domestic airport which is closer to Altavas.

The Poblacion or main district of the town of Altavas is about an hour’s ride from Kalibo, the Provincial Capital. Almost all barangays are interconnected by Barangay Roads.

By boat
By sea it takes 14 to 18 hours from Manila.

Altavas has two mini-wharves located in Brgy. Poblacion and in Sitio Guisi in Brgy. Odiong. Batan Port, one of the major ports in Aklan is 8 km away from the municipality.

By car
Most of the national roads traversing the municipality are either concreted or asphalted, making travel from Iloilo, Capiz and Kalibo convenient and fast.

See
Altavas is blessed with natural resources and scenic attractions, potential as tourist destinations once fully developed. The following are the attractions with their respective barangay or districts.

 * Kipot Cave (Barangay Talon) -- kipot means "narrow"
 * Suhot Cave (Barangay Talon) -- suhot means "to pass through"
 * Macawiwili Falls (Barangay Cabugao)
 * Agtutoe-an Water Falls (Barangay Talon)
 * Veterans Park (Barangay Lumaynay)

title: Altavas


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Alter do Chão

Alter do Chão is a beach town and an administrative district of the municipality of Santarém, in the state of Pará, 37 km (about an hour) south of the center of the city via road PA-457, on the right bank of the Tapajós River. It is the main tourist point of Santarém as, according to the English newspaper The Guardian, it is home to the most beautiful freshwater beach in the world, leading to it being popularly known as the Brazilian Caribbean.

Understand
The town fills up during weekends. Also, the size of the beaches vary depending on the season. During rainy season many beaches disappear altogether.

Be especially careful of stingrays when visiting some of the more remote beaches in the area. They will only sting when stepped on, so shuffle your feet when you walk in the water.

It has a permanent population of 6,700 people.

Get in

 * Buses leave Santarém for Alter do Chão approximately every 35 minutes from 05:30 until 23:00. Catch them along Avenida Rui Barbosa in the centre of town or at the Praça Tiradentes bus stand. (R$3.5)
 * Santarém International Airport - Maestro Wilson Fonseca is around 30 km away from Alter do Chão. There is no bus that runs the airport-Alter route, so you can get a quote from the taxi drivers from the airport or go to Santarem and from there get a bus. The cheapest way is to take an airport-Santarém bus (R$ 2) and ask where you can get another Santarém-Alter bus.

Get around
Alter do Chão is small enough to walk around.
 * To get to Ilha do Amor you can either swim or hire a canoe for R$ 3 for up to four people. During the dry season there are several places where you can wade across in water that is no more than about 60 cm deep.

Budget

 * Sleep on Ilha do Amor for free! Just find two trees and hang your hammock.
 * Albergue da Floresta - Popular with backpackers. R$15 for hammock space. Free kitchen use. A bit of a walk from the main square. R$5 per day to store your luggage while you go on a tour.
 * Pousada Alter do Chão - R$ 30 for a single with ceiling fan. R$ 10 per additional person. Includes a big breakfast. Good location. Free wifi.

Stay Safe
Alter do Chão is perhaps the preeminent tourist town on the banks of the Amazon. In high and low season one encounters plenty of tourists from North America and Europe. There clearly is more affluence in the village and its businesses than in nearby ones; there are regular police patrols and one doesn’t see clear signs of poverty as one sees in some other parts of Brazil. In other words one just doesn’t get the sense that one needs to be very cautious as can happen elsewhere in Brazil. One presumes that the town has found effective ways to discourage the petty crime one knows from elsewhere.

title: Alter do Chão


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Altin Depe

Altin Depe is an archaeological site in Ahal Province, Turkmenistan.

Understand
Altin Depe ("Golden Hill") is a settlement of the Eneolithic and Bronze Ages, dating back to the 3rd and beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. It was abandoned around 1600 BC, as the soil was exhausted or due to changes in climate.

Altin Depe formed a large settlement covering around 6 hectares during the early Neolithic period (5th millennium BC). Altin Depe reached its apex at the end of the 3rd and beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. Altin Depe had close connections to contemporary Mesopotamia and the Harappa culture in Hindustan.

Get in
Altin Depe is situated about 20 km south of Tejen and about 230 km south east of Ashgabat. Tejen is on the main road from Ashgabat to Mary. It is about a 3-hour drive from Ashgabat to Altin Depe.

Get around

 * Mausoleum of Abu Said Meikhene

See
The settlement shows a separation of the living quarters according to the wealth and status of their inhabitants. The artisans' quarter contained many rooms for large families with a common household and poorly furnished tombs. The quarter of wealthy citizens had houses for small families with separate courtyards. The quarter for the nobility had regularly planned streets with neatly built hoses, covering an area of 80 to 100 m² each.

The religious complex consisted of a four-stepped tower similar to the ziggurats of Mesopotamia with a small shrine on top. Here the small gold heads of a wolf and a bull were found which are now displayed at the Museum in Ashgabat. According to the Russian archaeologist V.M.Masson the cult complex was dedicated to the Moon God, as in Mesopotamian mythology the Moon God was closely connected with the figure of a bull.

There have been no excavations here for many years and it is very difficult to find your way on the site.

title: Altin Depe


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Altiplano

The Altiplano stretches across more than one country:

Argentina
The Altiplano is in the Andean Northwest of Argentina.

Bolivia

 * Altiplano (Bolivia), a region in Bolivia.

Mexico

 * Altiplano (Mexico), a different altiplano in the state of San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

Peru

 * Altiplano (Peru), a region in Peru.

title: Altiplano


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Altiplano (Bolivia)

The Bolivian Altiplano is the area of the Andes above about 3,500 m in Bolivia. The altiplano stretches into neighbouring Peru and Argentina.

Other destinations

 * – An abandoned ski resort, now a ghost town, located right by one of the country's highest mountains.
 * – A popular commercial hiking destination from La Paz. Though, with 6,080 m still 500 m short of Bolivia's highest mountain Nevada Sajama, which can also be climbed.
 * – Popular for organised jungle trekking.
 * – The underrated gem of Bolivia, impressive and challenging trails in an often quiet and altiplano surrounding.
 * – Definitely the highlight of Bolivia, and even though very touristy, still worth doing a tour here, especially the 3-4 day tour towards the Chilean border.
 * – An archaeological site just 1.5 hr from La Paz, but a little overpriced.
 * – "Death Road", infamous for being the most dangerous road in the world, in the Yungas Region, the notoriety of this road from La Paz to Coroico has turned it into a popular destination for international tourists, especially bicyclists. Bolivia has finally finished the alternate paved route, so there is far less traffic on this road, and is at least a little safer for that.

See

One of the highlights of this region is the Salar de Uyuni: 200 square miles of flat dazzling white salt at an altitude of 3700 metres. There are many tours of this salt flat from Uyuni - or for a four-day tour choose the one from Tupiza near the Argentine border. There are many fascinating islands on the lake with giant cacti growing everywhere. On longer tours, you can see the highland lagunas in the southeast near the border with Chile. Best known are the Laguna Colorada and the Laguna Verde, as well as the Árbol de Piedra.

