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Intro | Head | Eye | Nose | Cheek | Lips and Arm Throat and Chest | Stomach | Calf/lower leg | Foot Climbing at high altitude can be nauseating, dizzying, and it can kill you. It's cold up there, and let's face it, humans have evolved to live in relatively warm climates. If had we had evolved to live in constant cold, our bodies might have grow thick hair all over, we might store more fat, and our body shape might be rounder and shorter to prevent heat loss. In addition, Denali is one of the highest mountains on Earth. And the higher you climb, the thinner the air is and the harder it is to breathe. Weather on Denali can be severe—with white-out snowstorms and winds at 100+ mph. Temperatures can feel as frigid as -100° F. The ability to recognize and treat cold and altitude injuries can mean the difference between a dream trip or a nightmare. Click on different parts of this climber's body and check out just SOME of the things he could be experiencing. How would you like to be in his (cold, damp) shoes? 
Want to see what's happening to John Grunsfeld's body right now on Denali? Then check out
How Hot Is John?
If you want to know what other kinds of dangers you can face on Denali, then check out Survival Skills. Head Symptoms Headache that doesn't go away. Feel drowsy. Face looks puffy. Problem acute mountain sickness (AMS) What do you do? Drink fluids, rest. Stay put at camp for a few days until you get adjusted to this elevation. Back to top Eye Symptoms Eyelids swell and ooze. Problem snowblindness (eyes are actually sunburned) What do you do? Wear eye protection with lenses that filter out more than 90 percent of harmful rays. Eliminate chance of burning the corners of your eyes by wearing side screens, too. Back to top Nose Symptoms Skin looks white or waxy. Feels hard. Problem frostbite What do you do? Warm up skin immediately; put hands over nose. Best treatment is re-warming skin in warm water. Back to top Cheek Symptoms Red, tender skin. Cracked, scabbed and bleeding skin. Problem sunburn What do you do? Wear sunblock on every inch of skin not clothed. Apply it under chin and nose, too. Reapply often. Avoid exposure during the middle four hours of the day when two-thirds of the sun's ultraviolet radiation happens. Back to top Lips and Arm Symptoms Speech is slurring. Muscles are shivering. Problem hypothermia What do you do? Your body needs to be warmed up! Replace wet clothing with dry. Get out of wind. Drink hot fluid. Add layers of insulation. Apply heat. Back to top Throat and Chest Symptoms Harsh, dry cough that's worse at night. Lungs rattle with fluid. Problem high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) What do you do? DESCEND to a lower altitude. Stay warm. If this goes untreated and you become oblivious or unconscious then you've got high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and could die within hours. Back to top Stomach Symptoms Intense cramps (with diarrhea). Problem giardia What do you do? Boil water to destroy the contaminates you're picking up from melted snow. Wash hands regularly. Back to top Calf/lower leg Symptoms Swollen and painful. Pale or even bluish. Problem clot (or thrombophlebitis) What do you do? Loosen the clothing around the leg. Take aspirin. You'll need to be carried down the mountain. Back to top Foot Symptoms Looks swollen/shiny and spotty. Feels numb and wooden. Problem trench foot (or immersion foot) What do you do? Air dry feet, then keep dry socks on. Check feet daily. Recovery can take weeks and be extremely painful. Back to top Denali News | Body Breakdowns (Hot Science) | Talking Trash Dining on Denali | Survival Skills | Where in the World is Denali? Follow our Adventure | Ask the Expert | More Stuff | Denali for Kids Home PBS Kids Online Privacy Policy PBS Online | NOVA Online | WGBH © | Updated June 2000 |
