SUMMER TREKKING
Do you enjoy the great outdoors and active holidays? If so, you may be contemplating a trekking adventure. Top summer trekking destinations include Cotopaxi, Ecuador, the Atlas Mountain Range in Morocco, The Ladakh Ranges in India and Mont Blanc in the French Alps.
Fleet Street Clinic offers travel tips for trekkers from Anna Chapman, one of our specialist travel nurses, to help prepare for your holiday and make the most of your adventure.
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Ensure that you are up to date with vaccinations. It comes as a surprise to most people that vaccination should be considered before hiking in northern Europe. Tick borne Encephalitis is a serious viral infection that causes swelling of the brain. As the name suggests, it is spread by the bite of an infected tick, and it is endemic throughout northern Europe, Russia and China. If you’re heading further afield, to South America or Africa, you may need Yellow Fever vaccination for your own protection, or for border control.
- The most common illness amongst travellers is upset stomachs. Pack hand sanitiser to use when soap and water for hand washing is unavailable. Take water purification tablets if you have not got access to safe water. Medicines such as rehydration salts and anti-motility medicines can be helpful if you do become unwell.
- Most trekking routes are at high altitudes. Understand the effects of altitude sickness. Take time to acclimatise to altitudes and consider taking medication such as Diamox to reduce the severity of acute altitude sickness.
- Look after your feet. Invest in good trekking boots, socks and wear them in before you go. Keep your feet dry when trekking by changing your socks and using foot powder. Zinc oxide tape or Compeed dressings can be helpful if you do get blisters.
- Pack suitable clothing. Trekking in mountain ranges usually involves variable temperatures: Warm days, thin air, strong sunshine and cool nights. Pack breathable clothing, a waterproof jacket and warm base layers. Sun protection is essential, especially in high altitude ranges, so apply the “Slip, Slop, Slap” rule. Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat.
FLEET STREET TRAVEL CLINIC
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