Stay safe
During the Bolivian winter time (in June and July) the temperatures can drop really low so bring good winter clothes and a sleeping bag suitable for temperatures below 0 degrees.

title: Altiplano (Bolivia)


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Altiplano (Peru)

The Peruvian Altiplano is the area of the Andes above about 3500 m in Peru. The altiplano stretches into neighbouring Bolivia, and also Argentina and Chile.

Cities

 * — he to the Inca Uyo archaeological site
 * — a tiny settlement with rarely visited ruins and modest cave paintings

 * — a center for making garments made with sheep and alpaca wool, it has has several excellent churches
 * — the highest permanent city of the world at a height of 5,100 m
 * — has an impressive colonial church and catacombs with an exact replica of "La Pieta" of Michelangelo, and South American camelids

 * — a departure point for the famous floating islands on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca, close to the Bolivian border
 * — a border town between Bolivia and Peru

Other destinations

 * — the highest commercially navigable body of water in the world is the ancestral land of the Quechuas, Aymaras, Uros, Pacajes, and Puquinas
 * — a peaceful island with beautiful
 * — the "island of the knitting men" is a popular destination for tours from Puno
 * — a pre-Inca cemetery on the shores of Lake Umayo; its tombs are built above ground in tower-like structures called chullpas.
 * — floating islands made of reed that are believed to have Bern built by the Uros people to flee oppression by other peoples

Understand
The Puno region and Lake Titicaca are considered to be the cradle of the Inca civilization. This area is occupied mainly by Aymara people, but there are also Quechua populations mainly living on the islands at Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca provides a unique microclimate which allows agriculture in the surrounding areas, impossible in other zones of the same altitudes.

By plane
Daily flights from Lima, Cusco and Arequipa.

By road
From Cusco, Arequipa, Colca Canyon or Bolivia.

See

 * Living cultures: Uros floating Isles, Taquile & Amantani Islands.
 * Archaeological sites: Sillustani Tombs. Visit Aramu Muru, considered by local shamans as an inter-dimensional gate.
 * Colonial churches and picturesque villages: Lampa, Juli and Pomata
 * Nature: Impressive landscapes, the highest navigable lake on Earth, South American camelids.

Itineraries
A perfect place for completing a journey to the Southern Andes as an extension to Cusco. Arrive at Juliaca airport or Puno train station, get acclimatized on the first day and get ready for exploring Lake Titicaca on the next day. Use the next days for visiting colonial churches and archaeological sites.

Do
Canoeing, mountain biking, hikes, bird watching.

Eat

 * Fresh trout from Lake Titicaca

title: Altiplano (Peru)


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Altitude sickness

Altitude sickness is a reaction to the lower amounts of oxygen available at high altitudes (due to the lower air pressure). Your body will respond in various ways to this: some are normal, some are illnesses. The illnesses are a serious health hazard and can result in death if ignored or left untreated. Altitude sickness is very dangerous for four reasons: it can come on suddenly and progress quickly, it can be fatal, sufferers are often some distance from medical help and are difficult to evacuate swiftly, and in many cases sufferers are reliant on their health because they're doing a lot of physical activity in dangerous environments.

Altitude sickness is a great danger for high-altitude mountaineering (above 4000 or 5000 m), a moderate danger for mountain sports (such as skiing at 3000–4000 m, notably in Colorado), and a moderate danger when flying in to a high-altitude city around 3500 m, notably Tibet (Lhasa), Peru (Cusco, especially for the Inca Trail), and Bolivia (La Paz). For moderate altitudes (such as 3500 m), the main solution is to acclimatize for a night or two at a lower altitude (near 2500 m) and take it easy for the first few days, rather than flying in and immediately going skiing or hiking. Acetazolamide (ACZ) is the most commonly used drug for prevention, and is particularly useful for flying into a high-altitude city. For higher altitudes much more care, preparation, and gradual ascent is necessary, and potent treatments are available. Particularly dangerous are tall, easy mountains, notably Kilimanjaro (5895 m) and Aconcagua (6961 m), where it's easy to get dangerously high quickly. Acclimation requires time, and rushing causes altitude sickness.

There are other risks at altitude that are covered in other articles. It may get very cold; see Cold weather. You may get dehydrated because water evaporates faster at lower air pressure; see Dehydration. There may be danger from strong sun because there is less atmosphere above to protect you; see Sunburn and sun protection. Finally, the terrain may pose dangers such as avalanches or just falling off a mountain; see Mountaineering.

A problem, especially for inexperienced people, are ignorant or malicious tour operators offering hikes to high elevations. If you're not an experienced mountaineer, don't book tours with operators that are not knowledgeable and frank about risks involved, regardless of whether they are well-meaning but ignorant people just trying to make a living, or unscrupulous people in for quick profit. Only book with tour operators that have a detailed plan for how to deal with people suffering from acute mountain sickness (AMS).

Understand
The further you move from sea level up into higher altitudes, the lower the air pressure is. The body has two main problems with high altitude and the corresponding lower air pressure:
 * Air at lower pressure has less oxygen per lungful. Your body adjusts to this by making more red blood cells to carry oxygen more efficiently. However, the process takes several days, sometimes more than a week, and in the meanwhile you may be ill.
 * At lower air pressure, water evaporates faster. This can lead to dehydration.

The changes to your body at altitude are complex and can be quite dramatic. The difficulty your body has maintaining a good oxygen supply and keeping related problems under control is directly related to how high up you are, and also to recent changes in your altitude. These are the two major factors that cause altitude sickness. The altitude where you sleep is also important because most of the extra red cells needed to improve your oxygen management are manufactured while you sleep.

Hence this article talks a lot about ascent and descent. Ascending further away from sea level is the risky activity and the time you must be alert. Conversely, descending towards sea level is the single most important factor  in reducing or eliminating all forms of altitude sickness.

The article also talks a lot about acclimatisation, giving your body enough time to adapt to higher altitude. This is critically important for avoiding problems.

How high is high?
The International Society for Mountain Medicine is a group looking into these questions scientifically. Their working definitions are: Altitude sickness rarely occurs below 2500 m (8000 ft). A minority of people, about 20%, have some symptoms of altitude sickness if they ascend to about 2500 m (8000 feet) above sea level and sleep there. (This is the level of cabin pressurisation of most commercial aircraft apart from the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787). However, most people will acclimatize to 3000 m (10,000 feet) with relative ease, perhaps having symptoms after the first night.
 * High altitude: 1500–3500 m (5000–11,500 ft)
 * Very high altitude: 3500–5500 m (11,500–18,000 ft)
 * Extreme altitude: above 5500 m (above 18,000 ft)

Acclimatizing to heights of 3000–5000 m (10,000–16,000 feet) is much more difficult, and it is here that it is absolutely necessary to ascend slowly and return to a lower altitude to sleep if you have been travelling around at a higher altitude during the day. Over 50% of people will become ill if they ascend rapidly from sea level to 3500 m (11,000 feet) without acclimatization, and everyone will if they ascend rapidly to 5000 m (16,000 feet).

