Family's Dream Ladakh Vacation Turns Into A Nightmare: "Hard To Breathe"

Ladakh is most famous for its breathtaking landscapes, crystal clear skies, the highest mountain passes, Buddhist Monasteries and thrilling adventure activities. However, a dream vacation to Ladakh became a daunting ordeal for Kirubakaran Rajendran and his family as they struggled to acclimatise to the high altitude. Mr Rajendran recounted the terrifying experience in a post on X, describing how the thin air wreaked havoc on their bodies. What was supposed to be a thrilling adventure quickly turned into a desperate struggle for oxygen.

He explained, ''Please note that Oxygen availability goes down once you move to higher altitude regions. As the altitude increases, the atmospheric pressure drops and the number of oxygen molecules per breath is reduced. Compared to sea level, places like Leh/Ladakh have less oxygen in the air.''

See the post here:

Even simple activities like walking or climbing stairs became exhausting ordeals. Mr Rajendran further warned about the dangers of crossing high passes like Khardung La Pass, which towers at 18,000 feet. At such extreme altitudes, oxygen levels plummet, making it difficult even for seasoned travellers to catch their breath. The family was advised by cab drivers to limit their time outside at these peaks to just 10 minutes, lest they risk succumbing to the debilitating effects of oxygen deprivation.

''It takes a minimum 5 hours of travel from Leh city, if you have to reach places like Nubra Valley or Hanle. To reach those places, you have to cross high passes like Khardung la Pass which is located at 18k feet. And the oxygen at these places are so thin, which makes it very difficult to breathe, even cab drivers ask you not to stand outside at these peaks for more than 10 minutes,'' he added. 

Despite allowing two days for acclimatization, Mr Rajendran and his family found themselves unable to cope with the high altitude in Ladakh. So, they decided to cancel their bookings and take a flight back to their home.

''But for us breathing was still an issue, even after two days our body didn't adapt and my ten-year-old kid found it really hard to breathe. His oximeter reading went below 65. All three of us couldn't eat well, he started vomiting whatever he eats, making his body dehydrated, couldn't sleep well, Even for adults climbing two floors was like climbing Everest,'' he further wrote. 

''The vacation was supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable but not this adventurous putting the health at risk...Just be well prepared if you plan your Ladakh trip, and anticipate all the worst-case scenarios. Ladakh is so beautiful, no doubt about it but it might not suit everyone,'' he concluded and asked fellow travellers to be aware of the risks involved. 

Reacting to his post, one user wrote, ''Bro high altitude places are not to be hurried. Acclimatization, Step by step altitude increase, Lot of rest is necessary. One of my friends works there as a tour guide & has many horror stories of how people fail to cope. Good that you guys are safe & sound.''

Another commented, ''You took the right call. Ignore the ones saying they did not feel anything. AMS is dangerous and especially for people who lived most of their lives at sea level.''

A third said, ''It is considered better to avoid raking flight directly to Leh. Approaching Leh by road does not expose us to a sudden change in atmospheric conditions. The body gradually accepts the slow change as we approach Leh via road.''