A five-day protocol for high-altitude travel

Cusco, Shangri-La, Leh. The single biggest reason guests cut a trip short isn't weather or stomach — it's altitude. Here's exactly what we do on day zero through day four.

Day zero: Don't trust arrival day. Land, drink water, do nothing heroic. The headache that appears at 4 p.m. on day zero is not a sign that your body is broken — it's a sign that your body is doing exactly what it should.

Day one: Coca tea is not a cure. It is a ritual, and rituals have value. Drink it. Also drink an additional three litres of plain water. Do not try to do the main attraction on day one.

Day two: This is when most guests make the mistake. They feel fine. They feel better than fine. They hike to the ruin they came for, they push too hard, and they are in bed by six. Rest on day two as if you feel bad, regardless of how you feel.

Day three: This is acclimatisation. If you've been patient, day three is often the best day of the trip. Your body has adapted, the haze has lifted, and you can actually see the place you came to see.

Day four onward: You have earned the altitude.