It is thought to be impossible to permanently acclimatize to heights above 5500 m (18,000 feet). It is possible to spend several weeks sleeping as high as 6000 m (20,000 feet) once acclimatized, but gradual deterioration of physical well-being will still occur. Only serious mountain climbers will go that high, though. Almost no-one lives above 5000 m, though some nomadic Tibetan herders spend summers that high.

Death rates from altitude sickness above 7000 m (23,000 feet) are estimated at 4% of all people who venture that high. Regions above 8000 m (26,000 feet) are referred to as the death zone: you will deteriorate noticeably while you remain at such high altitudes, some of your body's major systems will shut down and climbers will only remain there for two or three days. However, the world has only 14 mountains over 8000 m.

If your home is significantly above sea level, you gain a definite leg up on ascending to higher elevations, but that doesn't make you immune to altitude problems; it just pushes the threshold for their onset higher. Most otherwise healthy people who live at elevations of 1500 m (5000 feet) to 2500 m (8000 feet), an elevation range containing quite a few major cities, experience little trouble going to 3000 m (10,000 feet) or a bit higher, but even they will be at risk of altitude problems at 5000 m (16,000 feet).

Risk factors
Past performance at altitude is the main predictor of future performance, but is a guide, not a guarantee. Beware that even if you have not suffered acute mountain sickness (AMS) in the past at altitude, you may still suffer it in future, even at lower altitudes.

Altitude sickness tends to affect men more than women, especially men between the ages of 16 and 25. It’s not clear if there’s some unknown biological reason for this, or if it’s just the demographic most likely to attempt too much, too soon. It is important to remember that just because you are young and healthy, and haven’t experienced altitude sickness in the past doesn’t mean you are immune to it on future climbs. Physical fitness is not necessarily a good indicator, and neither are strength or good health. You may react badly to altitude despite being fit, young and healthy. In fact, the fit, young and healthy have a hidden risk: their general physical capacity leads them to believe that they should handle altitude just fine, which is not always true.

Bad health, on the other hand, is a risk factor: particularly cardiac or respiratory problems. Healthy hearts and lungs have a hard enough time getting oxygen to your tissues at high altitudes. Naturally, if you have physical problems that make exertion difficult for you, you have reason to think carefully about exertion at high altitude, where it is much harder!

Scuba diving increases risk of decompression sickness. If you have recently been diving and have not fully gotten rid of the nitrogen in your blood, you should not ascend to a higher altitude (or travel in a plane). See scuba diving for recommendations on how long to wait.

Genetics play a role: ethnic groups native to higher elevations, notably Sherpas and Tibetans have significant genetic adaptations to altitude, and at least eight genetic polymorphisms have been identified as contributing to individual variation: AMS is an environmentally mediated polygenetic disorder. However, for most people there is no screening, genetic or otherwise, available to assess risk for altitude sickness. Thus prior history is used instead.

Locations
Other than mountain climbing and other mountain sports, such as skiing, the main travel destinations at high altitudes are Bolivia, Peru (in the Bolivian Plateau), and the Tibetan Plateau (Qinghai and Tibet in China), all of which have significant destinations around 3500 m, high enough to pose significant risk of altitude sickness. By contrast, other mountainous destinations such as Mongolia, Nepal, Switzerland (mostly below 2000 m), and even Bhutan (around 2500 m), are mostly settled at lower elevation, especially in valleys, and pose at most mild risk of altitude sickness.

For flying into Peru for the Inca Trail, Cusco (3400 m) is quite high (over 50% risk of AMS), and immediately hitting the Inca Trail is dangerous, occasionally resulting in death. Safer is to leave Cusco and acclimate for a night or two in the Sacred Valley, before returning to Cusco, and thence the Inca Trail. Machu Picchu (2400 m) is not very high, however.

For flying into Tibet, notably Lhasa (3650 m), directly flying from sea level poses a greater than 80% risk of AMS. Acclimating for a few days in the major cities of Kunming (2000 m) or Xining (2300 m) helps, but safest and most enjoyable is to follow the Yunnan tourist trail to Zhongdian (3200 m) and fly from there to Lhasa. If you spend a night or two each in Kunming (2000 m), Dali (2400 m) or Lijiang (2400 m), and Zhongdian (3200 m) to acclimatise (particularly in Zhongdian), you should be able to fly to Lhasa with little risk. Taking the train into Tibet does not help: it is first too low, then too high to help acclimation.

For flying into La Paz, Bolivia, acclimate in the low, southern part of town (such as Calacoto or Obrajes) for a few nights.

In terms of large cities, there are under a dozen large cities (at least 100,000 population) above 3000 m, of which the most significant are La Paz (Bolivia, 3650 m), Lhasa (Tibet, 3650 m), and Cusco (Peru, 3400 m). The countries with many major cities above 2000 m are Bolivia, Peru, China (Tibetan Plateau), Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico, while Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guatemala, and Yemen all have 1–3 major cities (capital or second city) at 2000–3000 m, and Afghanistan and India have a few minor cities at altitude.

In the US, Denver, Colorado is nicknamed the "mile-high city", but a mile is only slightly above 1600 m. The country's only higher city of 100,000 or more is also in Colorado, namely Colorado Springs. While downtown is at about 1840 m, some non-mountainous area destinations are noticeably higher, notably the nearby U.S. Air Force Academy, whose football stadium is at slightly over 2000 m and its main cadet area at nearly 2200 m.

List
Comparative elevations of significant travel destinations.

Africa

 * Morocco
 * Jebel Toubkal (4167 m) — Africa's highest mountain not located in the East Central part of the continent, accessible by hiking in the summer.Mount_Kilimanjaro.jpg
 * Tanzania
 * Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 m) — the summit of Africa's highest mountain can be reached by just hiking; in fact the record for an ascent and descent is less than seven hours! Hence, it’s easy to get dangerously high in a short time.

