Mandatory 48 Hour-Acclimatisation for all those travelling to Leh; Ladakh district administration issues advisory

Travelling to the cold regions of Leh will now require two days extra in the itinerary. 

According to a recent travel advisory, people travelling to Leh will need to undergo 48-hour mandatory acclimatisation before commencing their further explorations. 

The aim of this rule is to prevent any sort of acute mountain sickness (AMS) which hinders the trip for tourists further.

This development came in the wake of recent increase in AMS amongst travellers. There have been extreme incidences where people had to be hospitalised for days.

Leh-Ladakh is perched at an altitude of 3500 meters above the sea level making mountain sickness a common problem for tourists, especially who travel by air.

A meeting was convened by Tashi Gyalson, Chief Executive Councillor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), which was inclusive of other officers and stakeholders from the industry, to discuss the issues pertaining to tourism sector in Leh.

The officials and stakeholders also raised issues regarding the need of upgrading the health infrastructure facilities to better deal with medical emergencies particularly for popular locations located at higher elevation. 

During the meeting, it was also weighed in, that all stakeholders need to comply with various SOPs to be formulated by the District Administration regarding tourist management of people travelling to Leh during peak season in addition with monitoring their medical conditions.