Leh Travel Forum

Dear VT Memebers,

Would like to know if I can take my 5 year old child in Mid-June'07 to Leh. Since I would be taking a delhi-leh flight, will the child be really uncomfortable on landing at leh? Are there any likeliness any breathing problem
just after landing. We would be taking a day's rest at hotel to aclimatise.

I do not want to take even 5% chance...do advice in GO or NO GO with child.

Anyone who has been there with a small child may kindly immediately give me directions.
Thanks

AS

I am a European doctor. I've been to Leh without a child but I saw foreign tourists with small children in the city.
If you want to be completely sure (don't want to take a 5% chance as you wrote) then don't take your child to Leh because the chances you'll encounter problems (High Altitude Sickness) is about 5-10% (not more).
Interestingly, it doesn't depend on age, children aren't more prone to this kind of illness than a very fit 20-year-old sportsman. Anybody can get sick (and surprisingly, most of the people developing the symptoms are the fittest people) and you have the same % chance to experience problems as your little child. Not more and not less.
If you really would like to go, June is the best season. During winter (from the middle of October till the second half of May in Leh) when getting High Altitude Sickness, your only chance is to go to the Military Hospital (they have pressurized chambers there and they are completely safe, put a quick end to all of the symptoms, but expensive without a comprehensive health insurance) or have a flight back to Delhi ASAP. If flights are overbooked, the hospital remains your only chance until you can book your flight back to Delhi.
However, in the middle of June, roads are open and if any symptoms of this sickness should appear, you can take a taxi to descend under 2000 meters where symptoms of the illness will disappear very quickly.
The High Altitude Sickness can be deadly only after spending a longer time in this altitude (3500m in the case of Leh) in spite of the symptoms, ignoring your deteriorating health.
Serious sypmtoms usually develop after 3 or 4 days but sometimes it takes more than 10 days to feel them.
If you're careful and listen to every sign of the symptoms of this illness, you shouldn't be afraid of it because it cannot cause irreversible problems in short periods of time. If you go back to lower altitudes (below 2000 meters) in 1 or 2 days, you (or your little child) will survive without any serious and irreversible problems. Just have a rest after arriving and look for the signs.
I don't think that you should cancel your journey to Leh but be informed about the signs of the illness and the things to do to solve your problem.

There is absolutely no problem is you can ensure that he/she will not run around and you can enforce a rest. Running can be quite bad. Breathing problem doesn't occur immediately, it usually occurs at night. If possible, on the second day in Leh dont go anywhere beyond the local market and there to, make sure he/she doesn't run. One cannot be sure of oneself in those high areas, so no one can give you an absolute answer.

Had been there but with out a child.

Assuming that the child is normal in health, i suppose you CAN visit.There will not be any breathung problem for a normal persons.
Most important is that as soon as you arrive in Leh, take atleast 3 days of rest(not just one day).This means not strenuos walking,nor any type of exercise.
Your body has to get used to the altitude with the thin air that is available. Even adults too would feel a bit of head-ache for a day and no hunger feeling. However it would subside the next day.So no need to worry.
Before going to Leh consult your family doctor and on his advice better to take decision.If the doctor allows you, then visit.The doctor is the ebst judge and not we.

June is the starting of season in Leh.