Asia

 * Afghanistan
 * Wakhan Corridor (around 4000 m)
 * The Hindu Kush (mostly in Afghanistan, partly Pakistan and Tajikistan) includes 11 peaks over 6000m
 * The Salang Pass has been the main route through the Hindu Kush, connecting Central Asia (specifically Bactria) and Afghanistan, for thousands of years. The pass itself is at almost 3900m but today you can avoid going that high by taking the Salang Tunnel which is at about 3400m.
 * Bhutan
 * Thimphu (2250–2650 m)
 * ChinaPotala_Palace,_August_2009.jpg
 * Yunnan tourist trail: Kunming (2000 m), Dali (2400 m), Lijiang (2400 m), Zhongdian (3200 m), Deqin (3550 m)
 * Three parallel rivers, also in Yunnan, off the main tourist trail but popular for hikers (several peaks over 6000 m)
 * Tibet: The entire Tibetan plateau averages 4500 m, with capital Lhasa at around 3650 m. All rail and road routes to the plateau require crossing passes over 5000 m.
 * Japan
 * Mount Fuji (3776 m) – Japan’s highest mountain, generally climbed in a single overnight hike, high enough to cause sickness.
 * Kyrgyzstan
 * Song Kol Lake (3016 m)
 * Pakistan
 * Gilgit-Baltistan, a popular region for trekking with several peaks over 8000 m. The K2 base camp trek is in this region.
 * Tajikistan
 * Gorno-Badakhshan (Pamirs) - Several peaks within this region are above 7000 m, and while the Pamir Highway snakes through the valleys the whole plateau is quite high above sea level

Europe
The Swiss and French Alps do have some ski resorts and viewpoints at risky altitudes with fast cable car or train access from the valley (usually around 1000 m), resulting in extremely rapid ascent to significant altitudes, for instance Aiguille du Midi (3842 m) or Jungfraujoch (3454 m).

North America

 * Mexico
 * Mexico City (2233 m)
 * Pachuca (2400 m)
 * Puebla (2135 m)
 * Tlaxcala (2239 m)
 * United States
 * Arizona
 * South Rim of the Grand Canyon: Averages about 7,000 ft/2,100 m; visitor center at 7,106 ft/2,166 m. Open year-round.
 * North Rim of the Grand Canyon: Averages over 8,000 ft/2,440 m; visitor center at 8,238 ft/2,511 m. Open only from May–October due to extreme snowfall.
 * California
 * Mount Whitney (14,505 feet/4,421 m), the highest point in the Lower 48 is accessible by just hiking.
 * Colorado
 * Many high ski resorts, e.g., Breckenridge (~3000–4000 m)
 * Aspen (2400 m)

South America

 * Argentina
 * Aconcagua (6961 m) – highest mountain outside of Asia. Technically easy to climb, so can get dangerously high in a short time.
 * Bolivia
 * La Paz (3650 m) – highest capital city
 * El Alto (4150 m) – highest major metropolis
 * Oruro (3735 m)
 * Sucre (2790 m)
 * Cochabamba (2558 m)
 * Chile
 * Ojos del Salado (6893 m) - South America's second highest peak is possibly the highest place in the world you can reach without climbing.
 * Colombia
 * Bogotá (2565 m)
 * Tunja (2810 m)
 * Duitama (2535 m)
 * Sogamoso (2569 m)
 * Pasto (2540 m)
 * Ipiales (2903 m)
 * Manizales (2124 m)
 * Ecuador
 * Quito (2850 m)
 * Papallacta (3200 m)
 * Ibarra (2200 m)
 * Otavalo (2400 m)
 * Cuenca (2500 m)
 * Loja (2073 m)
 * Riobamba (2760 m)
 * Ambato (2600 m)
 * Latacunga (2773 m)
 * Quilotoa Lagoon (3870 m)
 * Peru
 * Cajamarca (2725 m)
 * Ayacucho (2300 m)
 * Huancayo (3200 m)
 * Cerro de Pasco (4300 m)
 * Puno (3800 m)
 * Juliaca (3800 m)
 * Abancay (2100 m)
 * Huaraz (3100 m)
 * Arequipa (2328 m)
 * Cusco (3350 m)
 * Inca Trail: Warmiwañusqa “Dead Woman's Pass” (4200 m – highest point, daytime), Pacaymayo (3500–3600 m – usually highest night, similar to Cusco)
 * Machu Picchu (2400 m)
 * Venezuela
 * The world's longest and highest cable car takes you from Merida up to Pico Espejo (4765 m), from which the country's highest point, Pico Bolívar (4981 m) can be accessed by just walking.

Oceania

 * New Zealand
 * Mount Cook (3724 m)

Effects of altitude
Altitude has some physiological effects on all people who are at high altitudes. These effects are not in and of themselves symptoms of illness, although they are signs of the increased difficulty that the body has getting oxygen at altitude. Normal acclimatization consists of:
 * Decreased blood oxygen saturation, which increases over time
 * Increased heart rate
 * Increased ventilation
 * Increased urination
 * Shortness of breath during exertion
 * Changed breathing pattern at night
 * Awakening frequently at night

It is therefore important to drink water to handle the increased urination, and to avoid anything that decreases breathing. Notably, alcohol both dehydrates and decreases breathing (it is a depressant), so it should be avoided or consumed moderately. If you are not urinating more than usual, you are either dehydrated or not acclimatizing well: try drinking more. The unusual night breathing can be scary and can disturb companions (like snoring), but is normal.

Increased ventilation
You will naturally breathe faster at higher altitudes to compensate for the lower air pressure. It’s possible you won’t notice this: a similar effect happens during air travel. This is called “hypoxic ventilatory response” (HVR); it is frequently misnamed “hyperventilation”.

Altitude diuresis
Increased urine output is a response to hypoxia: increased breathing reduces CO2 in the blood, resulting in more output of bicarbonate, which increases urination. This will make you urinate a lot at altitude. If you aren’t urinating much more than you usually would, then you might actually be dehydrated, or not acclimatizing.

Periodic breathing
Because of the disruption to oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in your blood due to the body chemistry changes and hyperventilation that occurs at altitude, your body’s “when to breathe” chemical signals become confused. While you’re awake you will remember to breathe, but when you sleep it is common to have interrupted breathing: holding your breath for up to fifteen seconds and then breathing very rapidly when you start breathing again.

This can be very alarming when you wake up knowing that you weren’t breathing or were short of breath; or when you notice someone else has stopped breathing. But it is a normal response to altitude, and happens to almost everyone. Acclimatisation only improves it a little.

Illnesses at altitude
As well as the less dangerous physiological effects, altitude makes you susceptible to actual illnesses, several of them very dangerous. While not all the effects of altitude can be avoided, you should take sensible steps to avoid actual illness, and take it very seriously if it does occur.

High altitude headache is the most common symptom, and first warning sign, affecting about 80% of people who ascend. In itself this headache is not dangerous, but other symptoms should be monitored. If other symptoms arise, or the headache does not resolve with a litre of fluids, mild analgesics, and a day or two of acclimatization, you are likely suffering mild AMS and are at increased risk of more serious illness.

Dehydration
You need to increase your fluid intake at high altitudes. The loss of appetite, a precursor to nausea, can lead you in to a dehydration headache. Unfortunately, it is easy to mistake dehydration headaches for acute mountain sickness (AMS) headaches (below) and vice versa. If a headache does not improve after drinking a litre of fluids it should be considered as an AMS effect.

Dehydration headache can also be recognised by comparing pulse rates: if your pulse rate goes up more than 20% when standing up after lying down for five minutes, you need more fluids.

