Travis Neighbor Ward

It's not uncommon for visitors to Aspen (elevation 8,000 feet) to get altitude sickness, caused by a decline of oxygen in the blood. Symptoms include nausea, headache, sinus pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and in more serious cases, severe breathlessness or a cough with phlegm. (Altitude sickness can be fatal if it is left untreated.) Here's how to minimize the chances you'll fall prey to it.

• Spend a day allowing your body to adjust. Don't climb to the top of Aspen Mountain on the first day -- and don't get too many spa treatments, which are dehydrating by nature.

• Don't drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or take sleeping pills during the first 72 hours after your arrival at the club, and don't overindulge in food -- or in caffeine either.

• Drink lots of water. At this altitude the air is so dry your body needs a gallon a day -- at least -- to keep it hydrated. A good test, according to some locals: If you get up at least once a night to urinate, you're drinking enough.

• Take steam baths to restore moisture to your skin and lungs.

• Be aware of altitude sickness symptoms. If you start to feel any of them, slow down or take a break. If they persist, seek medical care.

• Once you have adjusted to the altitude, you may want to take the V02 Submax Test, which involves running on a treadmill to ascertain how well you breathe during different intensities of exercise at altitude. The Aspen Club can refer you to local doctors who will administer the test.

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