Acute mountain sickness
Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is the most common unhealthy response to altitude: it's a collection of signs that your body is becoming ill and has not adapted successfully to a higher altitude.

For your own safety, assume any illness at altitude is AMS – denial of AMS is very frequent and dangerous. The most common reasons that people fail to descend as soon as they should are bad assumptions. They assume that having AMS is a sign of weakness; that their level of fitness means they can’t have AMS; or mistake their symptoms for the flu or another illness. Too-aggressive ascent schedules are another cause: if not enough time is budgeted, acknowledging AMS and slowing down may prevent one from successfully summiting a peak, though worsening AMS may well force this anyway.

Assume AMS first: it happens to healthy strong people, and if it turns out you are indeed sick with something else, descending to a lower altitude will make it easier for your body to heal anyway.

In particular, if you’ve recently ascended, and you have a headache and any other symptom, you have AMS. The other signs of AMS vary for different people, but include:
 * fatigue
 * dizziness
 * loss of appetite
 * nausea or vomiting
 * confusion
 * difficulty walking (called gait ataxia)
 * rattling breath
 * feeling generally extremely ill

The last three signs in particular are signs that you are becoming quite ill, but you should not wait for the onset of these symptoms before acknowledging you have AMS: they’re fairly reliable indicators of the onset of more serious problems, namely high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) or high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE).

You and your party should keep an eye on each other for signs of AMS, and if you have AMS, for signs of it worsening. Very sick people can become confused and not realise how ill they are. Loss of appetite is a particularly good sign: anyone who has been walking or climbing at altitude for a day should be hungry for a good meal in the evening.

If you have symptoms of AMS, do not ascend further. Consider descending, or wait a few days to acclimatize and for symptoms to resolve before ascending further.

If you have signs of HACE or HAPE, descend immediately. Your life may depend on it.

High altitude cerebral edema
High altitude cerebral edema (HACE) is the end-stage of AMS (conversely AMS can be thought of as the mild form of HACE). When you have HACE, your brain swells and stops working properly.

HACE symptoms include a number of signs of mental functions failing: confusion, fatigue and weird behaviour. But the most reliable one is gait ataxia, and you can test it by walking heel to toe along a straight line on the ground. Healthy people can pass this test easily, anyone who has difficulty balancing while they do it is showing signs of HACE.

HACE is extremely serious, and you may only have a few hours to help someone with HACE. The main treatment is descent, but a person experiencing these symptoms will need significant help. Dexamethasone is one drug that can be used to relieve symptoms, but it is just a temporary bridge to give more time for descent.

A 2008 medical study Why Climbers Die On Mount Everest shows HACE as the leading cause of death.

High altitude pulmonary edema
High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is another severe altitude illness. It sometimes occurs in conjunction with AMS or HACE, but sometimes on its own — it's thought to have different causes. When you have HAPE, your lungs fill with fluid. Signs include extreme fatigue; breathlessness (when not due to interrupted breathing — give yourself 30 seconds to recover upon waking); a cough, especially if it is wet and has blood in it; rattling or gurgling breath; chest congestion; very fast heart rate; very fast breathing; and blue extremities. A fever is sometimes present. It most commonly sets in at night.

HAPE is another extremely serious illness, and like HACE should be treated as a critical emergency. Nifedipine is the drug of choice for the treatment of HAPE, but it can only provide temporary relief and rapid descent is very important.

Cheyne Stokes breathing
Above 3000 m (10,000 feet), some people experience a periodic breathing during sleep known as Cheyne-Stokes respirations. The pattern begins with a few shallow breaths and increases to deep sighing respirations then falls off rapidly. Respirations may cease entirely for a few seconds and then the shallow breaths begin again. During the period when breathing stops the person often becomes restless and may wake with a sudden feeling of suffocation. This can disturb sleeping patterns, exhausting the climber.

Acetazolamide is helpful in relieving the periodic breathing. This type of breathing is not considered abnormal at high altitudes. However, if it occurs first during an illness (other than altitude illnesses) or after an injury (particularly a head injury) it may be a sign of a serious disorder.

Decompression sickness
Decompression sickness (DCS, also known as the bends or caisson disease) is a severe illness in which bubbles of nitrogen form in your blood, blocking blood supply to parts of your body. Symptoms include persistent tingling or joint pain, fatigue, itching, rashes, confusion and collapse. Decompression sickness is brought on by extremely sudden changes in air pressure (effectively an increase in altitude), such as loss of cabin pressure in a plane you are flying in. Even a fast ascent to most altitudes (such as by plane) would not normally cause decompression sickness. The exception is for anyone who has recently been scuba diving, who should avoid ascents above the altitude that their dive took place at for between 12 and 24 hours depending on dive activity. See the Scuba diving article for more information.

Acclimatize to altitude gradually
Acclimatization is the process of getting your body to adapt to the lower oxygen levels by ascending slowly into higher altitudes, spending some time at each one to adapt. It is essential to budget sufficient time, and have a realistic ascent profile: ascend gradually, and leave extra days in case it is necessary to spend extra time acclimatizing. Over-aggressive schedules, such as 6-day ascent/descent of Kilimanjaro, pose very high risk of AMS, and significant risk that you will not successfully complete the expedition due to not having enough time to acclimatize, instead being forced to turn back.

The most important factor is to increase your sleeping elevation (the altitude where you’re spending the night) slowly. If you’re on a hiking or climbing holiday, a typical strategy is to spend a day (or initially part of a day) at a higher altitude and return to a lower altitude to sleep: “climb high, sleep low”. This is particularly used on summit day for a high summit (such as Kilimanjaro), or over a high pass (such as the Inca trail). This also works for people doing winter sports at high altitudes: ski at the top of the resort and sleep at the bottom.

Here are the recommended maximum increases in your sleeping elevation which will stop most people from proceeding to AMS:
 * Go no higher than 2400 m (8000 feet) the first night.
 * Increase your sleeping elevation by 300 m (1000 feet) per night after 3000 m (10,000 feet).
 * Every 1000 m (3000 feet), you should spend a second night at the same altitude. This will be every fourth night if you have been ascending at the maximum pace recommended above.

These guidelines are conservative; the CDC gives somewhat more aggressive guidelines, such as 2750 m (9000 feet) the first day and increase of 500 m per night, particularly for lower elevations (below 3500 m), though it increases the risk. You can, of course, ascend more gradually than these rates. Many people ascending from sea level choose to spend several nights at 2500 m (8000 feet) to 3000 m (10,000 feet) before beginning acclimatization to higher altitude.

During acclimatisation, drink a lot of non-alcoholic drinks, due to increased urination.

The drug Acetazolamide (ACZ) jump-starts and speeds acclimatisation, via the same biological pathway, and is effective in preventing AMS and reducing its severity. However, it is no substitute for a reasonable ascent schedule.

Be particularly wary with oxygen equipment: some tourists have died at altitude when their equipment failed and they were utterly unacclimatized.

Spending time in a low oxygen environment to simulate altitude, such as a hypobaric chamber, (to pre-aclimatise) is also possible. However, this approach comes with its own risks, and as of 2020 is a technique which is not mainstream. It requires appropriate scheduling and medical supervision, as well as being expensive.

Avoid rapid ascents
Rapid ascents are the opposite of acclimatization; you make a rapid ascent when you're gaining altitude faster than recommended. This may mean climbing and camping higher than recommended, but you can also make an even more rapid ascent by driving to a high altitude location, and flying from low altitude to high altitude is an even more rapid ascent. For example, flying from sea level to Lhasa, Tibet, which is 3700 m (12,000 feet) high, is distinctly unwise. Consider spending a week or so at an intermediate altitude; see Overland to Tibet for some possibilities. If you are going to travel around Tibet — where some inhabited areas are over 5000 m (16,000 feet) and some mountains over 8000 m (26,000 feet), do not set out until you are thoroughly acclimatised in Lhasa. The same is true if you travel to the Andes; destinations such as Cusco, La Paz or the Inca Trail are located well over 3000 m above sea level.

Where possible, avoid ascents more rapid than recommended above, particularly any sudden ascent to 3000 m (10,000 feet) or higher. Even if you are taking Acetazolamide (below) a rapid ascent makes it more likely you'll get AMS and makes AMS progress to serious illness faster, so you will have less time to respond and descend.

Consider road or rail travel rather than flying directly to somewhere with a very high altitude — but remember that the surface option often involves a lot higher altitudes: the Manali-Leh road for example will take you from below 2000 m (7000 feet) to 5000 m (16,000 feet) in less than a day. Or fly in stages, stopping somewhere at moderate altitude in between. If you must fly to any destination about 3000 m (10,000 feet) at least spend a few days at some intermediate destination en route. If flying to a more moderate altitude above 2500 m (8000 feet), you will still want to spend several nights at that altitude before setting off into higher country.

Keep hydrated
Remember to drink adequately – around one litre extra of fluids per day. Pushing large volumes of water does not protect against AMS, and can give the same symptoms (headaches, nausea, vomiting and more) as severe AMS from electrolyte imbalance.

Rest stepping and pressure breathing
Some advocate behavior modifications to prevent AMS, notably rest stepping and pressure breathing. The effectiveness in preventing AMS is unclear, but these are widely practiced.

Rest stepping consists of taking one quick step uphill, then locking the downhill knee and putting one’s weight on the lower leg, resting the muscles before the next step. Breathing is also regular: inhale during the step and exhale during the rest. Progress should be slow but steady, adjusting the rest period, rather than taking breaks. Beyond simply slowing the pace and increasing breathing, this is particularly useful during steep ascents, as it reduces endurance demands on the quadriceps.

Pressure breathing consists of forcefully exhaling through pursed lips, and is typically done at a regular pace (every few steps, or indeed every step).

Check blood oxygen and pulse
You can use a pulse oximeter to measure your blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate, which can help you detect problems before you get symptoms. These are inexpensive and easily available, with good accuracy. However, interpreting the numbers is complicated: normal readings vary between individuals and change with altitude. As a rule of thumb, within a group, individuals with lower SpO2 (either resting or after exercise) at a given altitude are more likely to develop AMS at higher altitudes, though precise cutoff values are difficult to give. Medical staff at altitude typically carry these, but it is prudent to purchase one (or two, as a backup) yourself.

Other
Refrain from alcohol (due to dehydration) and smoking when you arrive by plane in a high altitude area from lower altitudes. Avoid heavy meals immediately before and after ascending to a higher altitude.

Treatment
As soon as the symptoms of AMS appear, your first priority is recovering. You must not ascend any further until the symptoms have disappeared – “don’t go up until the symptoms go down”. This may take up to 48 hours – if it takes longer, descend! You could also descend on the onset of symptoms; this will make them disappear much faster, probably within hours, and even minor descents (100 m) can help significantly.

If you are getting sicker or showing signs of HACE or HAPE, you must descend to a lower altitude as quickly as possible. If it is night time, do not wait for morning if you have a choice at all. You should descend at least as far as you were the last night you had no AMS symptoms. You may need to seek hospital care.

People with HACE and HAPE are frequently confused or exhausted, and are likely to need help with the descent. Help them down!

For cases of AMS, particularly flying into a high city (such as Cusco or Lhasa), supplemental oxygen can alleviate symptoms, particularly on arrival or first night. Oxygen is available at some airports, hotels, and even restaurants, and an oxygen tank is a frequent part of medical packs on high-altitude treks such as the Inca trail.

There is some equipment available to treat people with HACE or HAPE at high altitudes, including hyperbaric bags in which the sufferer can lie in a higher pressure atmosphere. Likewise, because the main cause of these illnesses is a lack of oxygen, breathing oxygen from a tank will slow their onset and may provide some temporary relief of symptoms. Either treatment buys some time if it is too dangerous to descend, but they are not a substitute for descent.

Sufferers of DCS need to be hospitalised and treated in a recompression chamber: descent to sea level is not sufficient to alleviate DCS symptoms. As with HACE and HAPE, breathing oxygen may provide some temporary relief of symptoms allowing for rescue. Scuba diving organisations can advise further.

Acetazolamide
Acetazolamide (ACZ, AZM, sold as Diamox) stimulates your breathing. The drug was originally designed as a treatment for glaucoma, but a side effect of increased breathing rates and depth have proven useful to climbers. It jump-starts and speeds up acclimatization rates, improves periodic breathing, and helps people recover from AMS more quickly. ACZ is primarily taken preventatively (as a prophylaxis: starting a day or two before ascent, and continuing at altitude and during further ascent), and also has some use for treatment.

Acetazolamide is not an absolute preventative measure, particularly in the case of forced ascents. A prescription is necessary, and a doctor should be consulted about proper dosages.

ACZ should be begun prior to leaving town: severe allergic reactions are rare but possible, even with no prior history, and it is safer to be near proper medical facilities.

There are some side effects. Firstly, the drug acts as a diuretic, causing increased urination, and can cause easy dehydration, so drinking plenty of water is important. Secondly, it can cause tingling (pins and needles) of the fingers and toes.

This drug can be useful for people who have had AMS in the past; people on a forced ascent, particularly to a Very High Altitude (for example, flying into Tibet or La Paz); and anyone who has AMS, particularly if they are choosing not to descend.

Current CDC guidelines are 125 mg, taken twice a day (every 12 hours), starting the day before ascent, and continuing the first 2 days at altitude, or longer if ascent continues. A 250 mg dose is more effective, but side effects are more likely and more severe: it’s recommended if you are higher risk. If you have enough 125 mg pills, you can double the dose to 250 mg if necessary, so if in doubt, it’s prudent to get more than the minimum.

Simple preventative drugs
Ibuprofen 600 mg every 8 hours is reasonably effective for prevention of AMS; not as effective as ACZ, but it is cheap, widely available over-the-counter, and is well-tolerated (few/mild side effects). Gingko biloba has some effectiveness for prevention in some trials, for 100–120 mg every 12 hours, taken before ascent.

Caffeine, through either caffeinated beverages, and coca leaves (primarily and legally available in the Andes) widen the blood vessels and thereby help oxygen transport in the body. Though, if you are not used to caffeine, be aware of adverse effects like faster heart-beat. Chewed coca leaves and coca tea have a milder onset and are thus easier on the body but might get you into trouble when facing a drug-check back at home. In the Andes, cocaine is also widely available (though technically illegal), but most people from the west are not used to high-grade cocaine even when they consider themselves "cocaine experts" - it is therefore very unwise to use cocaine to prevent AMS!

Treating symptoms
Other than supplemental oxygen, one can relieve symptoms of AMS via usual means: treat headaches with headache medication (non-opiate analgesics, like aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), NSAIDs, etc.) and treat nausea and vomiting with anti-nausea drugs (antiemetics, like ondansetron (Zofran)).

ACZ is moderately effective for treating symptoms, but it's more for prevention. Dexamethasone is most effective for rapidly treating moderate to severe symptoms.

Coca leaves, available primarily in Andean regions of Peru and Bolivia (in coca tea, chewing, or in candies), are a mild stimulant and alleviate symptoms to some degree, particularly headaches (like the caffeine in coffee or tea) though they do not speed acclimatisation. Some people find that vegetarian or starchy food helps them somewhat.

Antacids may help with nausea, but do not help with acclimatization. There is the occasional misconception that antacids have some impact on acclimatization, presumably due to confusion between blood acidity (which is related to acclimatization) and stomach acidity (which is not).

If symptoms get worse while staying at the same altitude, you are in danger: descend immediately.

Oxygen and hyperbaric chambers
Supplemental oxygen (2 L/minute) will relieve AMS headaches quickly, and resolve AMS over hours; it is also lifesaving in cases of HAPE, and important for HACE. Oxygen typically isn't available in the field, but is available at hospitals, and at some airports, such as Cusco, for arriving passengers. An alternative field treatment is a hyperbaric chamber (high atmospheric pressure tent), which increases the amount of oxygen available in the air.

Other drugs
Other drugs, which are significantly more potent, include dexamethasone, nifedipine, salmeterol (Serevent), sildenafil, temazepam (Temaze), and tadalafil. Dexamethasone prevents and treats AMS and HACE, but primarily used for treatment (with ACZ preferred for prevention), as adjunct to descent, but is also used for summit day on high peaks such as Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua, to prevent abrupt altitude sickness. Nifedipine prevents and ameliorates HAPE, and is generally reserved for people who are susceptible to the condition. Salmeterol (in conjunction with oral therapy), sildenafil, and tadalafil are all used for HAPE prevention.

Some of these drugs are found in capsules sold in China e.g. Gao Yuan Kang (高原康), which contains dexamethasone. Some herbal preparations are also purported to prevent/treat high altitude illness, such as gingko biloba and a combination capsule called Gao Yuan Ning (高原宁), sold in China. The effectiveness of these preparations remains scientifically unproven, although Gao Yuan Ning (高原宁) is used by Chinese military personnel in cases of rapid ascent.

It is extremely important to note that all these drugs can have significant side effects, especially dexamethasone, a potent steroid medication. Tourists are advised to consult their doctor prior to obtaining these medications. Foreign tourists should procure any necessary medications in their home countries and note the ingredients contained in the medications.

title: Altitude sickness


text:
Alton

There is more than one place called Alton:

United Kingdom

 * Alton (Hampshire) - A town in the county of Hampshire.
 * Alton Towers - A theme park in Staffordshire

United States of America

 * Alton (Illinois) - A town in the state of Illinois.
 * Alton (Iowa) - A town in the state of Iowa.
 * Alton (Missouri) - A town in the state of Missouri.
 * Alton (New Hampshire) - A town in the state of New Hampshire.
 * Alton (Texas) - A town in the state of Texas.
 * Alton (Virginia) - A town in the state of Virginia.

title: Alton


text:
Alton (Illinois)

Alton is a charming river town in Illinois just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. Once a blue collar town of heavy manufacturing, Alton has transformed itself into a tourist destination and wedding and reception resort of the Midwest.

Understand
On the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway, named one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois, the Greater Alton area has five wineries, fifty antique shops, fifteen bed and breakfasts and guest houses, nine golf courses, Alton Marina, Alton Square Mall, boating, parasailing, hiking, biking, historic sites, fine dining, and more.

By car
Alton is within fifteen minutes or less of I-270 and I-255. Illinois Route 3, Illinois Route 140, and Illinois Route 143 run through Alton.

By plane

 * Lambert St. Louis International Airport, 10701 Lambert International Blvd, +1 314 426-8000. Alton is only 25 minutes from Lambert St. Louis International.

By train
Alton is served several times per day by Amtrak via its Lincoln Service between Chicago and St. Louis. Additionally, the long-distance Texas Eagle trains also calls here, it runs between Chicago and San Antonio, with thru cars to and from Los Angeles.

See
Alton is a bird watchers paradise. Each year from Christmas to the end of February Alton boasts the largest gathering of American bald eagles outside Alaska. Trolley, motor coach, limousine, and self-guided tours are available in season.

Buy
Alton, Illinois is a shopper's paradise with over 50 antique shops and Alton Square Mall to choose from. Special Third Thursday Shop 'Til You Drop events are scheduled each fall and winter.

Sleep
From charming to luxurious, chain motels to one of a kind bed and breakfasts and guest houses, Alton has lodging accommodations for every need and budget. With so many things to see and do in Alton, Illinois and the rest of the Greater St. Louis Area travel experts recommend making the most of your trip by staying multiple nights.

Go next

 * Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site - Cahokia Mounds, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was the largest Native American city north of Mexico before the time of Columbus. You can climb to the top of the largest prehistoric earthen work in the new world, visit a world-class museum, and learn about life in Illinois a thousand years ago.
 * Godfrey, just to the north, has the last remaining Mister Donut shop in the States.

title: Alton (Illinois)


text:
Alton Towers

Alton Towers, the largest theme park in the United Kingdom, is in Staffordshire, England. It is generally considered by rollercoaster enthusiasts to hold its own with any such park in the world.

Understand
Alton Towers is owned by Merlin Entertainments, who also run Madame Tussaud's, Warwick Castle, The London Eye and the London Dungeon and the Blackpool Tower amongst others.

Nemesis and Oblivion (you get the picture) are white-knuckle rides to match anything in Europe and most rides in the USA. The park is very well-themed and is built in several zones, namely Tower Street, Mutiny Bay, Katanga Canyon, Gloomy Wood, X-Sector, Forbidden Valley, Dark Forest, The World of David Walliams, Adventure Land and CBeebies Land. The ruins of this stately home are even used in a ride: Hex.

Alton Towers is well signposted from the major motorways and is easily accessible from the major cities in England. Those visitors who wish to overnight can stay at one of the park's five accommodation options – the Alton Towers Hotel, CBeebies Land Hotel, Enchanted Village Woodland Lodges and Treehouses, Stargazing Pods and the Splash Landings Hotel, which is also associated with a spectacular water park.

By car
Alton Towers is accessible on both the M6 and M1 motorways. As it is a major tourist attraction it is very well signposted. Be prepared to drive the last few miles on narrow country lanes.

By train and bus
The public transport links to Alton Towers are infrequent Alton Towers, but good options exist seasonally from Stoke on Trent, Uttoxeter and Derby.

You will need to be at either:

Derby train station or Nottingham bus station to catch the X52 bus to Alton Towers. There is only one bus per day April-August so make sure you don't miss it. As of 2019 the prices of the X52 are:
 * from Nottingham: (one-way/return) adult £10/15, child £6/9
 * from Derby: (one-way/return) adult £8/12, child £5/7

Stoke-on-Trent train station, then catch the 30 bus to the Towers. Uttoxeter train station, then catch the 32A bus to the Towers. This bus has an average frequency of about once every two hours and is a local service, servicing all the little villages around Alton Towers. These buses have gained a reputation with the locals as being a bad service and there is little need to use them as getting to Uttoxeter requires changing or passing through at either Derby or Stoke.

Get around
You can get a free park map from staff at the entrances or at various information points scattered throughout the park. Alternatively, a PDF copy can be found on the official website.

By foot
The best way to get around the park is on foot. The park however is quite large and very hilly so be prepared to walk long distances between rides.

By monorail
There is also a monorail between the hotels and car park and the park entrance. This is quicker than the 10-minute walk between the two but can have large queues during peak times.

By cable car
Also, you can use the cable car (Skyride) to get between the Park Entrance, Forbidden Valley which is an alien-themed area and Fountain Square, for The Towers, The World of David Walliams (one of the two children's areas of the park) and the Dark Forest. It is advisable to use the Skyride when traversing the valley between Forbidden Valley and Fountain Square as it is a very long and steep route through the park's gardens.

Thrill rides

There are 9 main thrill (or 'white knuckle') rides which are designed to provide maximum excitement and fear to riders.

Family rides
Other rides worth a go are the following:

CBeebies Land
The section within the park is aimed at younger visitors themed around the CBeebies franchise.

Other activities

 * +21 other rides and attractions.
 * +21 other rides and attractions.
 * +21 other rides and attractions.
 * +21 other rides and attractions.

Buy
Various ride photos.

Eat
There is a number of full service restaurants, fast food outlets and stands throughout the park including a pizza-pasta buffet, an American BBQ and a Mexican restaurant. There are various stands serving curry, chilli, filled jacket potatoes, etc., together with traditional English dishes such as fish and chips. If you wish to bring your own food into the park, there is a picnic area beside Mutiny Bay and there are lockers throughout the park.

Drink
Cafes and vending machines distributing soft drinks, water and juices are plentiful throughout the park.

Sleep
Alton Towers has three hotels, camping cabins and a lodge for overnight stays.

There are many hotels and restaurants in the surrounding Derbyshire and Staffordshire area. Ashbourne, a historic marketplace town, is nearby and has a number of hotels and B&Bs.

Cope
Facilities include:

Baby change facilities
There are 9 baby-changing facilities located within the toilets around the theme park.

Medical centre
There is a First Aid Centre between the Teachers Lounge and the Skyride Station on Towers Street.

Cash machines
There are several ATM cash machines around the park, but the only free ATM services are on Towers Street.

Smoking areas
Designated smoking areas are provided across the resort, including at Alton Towers Hotel and Splash Landings Hotel. Smoking is not permitted outside of these areas, including the use of e-cigarettes.

Stay safe
All rides have posted safety instructions which should be observed. Staff members are well-trained in first aid. Major incidents are incredibly rare and the operators consider it a professional responsibility to ensure a safe experience, despite the thrills.

In the summer and around Halloween time the place becomes overcrowded, so beware of pickpockets. Other crime is rare and Alton Towers remains an incredibly safe place to visit.

If you have young children and they get lost, please refer to the Resort First Aid centre next to Towers Street.

Go next

 * Leek
 * Ashbourne
 * Stafford
 * Stoke-on-Trent

title: Alton Towers


text:
Altoona

There is more than one place called Altoona:

United States of America

 * Altoona (Alabama)
 * Altoona (Florida)
 * Altoona (Iowa)
 * Altoona (Kansas)
 * Altoona (Pennsylvania)
 * Altoona (Washington)
 * Altoona (Wisconsin)

See also: Altona

title: Altoona


text:
Altoona (Pennsylvania)

Altoona is a city in central Pennsylvania. Altoona was founded as a railroad town by the Pennsylvania Railroad as the site of their Altoona Works shops, and its history as a railroad town still shows in the town today despite the decline of the railroad and its eventual absorption into Penn Central, Conrail, and now Norfolk Southern.

By train

 * Route stopping at Altoona:
 * Pennsylvanian operates daily between Pittsburgh and New York City with stops in Greensburg, Latrobe, Johnstown, Altoona, Huntingdon, Lewistown, Harrisburg, Elizabethtown, Lancaster, Exton, Paoli, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark.
 * Pennsylvanian operates daily between Pittsburgh and New York City with stops in Greensburg, Latrobe, Johnstown, Altoona, Huntingdon, Lewistown, Harrisburg, Elizabethtown, Lancaster, Exton, Paoli, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark.

By car
Altoona is located along Interstate 99, which can be reached from I-70 from the Washington-Baltimore area or Pittsburgh area, from I-76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) from the Philadelphia area, or from I-80 from the New York City area. Altoona can also be reached directly from Pittsburgh via I-376/US 22.

By plane
Altoona's airport is Altoona-Blair County Airport (AOO). United Airlines operates direct flights to both Washington Dulles and Johnstown, PA. This is a very small airport and is a convenient 12 miles from the downtown area.

See

 * The curve can also be viewed from on-board Amtrak's Pennsylvanian train between Altoona and Pittsburgh.
 * It features a model train layout, plus several interactive exhibits. It is closed during the winter.
 * It features a model train layout, plus several interactive exhibits. It is closed during the winter.

Buy

 * Logan Town Center - strip mall with a Boscov's store.
 * Logan Valley Mall, Route 220 & Goods Ln, +1 814 944-6128.
 * Specialty shops in Altoona.
 * Specialty shops in Altoona.

Eat

 * Wong's Wok in the food court of the Logan Valley Mall, Route 220 & Goods Ln, +1 814 944-6128

title: Altoona (Pennsylvania)